The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-04-17
THE PARAGUAYAN OUTRAGE
BAD CONDUCT OF cArrArNpAov
Letter from a ci,isea Of Richmond.

Letter from a Citi;ea Of Richmond
Wepablished day or two since an .cco,,
taken from the Washington Union. of an -, :,
upon the United States Exploring s.eamar w.
Witch, by aParaguayan fort on the Rio H. p,.,. =
Paraua River. The following letters ara fror, :. =
intelligent citizen of the city of Richmond nm h,.
tne water witch, and contains cornprehen,,v,
account OF the Insult to Consul Hopkins. wb,c,
caused the difficulty. y
u 8. STRAMER WATER Wrrcu ,
MoNTKvIDEo, Nov 80, 1854
:, Ihe American Consul for Paraguay. Mr. r 4
nopkins. from Vermont, was general agent for AZ
American company, chartered by The Siats - -
Rhode Island, where the stock is almost excIn,i vs
" owned styled the 'United States and psrsa,,s :
Steam Navlsstion Company" whose object 81. y
establish line OF steamers between the month n
the Rio La Plata aud the head waters of ,ha D !;
Paraguay, and at the same time to deyelop The re-.
sources OF the country by the introduc,ion of
mills and machinery, and cuitivatina the soiI NJ
Hopkins, a. agent OF the company. had purchased
.sno OF me government and erected q saw-nill
tnereon. The hrst eteamer of the COMPANY. a Ej
Paraguay" was condemned and sold at Marauh an
Brazil. but subsequently, arrived at New Orlesns
Two others have just arrived Ia The river and !
third TIT, Is supposed to be now on the way Mr. Hog.
kins, who, on his arrival In the country In la53
was in high favor with tho government. suhse,
queLty fell under its disfsvor and The Prasiden,
who rules with more despotic away than the Ern
peror OF Russia avaing himself of an opportunitv
OF tho consul by soldier of the State-for
which the Consul demanded redress-attacksdt tho
official aud private character of Mr. Hopkins In a
mose scurriions and unprecedented manner: pub
Ishing In the journal printed by the government
the most outrageous articles at the same time with
drawing 1 - exequator-drising him of from the
property he had purchased from the State seixinp
bis effects, and decreeing that he should conduct
ffry
simple conS.snee, the steamers then expected
The Water"Witch was at that time at Correntes
The Consul wrote to Capt. Page, who commanded
her. In the early part OF tife affair." requesting that
he should return to Asuucion and adjust the mat.
ter. But the latter, evidently not desiring to be
come involved with the President supposinp that
bis doing so might interfere with his " scientific
pursuits" and not being on very friendly terms
The Consul thereupon sent Captain Page an Off
| cial order which brought the Wster.Wiich iunme.
| dately back to Asuncion.
Before seeing the Consul, Captain Page had two
| Interviews with the President of Paraguay after
which, having received the Consul on board re.
| fusing 10 give him the customary salute-he in
formed him that he did not intend to interfere Ia
the affair, and refused to protect Mr. Hopkins the
interest OF me American company, or even to pro.
test against the course of the government
The President now elated at the success of his
scheme, abused the Consul more violently than
ever, and when the latter desired to leave the coun
try with the American employees of the company,
he found insurmountable obstacles thrown ia his
way by the government, which at the same time
endeavored to obtain from him, the price of his
ransom, the title deed of the property OF which he
had been robbed, and which the President justly
| feared would constitute claim for indemnifca
tlon. Not single vessel of any description could
be obtained to remove them from the place-no
vessel owner or captain daring to incur the dis
pleasure ofthe tyrant, who, probably, caused them
to be notit ed that such step would close the river
to them and their vessels forever
Here then were the persons of the American
Consul and other American residents, jeopardiz ed
and insnlted, whilst an American man-ofwar was
lying OH the town, refusing them protection
The American residents held a meeting and
signed protest against Captain Page, which was
forwarded to their government at Washington,
demanding his recall and an investigation Of his
conduct. This rather frightened Captain Page,
| and he was compelled to Inform the Parasuayan
government that, unless these residents were al.
lowed to pass at once, he should take them away
In the steamer. The government paid no other
attention to this communication, which was written
| In English, than to say that no more oommunica-
tions In English would be received by II. The re-
| suit was that he took the American residents on
board the Water-Wltch and carried them to Cor
| rientes, 300 miles below Asuncion.
The wrath Of the President of Paraguay ow
| knew 70 bounds. He directed his invectives inds-
criminately against Captain Page and Consul Hop.
kins, at the same time declaring that no foreign
man.of war should enter the country, and that its
| rivers should be no further explored
Public opinion everywhere on the river demo un-
ces the conduct OF Captain Page, and / believe be
damaged reputation. The Water Witch has
either been ordered to Monteydeo by the Commo
dore or sent down by the commander to reques,
the former to interfere In the affair. You win pro.
badly see accounts of it ia the papers, the cir
cumstances sufficiently glaring to attract the
| attention of the press at home l much doubt If
in any 9th er country than Paraguay such an act o
tyranny and oppression could be committed. But
here is Republic, as 1t styles ITSELF which is more
| despotic than any monarchical government In the
world.
| In Paraguay the President is elected for ten
| years, and he alon, constitutes the Government
| He makes what laws he pieases, and decides 10
both civil and criminal cases, having no trial by
jury, and having the power of life and death In hia
| hands. The public treasury is In his breeches
| pocket, and he monopoliZes the productions and
| commerce of the country. No person is allowed
to be elected to Congress, which elects him, If he
| is at all opposed to him.
MoNrEvIDEo, Dec 5th, 1854
We are still lying here, our old rattIetrsp of a
steamer requiring as usual, several extensive re -
pairs But little has been accomplished towards the
| object of our expedition. No one river has been
thoroughly surveyed and explored, and the collec
ton OF specimens in the scientific department will
become a subject of ridicue whenever they may
| be known. The expedition 10 failure, notwith..
standing Its enormous expenses, which. at this
| time amount to between $3.50 O0o and $2uU oO0.-
Its object is purely commercial one-to deter
mine the extent to which American capital, enter.
prise and Industry could be advantageously inves-
ted In this country; and yet the first adventure haa
| mel with such fatal rebufs. Who else can De
| iound to invest capital here, when It becomes
known that 10 Paraguay there is no protection for
| bed in q most unprecedented mapner, and, q yet
has obtained no redress, because II placed Lieus
tenant in the United States Navy to withhold IT,
His conduct will be severely criticized q home
~uAru L. AA~. Il ~