The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-10 00:00:00

THE WAR IN PARAGUAY.

The Royal Mail steamer Oneida, with the South
American mails, bas arrived, and the news she
brought from the River Plate is the saddest and
gloomiest we have had for a very long time. The
Buenos Ayres Standard, the most influential paper of
that city, states the following in its review for Europe:
" The melancholy annals of the past few weeks
form a chapter possibly the, darkest in the River
Plate history; cholera has swept down the Parana
from the pestiferous quarters of the Allied army, and
again settled in Buenos Ayres; for months past it was
known that there were cholera cases in this city, but
since the sailing of the French packet the mortality
increased with such rapidity that the people took
fright, and half the population fled to the camp ;
not even during the terrible visitation last April,

when three thousand of our fellow-citizens were
carried off, was the panic so great as it has been
here for the last ten days. Business may be said to be
at a complete standstill." The city authorities of
Buenos Ayres, notwithstanding the alarming state
of the city, doing nothing, provoked the people to
such a pitch of indignation that a large open-air meet-
ing was held, and the whole body of the municipality
was forced to resign. The Governor of Buenos
Ayres, Senor Alsiva, then took the matter in hand,
and the people elected other city officers. But this
step, it was said, was only a political move of the
Governor to get his friends in office, as he is a can-
didate for the next Presidency. Another monster
meeting was expected, with the object to force the
Government to make peace with Paraguay, and to
break the Brazilian alliance, which is hateful to the
people. At the seat of war nothing new took place
since the sailing of the French packet, except show-
ing every time more the utter incapacity of the Allies
to carry Humaita or Curupaity,or to make any decided
advance into the country of their gallant enemy.
Another year has gone by, and the Allies not only
are not advanced one foot, but are in a much
worse position than twelve months ago. The
Standard says :—" The war news of the fortnight
amounts to nothing. We have had recent advices
from head-quarters ; the cholera has declared it-
self with intense virulence in both camps, at
Corrientes and the Gran Chaco. Lopez holds out
at Humaita, and has made no offensive move,
although one is hourly expected. Recruits arrive
from Brazil by each transport, aud supplies are
constantly and regularly sent up from this city.
What the Allies are doing, intend to (10, will
do, or can do, none in Buenos Ayres know,
or even care to know ; affliction has been
'too general, sorrow too wholesale to admit
of even a thought being turned towards this
distasteful subject. It appears, as far as we
can gather, that the Allies have no intention
to attack Lopez's positions; they are strength-
:ening their lines around Humaita by ditches, &c.,
and when they have got a disposable force at their
command, they intend to despatch a division to seize
Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, and destroy its
splendid arsenal. As is usual in the history of this
war, sufficient time has been allowed the enemy to
throw a few thousand men into the place ; the troops
from Matto Grosso and Cuyuba have been brought
down, and thus a move which, if adopted in
time, might have proved an easy and se-
vere blow to the enemy, can now be only ac-
complished by a decisive battle. The last ad-
vices from headquarters are of a most unsatis-
factory nature. The attempt to shut the Para-
guayan ruler itt Humaita has resulted in no-
thing, inasmuch as Lopez holds full dominion in the
Gran Chaco, and maintains open communications
with Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. The hopes
which we all entertained of a speedy termination of
the war have been dispelled, and even the most
experienced can put no limit to a contest which,
on the one hand, is maintained by debility and pro-
crastination, and, on the other, resisted by in-
domitable bravery and fanatical determination.
Caxias had done much towards forcing the campaign
to a conclusion, and occupies positions of the most
strategic importance, but he lacks energy and men to
turn these advantages to account, and it is impossible
to say when the objects of the triple alliance will
be fully accomplished. The last raid of the Allied
troops into the interior of Paraguay has afforded
the fullest proof that the enemy's country abounds
with supplies, and that the continued stories of
Paraguayan deserters, of the starvation and misery
existing in the Paraguayan camp, have been mere
inventions. The interior provinces are not only
-in open revolt against the Government, but
some have openly declared against the ruling
powers that be, and Santa F 6, with its capital
Rosario, the most important city after Buenos
Ayres, has declared in favour of General
Urquiza, the greatest and richest landowner of the
Confederation, and the most popular military
chieftain. This step was, no doubt, hastened through
a letter, published in all the papers, of Gen. Mitie,
President of the Argentine Confederation, and
Commander-in-Chief of the Allies, recommending
as his successor Senor Dactar Elizalde, a very in

