The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-06-11

The untasresolved to enforce it, and sen
an army Of invasion against the Paraguay
ans, which was soundly flogged by the lat
ter: Paraguay then, in 1911, declared it
own independence Of Buenos Ayrcs, and il
1916, along with all the other River plat,
provinces, formally declared its scparatio,
from Spain. Previous to this, Parasua,
organized its government, which consistc,
Of a president and four assessors" clectc,
by a Congress. The acting Secretary O
this Junta of Assessors was one Don Josepl
Casper Lodrigucs dc Francia-the life ano
soul of the Administration. IN 1914 Fran
cia succeeded in getting himself nominated
Dictator for three years, and twenty:fou
months afterwards lie was confirmed as Die
tator for life. Then commenced that won
dcrful insulation from the rest Of the worlt
which has astonislIed every one, while il
has elected the appreciation Of few
Among the latter is Mr.. Carlyle, who ha.
written one Of his most characteristic ESSAYS
on Dr. Francia.
Franca proved himself most unscrupu.
lous tyrant. He filled theF4prisons Will,
those whom he suspected of being opposed
to him; he mctcd out torture, b:nishmcnt
and death, with no sparing hand. lie
nearly cxterminated the old Spaniar,ls and
the clergy, and arrogated to himself all the
powers Of the Pope.
lie almost annihilated the comm cree ol
the county by his exclusive syatem foreign
merchants were detained against their will,
or expelled from the country :atthe pleasure
Of the Dictator. NaturaIsts like Bonpland
were imprisoned, and the completed non-in-
tercourse was maintained with the surround
ing countries The army was the manstay
of the Dictator, through it is not among the
less curious inquiries concerning this re-
markaLle man, how twas possiblcto main
tain his influence over an army who pay
consisted Of had beef!
The suspension Of foreign trade had, how
ever, the useful result Of making the inbabi-
tants, who depended too mucl, upon the
spontaneous productions of the forests, (tim-
Der and matc0 and Of their rowing herds,
turn their attention to agriculture and other
industrious pursuits.
In 1920, the ravages Of thc locusts dcs-
troyed the growing. fields. The Dictator
ordered tue people to sowa second crop.
The result wasa double cror, Ito the sur
prise fihe old farmers, who never drcampt
of such a thing in the samc.year.
But an cnd'was put to this state Of affairs
by the death of Francia in 1910. He was
cighiy-fvc years Of age, and for nearly thirty
years Of age, and for:noarly thirty yea,s-had
ruled over Paraguay with an iron hand.
Seven or eight hundred persons were in the
Prisonsst the time Of his death-somc Of
whom had been loaded with irons for twen-
iy years. without knowing the cause Of tlIeir
arrest; and a list offifty persons 10 be: shot
was, found among his papers, The Actiary
of the Dictator kept thekho&ledge of Fran.
c:a's death secret for several hours, and then
communicated with some of the officers i'm
Assumption. Theyssoon sent:thc Actuary
to prison, and a general congress was sum
moned, Which, in March, 1871, elected two
consuls for three, years, one of whom, Don
Carlos Antonio Lopez, is the PRESIDENT Of
Paraguay, at the present time, and whose
high handed measures toward Brazil and
the United States will, doubtless, soon, res.
ut either in material satisfaction to both
nations, .or'the chastisement Of Paraguay. :.
A IaRb 'Wr1rSxIEss:-Tho following .dia:
logue, which occurred several years ago be-
tween alawser and witness, in a;justices
court, not a. great many thousand miles
fom5 This place, is worth relating.
Itsee,ns that Mr.. Jones loahedENfr. smiil,
a horse, which diedsawbile in his (Smilh'sj
possession, Mr. Ilnses Brought suit, to re-
coyer the value Of Tie Mfse, attrihBting his
deathfoE Bad treatment. During lie course
ofthe trial o witness Stfhdr: ,Brownl >was.cal-
led to the ,stands4o stes,ifyas to how:Mr
Smith .freatedE EliorseS :, v.
Laaye (witli Bland .aaus scehfdence
involving smiley ttSaEstb sir, Eboais does :Mr.
smill.generallysGde a,horse7" Il.
Witness-lwith avery merry twinkle iin
ilI!s eye: Otherwise imp asturabte) IN strad,
az IAbelieye- sirpgS '~'ff::1iS::