New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-25
MR.. HOPKINS AND PRESIDENT LOPEZ.

SIR Your CORES espondent writing from on board the
United States flagship ST. Lawrence, under date Of
Monevideo, Dec 9, 1853 assumes to give an sccouHt
Of the origin f our difficulties with Paraguay. There
are some inaccuracies in bis statement which trust
you will ALLOW 20 correct. He say that when Mr..
Fillmore on Mr. Webster nomination, appointed Mr..
Edward o. Hopkins 20 the office of American Consul
in Paraguay, Lopez and Hopkins wsre on the most
" intimate terms-so intimate, indeed that the latter
" asked ard readily received from the President
loan Of about sS 000 toward starting the business OF
the Company above referred to-. This is correct,
so far ~ the iItin acy is concerned but all wrong
gardi0g the money. Mr. Hopkins wss encouraged 10y
PEE TO form his Company and all thst he ever re-
ceived from Lopez before commencing business con-
sste of promises Of protection and copies of DEGREES
granting extraordinary privileges TO foreigners The
Company was formed in Providence, under a special
law Of Rhode Island, the stock all being taken by
few gentlemen in Providence ard New-fork. Or
cash capital of three hundred thoussl nj dollars,
than hundred thousand dollars had been expended
in steamboats, machinery, goods, &c, before one Of
the Company employ ees set foot IN Paraguay. Con-
sequcni y Lopez could not have lent Mr.. Hopkins
$l5,CO0 with which to commence business. Some
moIti after the Companys establishments went iLto
operation, Mr. Hopkins desirtd to effect loan of
$40 coo (Uot 5000 for few months, and applied TO
Lopez IS the only person in the cJIntry who couh
a0y aLce that amount. Lopez willingly furnished the
funds remsiking that he was very well satisfied With
the stmeht at SIX per cent and at his own sugges-
zion the loan was made for two yeers, secured by
mortgage OD the Compsnys property. SO far from
lis den and for the money before 1t due being the
con pcsment of the roubls he hiss never asked for
it 10 this day. He has not even demanded the inter-
.st; and although much has been published about it
in his paper the Senanari0, his claim has never been
presented TO the Company IN any shape for hqulda.
tion. However, VIXEN the Americans were expelled
from the country be seized all their property, which
ives he'd by Paraguayans as trustees for nearly two
years, and then sold at auction by his order.
Your CO. respondent slto remarks:
"The Con pany however not feeling dsposed 10 comply
W
hoence as American Consul might higsten him and AN
assured that TINS influence exerted dete rmnedy Trivial
cases international dispute msgnfed both sides
respectable American citizens affirm ha. Consul
which have and viii see the light"
The Company knew nothing about the difficulties
until months after they were all over, and, therefore,
could not instruct Mr.. Hopkins, who attempted
to fright, Lopez, but confined himself to assuring
the President Of Paraguay that the United States
Government would surely require reparation for ell
damage TO American interests, and apologies for all
iIsns 10 the American hsg. The result shows ths.
MIR. Hopkins was right. The Consul did MT commit
himself a Government official in any case, except
ing ny own for the simple reason, that his inter-
ference was rot atked.
Your correspondent mex. states:
"l; st this ancure that brother Of the Consups hap
soldier road ,ot with him which
lame of oiplomatic GiscoTd With fresh Vsor."
TIE lady with VT ON was riding was an American,
and with her husband formed part of family in
Asuncion. While / was cor ductng her to our com
mon home III tNc cilN, was hltdNhtu py eOlltT,
who, without any provocaion rode up behind NE and
struck me violent blow with the Hat Of his sword on
the back. The soldier fogged by order of the
President it true But up this time everything
bad appaI emily been most friendly between Lopez and
Mr.. HOPKINS. The CORES JOrdence which grew out Of
this affair pGrposely managed by Lopez 50 as to
result in TIE ruin of the Company business and thus
get nd Of q thrivog comms rcisl rival. The Consul
acted simply the defensive and his refusal 10
break up the Company Establishments AZ Lopez's
order the latter old il for him.
The statement Of your correspondent that
Mr. Clement Hopkins who th. hero Of he diEculty
lo,k Herald which, signed An American Citizen In Para.
quay pcutusy pubhh,d in that journal and copied
irio Amos. every paper in the Uniou,"
Is pure romance. | never wrote any such letter 10
Tie Ner- Y0Tk Herald, and never knew that such q
communication wrItten or published. Your cor
respondent is also incorrect in saying that
after Mr. Clements ef1son had attained vide eircu
la.ion Government became possessed officially Of the
grsv fTsd b. the Consul ch LEey b.
treated o. lisht matters By TIE irJGted party"
brought the rst disp atches concerning these affairs
10 T. county, sLd put them into Mr.. Msrcy's ,uds
on Christmas Day, 1854. Up 10 that date, 50 far as
am aware Of no detailed statement Of the occurrences
had been published this country and has been
pubshsd TO this day by the Company their agents
who have contented themselves With aying the matter
In the proper light before the Goyernmert-every
alt CATION 0-ug snbstaLtiated by sfidavt-and cav.
g to the Court 70 prove the lstice Of their cause
TIE simple fact that nearly al tue sockholders OF this
Company beo1g TO tie Opposition, and that some Of
lis ofceis have been prOmreIt n their autsgonisn 10
I, Democratic party, Is strong evidence that political
favor sm has had nothing 70 do with the recogni ion
Of their claim. Your Ooedient servant
Mvl1s, Jss. q, 1889. CLEMENT Z. HOPKINS