The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-11 00:00:00

THE WAR IN PARAGUAY.

The mails from the Brazils and the River Plate,
per Royal Mail steamer Tasmania, arrived on
the sth inst. Her news are only important as re-
gards the deranged and alarming financial and
commercial state of things in Brazil. At the seat
of war in Paraguay nothing of any note has taken
place. General Mara had gone to Buenos Ayres,
where he arrived on the 19th of January. The
Command-in-Chief of the Allied forces has been
placed in the hands of the Brazilian commander, the
Marquis de Caxias, and great things were expected
from him, now that he was alone, without being
fettered by the advice of Mitre. But as the position
of the Allies is getting worse every day, and as
they have done nothing for the last year notwith-
standing all their boasting, it was generally believed
that Caxias also would only wait a good oppor-
tunity to retire or to resign his post where no laurels
have been won as yet. All the Allies are able to
accomplish in their present position is to keep
well on the qui vice their ever-active and unre-
lenting enemy, who so far shows no sign of weak-
ness on any point. By last account it was stated
that Marshal Lopez had outflanked the Brazilians
in the Chaco, and that the Brazilians had
sent two battalions to strengthen their position,
as, if not, the communication of the Allied
forces with their fleet would be interrupted, and
the fleet would be unable to exist for one week ex-
cept by fighting its way " back," running again the
gauntlet of the guns of Curupaity, for nobody
thinks of forcing the pass of Humaita. As a
proof of the great energy and devotion of the
Paraguayans, we may cite that on the 18th of
January the Brazilians were lucky enough by throw-
ing some red-hot shells to fire some empty barracks
of their enemies, but when the next morning they
came to look at the great damage they supposed to
have done they could not trust their eyes, as every-
thing had been speedily repaired during the night.
At the same time the Paraguayans were able to
lodge a considerable force in rear of the advanced
Brazilian troops, and to carry off a large convoy.
The telegram news from Rio as to a movement
through the Chaco must be regarded by all who
know that country as moonshine, as the difficulties
which would be found in that desert are a hundred-
fold greater than any the Allies have, so far, en-
countered, and they were not few. The much
easier passage of the river Tebicuari, which flows
a few miles in front of the Allied camp, is not in the
Chaco, and as some of our contemporaries believe
and state has as yet not been attempted, though
the plan was heralded to the world several months
ago. The cholera has broken out with great mor-
tality amongst the Brazilian troops at Tayi and in
the Chaco. It was hoped that the Government of
President Mitre, which is decidedly unpopular, will
be forced to make peace with Paraguay, as, according
to the Buenos Ayres Standard, there is not the
slightest indication of Lopez succumbing. From
Buenos Ayres we are most painfully affected by
the news of the death of the American Minister,
Major-General Alexander Ashboth, after a long
and painful illness. General Ashboth, a Hungarian
nobleman by birth, was well and favourably known
in both hemispheres, where he always was found
foremost in the ranks to fight for liberty and law.
His funeral was the largest that ever took place at
Buenos Ayres. The well-known English physician,
Dr. John Leslie, the friend of the poor, has paid
with his life his devotion to his profession and to
suffering mankind, and expired after only a very
few days of sickness, deeply deplored by
the whole population of the city. Cholera,
notwithstanding the immense heat, had diminished
in Buenos Ayres, but was making sad havoc in the
country at Montevideo. Many people had died,
and at the well-known slaughter houses (salaveras)
of M. Lafond, 21 labourers had died in one day.
The immense amount of imports and the small
amount of exports attracts the attention of the
whole commercial community. Exchange was
quoted at 48, and gold bought at a premium.
Sovereigns are at 6 reals apiece ; and, says the
Standard, "if we add to this the alarming news
respecting the financial condition of Rio, the panic
in the exchange market, the unsatisfactory state of
affairs could not be more unsatisfactory." Although
General Mitre had returned to Buenos Ayres to
take again the command of the Government, he has
as yet not been able to form a new Ministry,
It was reported that three among the Ministers of
the national Government had sent in their resigna-
tions, which were not accepted by the President.
The revolution in the province of Santa Fa is still
holding its ground, and the Government has, not-
withstanding that the city of Rosario is again in
the hands of the Government, bought large quan-
tities of arms, which every one knows will not be
needed in Paraguay, but nearer home, as even
Buenos Ayres was supposed to be on the eve of re-
volution. At Montevideo cholera was still in pro-
gress and the port not yet opened, the Banks have
not resumed specie payment as was expected, and
it is feared many months will elapse before they
will be able to do so. The new Brazilian
Minister, Senor Don J. T. Amaral, has
been officially received, but his mission to
the River Plate, just at this critical moment, is
justly looked at with mistrust, as the antecedents of
that gentleman in the River Plate are certainly not
favourable to the South American Republics. From
Rio de Janeiro we have only to report the heavy
fall of the Exchange to 15, and the rise of gold to
80 per cent. more than all the official war telegrams
send to Europe. These figures represent the true
state of things, and a speedy peace only may per-
haps save Brazil from entire prostration, bank-
ruptcy, and revolution.

CAPTAIN 11AYNE REID.—It has:been talked of
in literary circles that Captain Blayne Reid has gone to
America to make it his future home. We have reason to
know that this distinguished novelist has no such inten-
tion. His visit to the United States is solely with the ob-
ject of once more looking upon those wild scenes so faith-
fully portrayed in his novels ; and we may hope to read
many more of his delightful romances written with a rein-
vigorated pen. While abroad Captain Reid is not un-
mindful of his literary brethren at home, inasmuch as ha
is using his influence with his friends in the American
Congress to secure the passage of the international Copy-
right Act, which, if obtained, will be a grand advantage
to English authors. The American people now demand,
and pay high prices for first-class literature, which the
act will guide into the pockets of the author, and not
es hitherto into that of the piratical publisher.
THE PREMIER AND LORD CHELMSFORD.----WC
(Pall-Mall Gazette) hear that explanations have passed
between Mr. Disraeli and Lord Chelmsford with a satis-
factory result. It is now said that Lord Chelmsford, on
the formation of Lord Derby's Government, was appointed
Lord Chancellor on a distinct understanding that he might
be asked at any time to make way for Lord Cairns. Mr •
Disraeli had relied on this in arranging to appoint Lord
Cairns ; Lord Chelmsford had utterly forgotten the exist-
once of such a condition ; but on the production of his
own letter to Lord Derby ho has admitted Mr. Disraeli's
perfect right to do what ho did, and the Prime Minister
and Lord Chelmsford have shaken hands.