The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-14 00:00:00

We have dates from Buenos Ayres to the 21st
November, and the long-meditated attack of the
Allies on the position of Lopez at Villeta was ex-
pected to be made on the 23d or 24th November.
The works extend for four miles along the hills,
mounted with a hundred cannon, mostly small field
pieces. The Buenos Ayres Standard rightly judged
the position to be too strong for the Allies to carry
by assault. Gen. Osorio had cut his way through,
the woods, and in a measure outflanked Villeta, but
he had a deep and rapid river to cross. It was even
hinted that the threatened attack by Marshal Cax-
ias was only a feint to attract the enemy's atten-
tion while Osorio crossed the river and occupied
Asuncion. The Brazilian Legation in London have
received intelligence that Caxias. with 20,000 men
and a squadron -of ships, was beyond Angostura.
The latest news by telegraph was dated Paraguay,
Nov. 23, and this confirmed the news previously re,
ceived that the Allies had made their attack, 'Oita!'
ha,l been repulsed by Lopez with heavy loss ; three
Braz;lian ironclads, in conjuncti )n with the troops,
having suffered severely. This fact, now well esta-
blished, changes the aspect of the war, with which
the Argentine Confederation are thoroughly dis-
gusted. The Standard said, before the Brazilian
defeat was known to it, " No further recruits will
be drawn from this country or the Banda Oriental
for the Paraguayan war. Brazil must henceforth
rely upon herself for reinforcement." The advices
from Rio show the Brazilian determination, as an-
other army corps of 15,000 was about to be formed,
and a decree bad been issued opening an extraordi-
nary credit of $6,026,000 for the Minister of Marine.
It is not alone in the turn of military affairs that
Lopez has been fortunate. It is now acknowledged
that a conspiracy had been formed against him,
which, if it did not aim at his life, did by
nefarious means at his deposition ; and part
and parcel of the scheme was so to defame
his character—as to bring him into disrepute
in Christendom. We cannot believe that Mr.
Washburn was a party to such proceedings, but he
has, unfortunately for all, been so used as to give to
these reports their chief colouring of probability.
That the American Admiral was not deceived has
been shown by his course of action, and it is probable
that Gen. M'Mahon, who is spoken of by Americans
at Rio in the highest terms, will ground his proceed-
ings on a basis of,truth, and not permit himself to be
used as a tool by Brazil. Feeling great confidence,
then, both in the Minister and in the Admiral our
*pinion will be formed on their action ; for being
snbiassed, and with discernment and ability, we
have the assurance that if they act vigorously
against Lopez they will only do so when con
vinced of the necessity of the course. General
Webb urged the departure of Admiral Davis
and his fleet for Asuncion, without await-
ing General M'Mahon's arrival, but this being re-
sisted by the Admiral, as the General was expected
in seven days, an unpleasant feeling arose between
the Minister and the Admiral, which, we suppose,
was not lessened by the arrival of Mr. Washburn.
Both General Webb and that gentleman left Rio in
the Merrimac, reaching New York on the 23d Dec.
The Admiral, on the arrival of General M'Mahon,
placed the fleet at his disposal, and proceeded with
the Minister on board to Buenos Ayres, where the
flag was transferred to the TVasp, the Guerriere
drawing too much water for the river. On the
21st of November the Minister left Buenos Ayres,
after taking leave of President Sarmiento, the fleet
having started two days before. They arrived at
La Paz, and by the Beacon's advices it was
thought little difficulty would be experienced in
amicably arranging the question in dispute between
the United States and Paraguay. Her Majesty's
ship Beacon had brought down from Paraguay 15
British subjects, when the astonished people at
Buenos Ayres learnt that not a single Englishman
in Paraguay wishes to leave the country. The
Buenos Ayres Standard, it must be mentioned, while
honest and unprejudiced in its views, was inclined
to side against Lopez. It now says, " The British
public in the River Plate view with astonishment
the extraordinary misrepresentations which have
