The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-12 00:00:00

PARAGUAY.

During the long period of 30 years this rich and
beautiful country had disappeared from the world's
map. And wherefore ? Its political power had
departed ; or, rather, its two great civil and mili-
tary attributes had become absorbed in the despotic
will of the " Doctor," or, more properly, the
" tyrant " Francia.
The autocratic propensities of Francia were ex-
traordinary. The arithmetic of morals cannot pro-
portion them. They defy the skill of the most
accomplished in nature's secrets. They were, in a
word, incomprehensible ! Does any one ask for a
corroboration of these assertions, he may read it in
a work entitled " The Terror of Dr. Francia,"
which was written, in 1812, by a Mr. Robertson,
an English merchant, on his return from Paraguay
to his own country.
In 1840 Francia died. At this period " dark-
ness covered" Paraguay, " and thick darkness the
people." But, lo ! and presently the obscurity
was relieved. Yes, a brilliant light was now to
burst upon the land ! Don Carlos Antonio Lopez
was appointed Consul of the republic. This worthy
man was one of the richest amongst the landowners
of Paraguay, and had formerly been a lawyer. In
jurisprudence he was very learned. His erudition
is, indeed, evinced by the wise and excellent laws
which he subsequently enacted, and the observance
of which has, more than anything besides, lever-
like, lifted Paraguay from the dire abyss into which
his heartless predecessor had plunged it.
It is not too much to say that Lopez has morally
reconstructed the long-dilapidated republic. The
government, in all its ramifications, he has newly
modelled and reformed. Public worship, political
justice, commercial liberty, financial economy, and
police or magisterial perfectibility—all these have,
as it were, revived at the bidding of this good
ruler.

In 1849 Lopez was elected President of the re-
public, and to the welfare of his country his best
energies were at once, with a new ardour, directed.
At this juncture, however, the tyrant Rosas de-
clared war against our excellent President, and
actually blockaded Paraguay. This belligerent in-
vader was a deadly enemy to Lopez, simply because
in that good man he perceived virtues of which in
his own bosom there was no resemblance. A physi-
cal contest was, unavoidably, at this moment to be
the asserter of moral right ; and Lopez showed his
people at once that he could wield the sword with
as much dexterity as he could guide the pen.
To a son skilful in military tactics Lopez en-
trusted the command of 20,000 men ; and, after a
brief period, the young warrior appeared in the
place called El Paso de la Patrice at the head of a
large and well-disciplined army. This son, General
Signor Lopez, is now residing at Mivart's Hotel,
as Minister Plenipotentiary in England. We dare
not question that he will introduce into Paraguay
the happy results of his experience in the world's
metropolis, and that the advantages which arise
from the civilising elements of European existence
will be speedily ushered into the realm once en-
thralled and benighted.
The upright President is not merely a patriot—
he is also a Christian. If he but persevere in his
course of bold reformation, not only Paraguay, but
the neighbouring republics, will ere long feel that
excellence is contagious.

In conclusion, niay we be permitted to say that
when the spirit of Lopez shall have departed this
life, and his cenotaph shall be inquired after, the
people may unanimously answer----" His monument
io .Paraguay."