The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1865-11-16
TIE NEW ERA, NOVEMBER 16, 1865

outer WOrlu producing race Of men
more intelligent, enduring, and ener-
getic, than any other Spanish-American
country; a race who, with all their
spirit and intelligence, are content to
live and die the slave Of despot, whose
rule is, after all, so gentle, that the yoke
OF slavery Is never felt. Such, in brief,
island nation, holding no intercourse
with other countries, either near to or
distant; and even down to the present
period SO little known, that almost all
her territory beyond her capital is virtu
ally terra incog7it0.
Physically, the Paraguayans are very
far superior to the people of any other
South American Countrywide fierce,
warlike. and unconquerable Au1aca1aiaa
sayaees. inlabiting the west coast, on
the southern borders of Chill, alone eX-
cepted. The men Of Paraguay are
usually of larger stature, better de-
veloped, more muscular, and almost in
variably handsOmer and more manly
looking men than either their Spanish
Or Brazilian neighbors. The female
characteristics are just as distinctly
marked in favor of the Paraguayan
women. OF fairer complexion, as a
rule, better formed, more graceful, al
ways NiNttSAouD1 ttilNa LII UWSlIlS OuU vi
twenty-five instances, really beautiful,
they do not, after eighteen or twenty,
grow squat, f1abby, sallow, stolid, and
absolutely hideous, as do the women of
Brazil, Buenos Ayres, and all the Span
ish American Notwithstanding par
tial, and only partial, exception in favor
of Chill. In intelligence, and all the
better qualities Of humanity, the Para
guayans, both men and women, are as
far superior to their neighbors, as they
are physically. Such, in a few words, is
the mass of Paraguayan population-a
country and people, as will be seen, both
anomalous, having no like in the civil
lied world.
Morally and actually, the character of
the people of Paraguay is a model that
might be copied with advantage by the
people Of every other country Of South
America. The Sabbath is more gene
rally respected than we had ever found
it in Brazil, Uruguay, or the Provinces
of the Rio de la Plata. The priests we
always found free from habits of drunk
enness and immortality; services We're
held regularly in the churches, and men
az women attended, almost as gene
rally as the people Of our most moral
communities in the United States are in
the habit of doing; whereas, in all other
South American countries, men rarely
put their foot within the portals of
church, except upon election days, or to
witness the christening of some semi
royal infant.
It was very rarely that we heard of
rows, robberies, murders, Or the depre-
dations of highwaymen, either in the
city or country, though there would,
now and then, occur an instance where
some daring outlaw would commit
crimes that would chill the blood with
horror. But the career OF these despe
radoes was almost invariably brief, ter
minating theircareer of bloodand worth
less lives together, in q manner some
times as terrible as the outrages Of which
they were guilty. 1t is possible that an
instance or two of the kind may come
directly in our way before we leave the
country.
Politically, Che Paraguayans are auto
nations. Moving as q superior intelli-
gence directs, having no independent
thought, motive, or action. Nominally,
Paraguay claims to be a Republic. So
entirely nominal is the claim, that it
were better laid aside entirely. 1t is
very true that Paraguay has her Presi-
Dental elections, and the Paraguayans
vote for their Chief Magistrate. But
there is never but the one can lidate in
the political tield-their candidate is
always Dona Jose Lopez; and any one
can see how easy q matter it is in a
country whose entire population is less
than five hundred thousand, and has an
army OF six thousand equipped and tole-
rably we'll drilled soldiers, all devoted
to their military chief, for that chief
having-a5 sporting men say-the inside
track, to keep it during life.
President Lopez does MI the political
thinking necessary to be done in the
country, leaving his well-contented sub
ects free to devote all ingenuity, energy,
and industry, to agriculture, the arts,
and mechanical requirements OF the
country. A genius for art, and many. of
the mechanical pursuits seems to be in
herent in the Paraguayans. In all iron
and cabinet work, they excel. They are
capital tailors, shCemakers, viewers,
matters and jewelers.. ! saw one day in
a watchmaker's establishment two beau
tiful, imitation Swiss watches, quite
equal. SO far as / knew, to any watch
ever turned out by a Geneva watch
maker. and entirely OF native work
manship. In two studios OF native artists