triguing dipomat, with very decided Brazilian
principles, and under Brazilian influence, strongly
opposing the election of General Urquiza, well
known for his anti-Brazilian principles and friend-
ship to Paraguay. Besides these political dis-
turbances, the provinces have to suffer greatly
from the depredations of the wild Indians, who
have taken formal possession of part of Cordoba,
San Luis, Mendoza, and Santa Fe, and the in-
habitants are speaking very openly of the fact that
while Cordoba, San Luis, Santa Fe, and Mendoza,
are invaded by the savages, the province of Buenos
Ayres is exempt from their depredations ; the con-
clusions they arrive at are not favourable either

to the National Government, or the Provincial.
Just before the sailing of the packet, a storm
(pampero) swept over the country, and did much
good by clearing the Lir, and cholera was abat-
ing. The news from Montevideo is also very dis-
couraging, as the Government of Dictator Flores
to help some of his pets, had ordered the banks to
suspend specie payment and give a forced circula-
tion to their paper issue, which is unsecured ; the
Standard says :—" Without any desire to criticize
too harshly the recent. measure of the Montevidean
Government legalizing the stoppage of specie pay-
ments, we feel constrained to say that the urgent
public necessities usually put forward by Govern-
ments as the excuse for such an act are not very ap-
parent in the case in question ; the very language of
the decree is laboured and transparent, and we regret
sincerely to be obliged to confess that Montevideo,
with all its go-aheadism, has set an example in the
River Plate, which public honour, credit, and good
faith reprobate." This is the thiid time, we believe,
that the Montevidean Government has come to the
rescue of its banks, and there are sound reasons for
believing it will be the last ; for, although much as
we deplore the readiness of the Government to lend
itself to such an act, we are happy to think that the
magnitude of the paper money evil is becoming so
great that henceforward the whole power of a

ricketty Republican Administration will be impotent
to stem the evils which a rotten financial system
engenders."

THE PROPOSED SUPREME COURT AND
NATURALIZATION- BILLS.

The Committee on Reconstruction has adopted

the following bill, prepared by Mr. Thaddeus Stevens, to
be reported to the House :—" Be it enacted, &c., That the
appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the United
States, shall not extend to any act done, or which shall
be done, or to any proceeding had, or which shall be
had, under and by virtue of the act entitled act
to provide for the more efficient government of the rebel
States,' passed March 2, 18( or of the several acts supple-
mentary thereto; and all such cases no w pending in said court,
either by appeal or otherwise, from any decision or pro-
ceeding had in any district or circuit court of the United
States, shall be dismissed by said Supremo Court, and no
record of any proceeding had or which may be had before
either of the district commanders, under either of said
acts, shall be removed to or received in any other tribunal,
either upon habeas corpus, quo warranto, or in any other
matter whatever." The House Committee on Foreign
Affairs adopted the following bill to be reported by Gen.
Banks:—" Section I.—Be it enacted, &c., that all natu-
ralized citizens of the United States while in foreign
States shall be entitled to and receive from this Government
the same protection of person and property that is ac-
corded to native-born citizens in like situation and cir-
cumstances, and the Presilent is empowered to use the
influence and authority of this Government in all just
endeavours to secure the recognition of other Govern-
ments of the principles of public law which have

been insisted upon and maintained by the Government
of the United States in regard to the light of natura-
lized citizens; provided always that no cit;zen, native-
born or naturalized, who is guilty of ci:me against the
laws of any foreign State, committed within its jurisdic-
Lien, or of desertion from actual service in the army or
navy of such state, or who shall have acquired naturali-
zation by misrepresentation or fraud, or who, as to resi-
dence or otherwise, by treason or other crime against the
United States shall have forfeited, or who shall have re-
nounced his rights as a naturalized citizen, shall be en-
titled to the protection contemplated by this act. See.
2. And be it further enacted, that whenever it shall be duly
made known to the President that any naturalized citizen
of the United States has been arrested, and is detained by
any foreign government in contravention of the intent and
purpose of this act upon the allegation that the naturali-
zation in the United States does not operate to dissolve
his allegiance to his native sovereign ; that any native-
born citizen shall have been arrested and detained with-
out charge of crime committed within the jurisdiction of
such State, and whose release shall have been unreason-
Ably delayed or refused, the President shall be, and hereby
is, empowered by way of indemnity and reprisal, to order
the arrest and to detain in custody any subject of such
foreign Government, who may be found within the
jurisdiction of the United States ; and the President
shall, without unreasonable delay, give information to
Congress of such proceedings of indemnity and reprisal.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, that if any naturalized

citizen of the United States shall return to his native coun-
try with intent to resume his domicile therein, or shall
leave the United States with the intention of permanent
residence in any foreign state, or shall engage as an army
or navy belligerent in any foreign war or service, such
naturalized citizen shall not be entitled to the interposition
of the Government in his behalf under the provisions of
this act. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, that the term

domicile' in the preceding section shall be'construed to
mean a continuous residence of more than "one year in the
native country of the naturalized citizen, or establishing
himself in any business which denotes an intention to re-
sume a permanent residence."

