The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-15 00:00:00

War in South America.

PARANA RIVER, April 26.
Passing events in this part of the world are o:
such a nature as to make one believe that the Vir.

gilian stave of " Anna virumque cano" might be
chanted here in• perpetuity, for no sooner has the
civil war in the Uruguayan Republic been put a
stop to by the success of Flores, aided by the Bra-
zilians, than the battle trumpet is sounded in the
upper part of our river. _

Gen. Lopez, the President in name, but in reality
the Emperor and Dictator of Paraguay, has invaded
the Brazilian territory in his neighbourhood, taken
possession of Coimbra, Albuquerque, Curamba, San
Lorenzo, Dorados, Miranda, and Nivac, andfinished
these achievements by laying hold of the diamond
mine territory of Matto Grasso.
On the 13th of last month an extraordinary ses-
sion of senAtors and deputies was summoned at
Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, to hear the Pre-
sident's address. This message, which is a compo-
sition of very chaste and dignified style, although
regarded by many persons as somewhat tinctured
with special pleading, sets forth the recent sanguin-
ary events in the Uruguay and violation of equili-
brium in the River Plate as causes of rupture with
Brazil and coolness with the Argentine Republic.
It charges Brazil with having violated the treaty of
1850, for the maintenance of nationalities in this
part of South America, by allying itself with the
rebel band of Flores. It alludes to the Paraguayan
Government having offered to joia with the Argen-
tine in mediating between Brazil and Uruguay, at

the same time complaining that the Brazilians still
carried on the war without condescending to take
notice of the offer made by President Lopez. This,
of course, as the message says, outraged the national
honour and dignity, as well as compromised the
security and integrity of the Paraguayan republic.

It further states that the territory of Matto Grosso,
of which Lopez has now taken possession, had been
usurped by Brazil, although belonging to Paraguay
by virtue of discovery, possession, and treaties, and
that an additional justification for taking it, if such
were needed,existed in the fact of Brazil having col-
lected these great military resources to prepare new
inroads on Paraguay.

Another point, which is touched upon with much
apparent sensitiveness in the message, is that the
Paraguayan Government, foreseeing that a conflict
with Brazil might take place on the eastern frontier
of the former country, solicited permission from the
Argentine Cabinet to cross the territory of Corrien-
tes when events might so oblige. The Argentine
Government, however, not only refuses this permis-
sion (while granting a free permission by river to
the Brazilian squadron, bound for Paraguay), but
protests against the Paraguayan crossing the terri-
tory of Missiones, which is behind Corrientes, and
over which Lopez proposed to pass in order to invade
Brazil on its own soil.

In two days after thismessage had been delivered

the Paraguayan Senate conferred on President
Lopez the dignity of a field marshal. The salary
proposed to be attached to the post—viz., 60,000
silver dollars per annum—he peremptorily refused,
but accepted a sword of honour, and agreed to the
proposal made by Senator Riveros, that he should
lead the army in person.
Meanwhile everyplace up and down the river was
alive with rumours and conjectures. It was said that
Lopez could raise an army of 60,000 men ; that he
had been for many years amassing the most exten-
sive and most perfect collection of European arma-
ments ; that the fort of Humayita (which must be
' passed on ascending the Paraguay river to arrive at
Asuncion) was furnished with 120 guns of large
calibre, many of them being Lancasters, and manned
by 8,000 troops ; that the river at the southern side
of Hamayita was spiked after the Chinese fashion,
so as to obstruct the ascent of the Brazilian squa-
dron ; that Lopez, despite the objections raised by
the Argentine Government, had determined to cross
over Corrientes or Missiones into Brazil.
The truth of some of these opinions has been al-
ready realized. Exactly a month had passed away
after the reading of the before-mentioned message
—i.e., on the 13th of the present month—when a
fleet of five Paraguayan war steamers came down
from Asuncion, and captured the Argentine war
steamer 25th de Mayo, as well as the Government
hulk Gualeguaya, both of which were at anchor in
the harbour of Corrientes. The attack was so sud-

den and unexpected, having been made at a quar-
ter past 7 o'clock in the morning, that no prepara-
tions could be adopted for defence against such an
unequal force, and the 25th de Mayo was taken.
Some of the Argentine newspapers describe the cap-
ture of this ship as having been effected by treachery,
and that 30 of its crew were killed in cold blood.
This may be set down as an account to be taken
cum grano salis.
Coincident with the arrival of the war steamers,

the city being perfectly prepared for such an
and
ninva-
sion,was occupied by 5,000 Paraguyan infantry
a like number of cavalry. These troops had come
overland from Paraguay. The Argentine Governor
Senor Lagrana, at once issued two decrees,—the
first ordering that all Argentines of Corrientes, from
the age of 17 to 60, should present themselves on
horseback at the general encampment ; and the
second declaring every man to be a traitor to his
country who would, in the slightest degree, give
assistance to the Provisional Government set up by
the invaders in the province of Corrientes.
The steamer which brought down this intelligence
carried likewise information of Lopez being at the
head of 20,000 men, advancing down the bank of
the Parana, simultaneously with the advance of his
fleet. But this last piece of news seems to me to
need confirmation.
On the very day succeeding the arrival at Buenos
Ayres of a despatch from Governor Lagrana, of the