been made to the home Government respecting the
British subjects in Paraguay, and greatly attribute
this misunderstanding to the absence of a Consul
or agent in that country, and also to the fact that
since the time of Mr. Thornton British Ministers
accredited to Paraguay have not thought proper to
present their credentials to President Lopez." Two
skilled English engineers are 'napping the country
and fortifying passes in the mountains, to occupy
on which in case of necessity Lopez will fall back.
The c ops had been good and provisions abundant.
The Standard cannot conc.ml from its " home
readers the fact, that if the Allies have to enter into
the interior of Paraguay, to follow up Lopez
through the fastnesses of his country, the elements
at the disposal of Marshal Caxias are insufficient,
and large reinforcements will be required." A
letter is published from Marshal Caxias to the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, in which the despatch
of Mr. Washburn is alluded to, and his own share
in the conspiracy denied. Lopez he speaks of as
being crazed by his repeated defeats, and using the
conspiracy as a means for gratifying his blood-thirsty
nature. While asserting that he would have been
justified "in promoting a reaction among the
people against the enemy," he states that, from the
moment he entered the country, he saw it was
hopeless, and therefore did not waste time in the
attempt. He says "that the depositions made by
Berg& and Carreras, wherein extracts of his letters
to them were given, were probably obtained through
torture, or were mere inventions, but in no part of
his letter, from first to last, does he distinctly
deny having written to these people. The account
of Captain Parsons of the Beacon, who was treated
by the President with the greatest courtesy, ascribes
to
President,L opez
after
:env dseernfdu
sending
perception
escort,and
sa
dh
that ability.
a t
all Thethe
Englishmen who desired to leave Paraguay might
wFiovxe,s tahnedy
ephriel
fdgerorer;nebdou only. ywr. remain,
itre: despatchingheexcep
Nesbit,ti ot
hneocfthhipeeifri: engineer, went
on board with his wife, when he said it would be
unfair then to abandon Paraguay. All receive
high wages, regularly paid each month. Two
Enalishmen:only.were in prison, on criminalcharges,
awaiting their trial according to law. Bliss and
Masterman are both alive and well, and will be
handed over to General M'Mahon, unless they pre-
fer to remain in Paraguay, whichis “
not unlikely.
" Diplomatists," says Captain Parsons,
better mind their Pa and Qs, as he
anything to do with Marshal Preside.nstdLowopnezuphao.nd
any softness of fact or haziness of
glance detail
reads
the secret of his interlocutors' soul." ads
with Although
an iron hand, and his searching
his career, we have., from
devoticn from
we know nothing of Lopezthe bbeeygoinnclninwg,atcbheinen
persuaded that such extraordinaryg
tmheandeoafthaupe
rior capacity. Brave m
fool
his people was commandeend
foonlll
nei-
ther a poltroon nor a 7 and we are persuaded follow wbYtoa
of the Dictator. The Paraguayan troops are
that Captain Parsons does not exaggerate the capa-
cityin high spirits ; the crops are good, and the maize
very abundant.

In Kansas the cold, on the 9th and 10th Dec., was
the most severe since 1855, and at St. Louis, on the 11th,
the mercury touched 14 deg. below zero.—ln Chicago a
dentist is now called a tusk-hoister, a blacksmith a vul-
canist.—Four thousand dollars are now given for a pew
in a fashionable church in New York.--The pews in
Rev. Dr. Ellis's new church on Berkeley-street, Boston,
are valued at $159,000. Thirty of them sold Tuesday
Light, Dec. 22, brought $3,300 in premiums. It is estimated
that there are 100,000 Spaniards in New York. Hitherto
they have taken little notice of tha revolution in their
mother country, but they have now proposed to call a
great meeting in the Academy of Music to send words of
encouragement to the friends of popular government in
Spain, beseeching them to stand firm and declare for a Re-
public. The resolutions will request the American Go-
vernment to instruct the United States Minister at Madrid
to throw his influence on the side of the Republicans in
the event of the Cadiz uprising becoming general. No-
thing was to be said about the troubles in Cuba.

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