The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-13 00:00:00

THE WAR IN PARAGUAY.

The Royal Mail steamer Oneida, with the mails
from the Brazils and the River Plate, has arrived,
and for the first time for nearly 18 mouths we
have heard of some decisive action having taken
place at the seat of war on the part of the Allies.
But as all the news have come via Rio de Janeiro
they have to be taken with that reserve which
former Brazilian news have taught us. At last the
Brazilian fleet dared to pass Humaita on the
19th of February, after all the obstacles in the river,
as chains and torpedoes, had been successfully re-
moved, not by the Allies, but by the river having
risen to an unprecedente 1 height, enabling the
ironclads to steam clear over them. Without the
loss of a single man or ship, as the Brazilian ac-
count says, and notwithstanding the well-served
fire of the Paraguayan fortress, Humaita was
passed by six ironclads, two of them being very
roughly handled, and had to be run ashore to pre-
vent their sinking. Three small steamers were
sent up the river to capture Asuncion, which was
found deserted, as all the other river towns.
This victory of the fleet was augmented by the vic-
tory of the army under the command of Marquis de
Caxias, taking by assault one of the principal out-
works of Hurnaita, the fort " Establicitniento,"
after a heavy loss of the Paraguayans. This is
all the Brazilian news tells us. From Marshal Lopez
and his army or his whereabouts not a word, they
all have vanished—from the Brazilian accounts, or
according to a Brazilia❑ telegram published on the
Continent, have died to a man in defending
Humaita. Of the loss of two entire regiments of
the Argentine contingent at or near Tujuti, only
two days before the passage of Humaita, not a
word has been published, although it created the
most intense ill-feeling, mistrust, and gloom about
Buenos Ayres, where at first it was only thought
of as a small affair, but was found very serious.
The Buenos Ayres Standard says :—" The last ad-
vices from headquarters brings the news that two
regiments of the Argentine army have been surprised
by the Paraguayans ; and, although the full particu-
lars of the engagement are not yet to hand, the let-
ters which have come down from the army repre-
sent the engagement as extremely sanguinary, some
of the Argentine officers having perished in the
fight. The whole position of the allied army is
undergoing a change, which indicates some new
tactics on the part of the octogenarian commander-
in-chief. It appears that on the morning of Mon-
day a squadron of Argentine cavalry went
out from the camp at Tuyu-Cue to reconnoitre
according to daily duty. The squadron was
surprised by a Paraguayan ambuscade. The
cavalry being unable to support the attack,
two battalions of the 9th Regiment of the
Line under Commanders Pippo, Giribone, and
Calvete went to their assistance. The Paraguayans
were, however, in force, and the Argentine infantry
were badly treated. The 9th Regiment were cut to
pieces, and Commander Giribone killed and Cal-
vete wounded. Subsequently Colonel Mansilla;
with the 12th Regime❑t of the Line, came up to aid
their comrades, and finally the Paraguayans re-
treated with trifling loss before the fire of
the Argentine artillery. At the moment of
the Yaguarete's departure nothing certain
was known of the fate of Colonel Mausilla.
The attack ou Humaita by land under the Mar-
quis de Caxias was, according to private news, re-
ceived in this city, a very serious affair, and shows
that Lopez is yet in possession of plenty of men
and resources. On the 20th of February 13,000
Allied troops under Caxias attacked at early dawn
the outside defence of Humaita opposite Tujuti,
believing to find the Paraguayans faint-hearted
after the passing of Humaita, but the storming
party was so warmly and roughly received that
7,000 more men were ordered out to support the
first column of 13,000 men. The battle lasted till
late in the afternoon, the Paraguayans fighting with
the greatest bravery against serious odds, and were
able to repulse the Brazilians with a very heavy
loss of from 5,000 to 6,000 men. The fort Estab-
licimiento, which had been taken by the Brazilians,
was retaken and kept by the Paraguayans. The
news just come to hand do not mention what has
been done at Asuncion, and in some quarters the
taking of Asuncion was considered premature.
Although Humaita is passed it is not taken,
and the war far from being ended. Lopez, who
is surrounded by a large and devoted popu-
lation, an army which has given ample proof
of its endurance and patriotism, with very
little wants, very frugal, more through habit than
from necessity, will be able to carry on the war for
a very long time yet, even if he was forced to give up
Humaita. But whether the Brazilians will be able to
stand a long guerilla warfare is another question.
Far away from home, surrounded by nothing but
enemies, and a country which for them has no re-
sources, the Allies of the Brazilians are just now
of such a very doubtful character that they even, to
a large extent, may be called enemies. The revo-
lution in Montevideo, which has cost the life of
some hundreds of people, including that of General
Flores, assassinated in the open street, although
quiet for the moment, may break out again before
the Brazilians have been able to settle themselves
down quietly in Paraguay. With the fall of Flores
Brazil has lost one of her best supporters in the
River Plate, as he was the tool of Brazil, and the
author of this war. Venancio Flores, by his inva-
sion of the Banda Oriental in 1863, was the real
origin of the present Paraguayan war. Step by step we
can point to event succeeding event until, at last, the
celebrated triple alliance treaty; and yet he is the very
first of the parties to that treaty who has succumbed.
At Buenos Ayres the peace with Paraguay party
is also hard at work to frustrate, if possible, the
policy of President Mitt-6 and of Elisalve, the can-
didate for the Presidency, recommended by Brazil.
The election for the future President of the Confe-
deration will take place in June next, and the elec-
tors will be voted for this month, when serious dis-
turbances are anticipated. The Buenos Ayres Stan-
dard
sums up the situation of the river Plate in
these words :—" Montevideo, the land of revolt, the
home of the rebel, is tossed about to-day, a prey to
the identical political frenzy which the Argentine
Girondists are germinating in our midst. Heaven
grant that the revolutionary blaze which has leaped
from Rosario to the Queen City of the Plate may
not be caught up here ; but, so imminent is the
danger, that it requires all the caution of our rulers
to escape the melancholy conflagration.

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