The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-06-22
From the New Orleans Mercury

From the New Orleans Mercury.
Paraguay.
Great expectations have been cherished of late years
regarding the opening of the trade of Paraguay the
merchants of England, France, and the United States
The opening OF the trade has been made indeed of
the great objects be attained by the blockade OF Buenos
Ayres by the French and English squadons, and of
the for extending that blockade up the Parana
There is to believe that the and trade
of Paraguay have been immensely overraed and that
ii the navigation OF the Parana free for all
nations, the trade of that country would not for many
simple reason, that the character OF its government and
people is not favorable to any very sudden improvement
any branch of industry All know the abject slavery
in which Francia held his people For thirty years prior
to $780, the province of Paraguay was completely shut
from the rest of the world and everything like COM
mercal enterprise was stAed Such the policy of
Francia On his death, in $780, his successors pursued
the policy though less arbitrarily and tyrannically-
sufficiently so, however to create revolution in 1874
which terminated in comforting dictatorship an indiv-
dual named Antonio Lopez, who is the present Dictator of
Paraguay.
Paraguay is about the size Of Virginia Its population
in 1885, estimated at 100000 inhabitants principally
whites of Spanish descent, native Indians negroes and
mixed races, the descent greatly predominant
ing Much OF the country is mountainous, and much OF
in the rainy season subject to inundation Writers on
Paraguay, such Longchamp, Robertson, Parish, and
others, have spoken OF the inhabitants, the fertility and
cultivation of the country in the highest terms but these
accounts conadcted Our consul at Buenos Ayres,
who returned from visit to Paraguay December last
writes to friend in this country that Paraguay is
great humbug All my splendid ideas of its great beauty
wealth. were soon OSSlpated. The
sugar. cotton tobacco, rice, mandoka and yerba but is
miserably cultivated and the people are demi. savages
They speak scarcely any other language than the uava
MI or that OF the Indians who formerly inhabited the
country the great majority of them do not understand
word OF Spanish. They are dark many of them, with
Indian blood, and they go half naked saw many child
OF eleven and twelve years. of both sexes entirely so
Strangers not allowed, in Francia's time to en-
ter the country except by the special permission of the
Dictator Our consul detained twenty DAYS on n
vessel the Parana, during which time he continued a
sharp correspondence with the Dictator before he was al
lowed to land in the country. Entrance into Paraguay
is nearly difficult that into Japan and excluded as
the people of Paraguay are from all intercourse with the
civilized world, 1t Is not surprising that they are thus de-
scribed
AS to the trade of Paraguay at no time either before
or since the dictatorship of Francia has it amounted to
more than 81 100000 annually OF its present trade our
consul says that $50 far concerned, or Eng
land either the idea of trade with Paraguay is humbus
Fancy that Ohio to declare herself independent and
had other outlet than the Mississippi both sides be-
longing 10 the United States what trade could England
have with herr Thus is situated Paraguay about the
distance from the Rio de la Plata as the State Of
Ohio from the gulf But there is also this grand differ
ence, that the trade OF Hamilton county,, Ohio alone
would be worth double that of all Paraguay for wears to
But this dry subject, and have explained the
whole matter to the Secretary of State long report
We wish the Secretary of State would make this report
known, is probably the latest that has been made
this SO much talked-of Paraguay
The great obstacle the opening of the trade of Para
quay, is Brazil, which has acknowledged its indepen
dence, and is the real author of all its difficulties with
Buenos Aes Brazil is doing every thing in her power
to secure TO herself the trade OF Paraguay