The Washington correspondent of the Stan-
dard never loses an opportunity of writing down General
Butler. The story he now tells—whatever may be its
truth—is too good not to repeat. The letter is dated Jan.
21, and this is the incident :—" B. F. Butler visited Rich-
mond last week to harangue the negroes. While in Rich-
mond he received a challenge from D. B. White, a Radical
member of the Virginia Reconstruction Convention. It
appears that when Butler had a command in Virginia he
ordered White to leave his department. Immediately
Butler received the challenge he left Richmond. It is un-
derstood that White intends to follow him to this city.
The following is White's note :—•" Constitutional Conven-
tion, Richmond, Va., Jan. 14. Sir,—Whilst you were in
command of the army of the James, and I having no more
rights than that of a private citizen, you undertook
then to insult, denounce, and send me from your depart-
ment. For the first time, since that period, we stand upon
an equal footing ; we stand upon the same soil, and occupy
in every respect the same rights before the law and the
powers that be. I deem this, therefore, the proper occa-
sion for the vindication of my own character before the
country, and I demand of you that satisfaction that one
gentleman will always accord to another.—Your obedient
servant, D. B. WHITE. Major General B. F. Butler.'
White is a Methodist preacher. It is difficult to say who
cuts the silliest figure in this disgraceful affair. That
Butler ran away is a fact that surprises nobody."
- -

[ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holloway's Pills.—Continued Cold.
—ln place of the usual six weeks of cutting winds, their
duration has extended over double that period, and, of
course, has exercised the worst effects over the delicate,
infirm, and aged. Holloway's purifying pills should now
be taken to avert the ill consequences of the late trying
season. Nothing beyond these pills and their accompany-
ing instructions is necessary for every invalid to root out
the latent seeds of disease, and to secure future good health.
Depraved and poor blood will thus be purified and en-
riched, all congestions of the circulation in the lungs, liver,
kidneys, brain, or elsewhere, will be dispersed, the system
will be relieved from oppression, and the whole animal
machine will be renovated.

Births.

--
ALLEN— On the 7th inst., at Altrincham, the wife of Bill"

keley Allen, Esq., of a son.
RomscHlLD—On the Bth inst., at 6, Buckingham-gate,
S.W., the wife of N. M. de Rothschild, Esq., M.P., of
son.

SnErrAßD—On the 6th inst., at 1, Osborne Villas, Chel-
teuha►n, the wife of Captain H. T. Sheppard, 34th Beg'
ment, of a daughter.

Marriages.
CLARKE—HEMSTED— On the 6th inst., at Whitchurelli
Hants, Spencer Clarke, Esq., Coroner for the county, tf
Charlotte Elizabeth, fourth daughter of T. R. Renate
ut
Esq., surgeon.
Hicxs—BorND—On the Bth inst., at St. Thomas Church,
Southwark, Elgar Hicks, merchant, of Rye and Beekleil
Sussex, to Anne Tarver, widow of Mr. W. Bound, an'
only daughter of the lato Edward Hicks, Esq., of Logo'
ington, Hants.

Deaths.
BATTY—On the 7th inst., at Neville Lodge, Grove-en
road, St. John's-wood, Mr. Wm. Batty, proprietor, all"'
formerly manager, of Astley's Amphitheatre, aged 68.
FLORIS—On the 7th inst., Mr. James F. Floris, of 89, RI"
myn-street, St. James's, and Acton-green, Middlesem
aged 65.
HANsunr —On the Bth inst., at Poles,WareiLaura Robort's'
the infant child of the late Robt. Culling HanburY,
M.P., and Mrs. Culling Hanbury, aged three months. ,
SELMES —On the 7th inst., at 158, Westbourne-terra
Henry Selmes, Esq., aged 60.
TORRINGTON OR the 7th inst., at Shipbourne Lodge, ir.,,;14-•
bridge, Frances Harriet, widow of George, sixth
count Torrington, aged 82.

N
London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM r.-etV,W
igS
,
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tan SUN oalce, N° of
Strand, in the Precinct of the Sp coy, in the Cowit'
aidooBox..-Monday, February 10, 1868.