Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-11-07
SOUTH AMERICA.
Progress Of the War in Paraguay.
Character of the War.
How President Lopez was Elected
Heroic Defense of Fort Curuzu
Correspondence n. Y. Horld.1
BUENos AYREs, September II

territory covers about as much of the
surface of the earth as does all Europe
Brazil, by army and navy, the Argen
tine Republic, with alevy oftroops, anC
Uruguay, with every soldier she has
are combined to overthrow Lopez, the
President of Paraguay. The effort has
taxed the energies of these nations fol
more than a year. Immense treasures
have been expended, and in the fifteen
active months over eighty thousand
men have been under arms, and small
navy of iron clads have been used by
the allies. And Paraguay still iVesi
All the world knows that we have
been accustomed to make light of Par
aguay. No one expected a Paraguan
to fight. He lives in idleness or works
for the Government; and a cup of ma
tive tea, and an orange, with a round
of roast beef, will be for him princely
fare. The tea he will dry himself, the
orange is wild, and after the hide is ta-
ken for commerce the beef is reckoned
in the way. A tent of rushes or of rude
sticks will be an ample house for him,
and as for schools, elections, Postofices,
these are innovations that do not find
adherents among the masses at all.
Among such an inert people one would
suppose the President to rule as kind
of patriarch, and to sway the large fam
lily by slowly diffusing, but an all
powerful law This is not so. They
rest from the atrocities imposed by tyr
amy. They have so often done and
thought wrong, and so often been aw-
fully punished for it that they make
safety and vacuity synonymous.
The President is the hardest working
man in the Republic. There is no law
but his will. The executive power alb
serbs all the departments, so there is
not bill to be paid, nor a letter to be
that does not. pass through |
his hands.
His will is the law of the land. No
native can leave the country without
his permission; nor can foreigner set
tie there without his consent. One at
to outwit him in this would
suffer sorely for it. No one can marry
except as he approves; he may wait for
months and then receive an unfavora-
BILE answer. No native can give a par
ty at his house without obtaining per-
mission. Every fact, great and small.
IS reported to him. No editors sane
,um was ever so finely posted in local
events as is the President of Paraguay.
The knowledge is turned to account
n the trade of the country. Every immi-
,rant and visitor must report his name,
goods on hand, ready cash,
&c, &c, and when he goes to leave he
must do the same, when his balance
heet is carefully examined. To export s
pecie, one must pay ten per cent, du-
y, but he may pay native teas, hides,
obacco,. timber, &c, whose producer {
las already paid heavy duty on it:
nd thus the trade of the country is in {
reased, and all the silver and gold i'm I
orted are kept in the country. :
Nearly all the fine farms in the t
ountry belong to the State, i. e., to the t
resident, and nearly all the houses in t
be capitol pay rent directly to him.
o his hand is upon all things. 1t is l
hand of power, and, like gravitstion, o
resses equity on all places. b
The Congress assemblies once in five b
ears, and is allowed to remain in ses-
on FIVE days, to examine and pass up h
q all the acts of the preceding five b
ears; to decree laws, and order dis G.
lrsements. Every proposition ever v
by the President has passed "
b
These pecularities have remained un- "
hanged from the days of Francia, and 81
trough the life of the second Presi-
mt (?) (dictatorJ, Carlos Lopez. This G
fcial died September 10, 1862. How
d his son become President? Thus:
The old man induced the Congress 90
alter the constitution so that a man h.
ay be eligible to the Presidency at n
irty-three instead of forty-fye. This or
As done. Then they passed bill al N
wing him to appoint, by will, one who m
ould serve after him until Congress g
ould be called to elect legally. In his n,
II, he appointed his son Francisco Sa- of
10. He took the reins of government IN
pointed his own brother commander ne
chief of the army and navy, and one ne
his uncles at the head of the priest 70
cd would keep all things in order IN
Ie embryo dictator then convened o.
ngress in which he presided, and was
animously elected President for III
m of ten years. 90,
rhe young man is much better edu Iv
ed than was his father. He speaks1 4.
zee languages, has travelled extern 81
ely in Europe as Envoy Extraordina- 81,
from his fathers government. For II,
Sc four years of his Office he has kept F.
! mines, arsenals, foundries and ship 90.
ds filed with European mechanics. 81
ropean officers are instructors in the
ny and navy, and hundreds of young
n have been trained in hospitals for
ctical surgery in case of emergency, 2
from fifty to one hundred young fro
n have always been Kept at the best bei
ools in France in order to become but
engineers and mechanics of wa,
ry kind needed for the army and of
navy. the
n Paraguay every citizen is a soldier, kn,
every soldier is a laborer on the ria,
lie works, and he receives no pay an6
no nourishment. Hence no private sho
Ividual can enter into competition ten
4 the government manufactories.-an an
such help the State farms are made Prl
houses built for his Excellency.- The
y also make and repair roads, build tru,
rches, fortresses and arsenals; they per
carry mails, cultivate the State bev
Is, and in fine, do, unpaid, all the by +,
k that the supreme will Directs Aus
re is abundance of timber and cop ola,
iron, lead and silver, and native be !
on for all domestic purposes. pre-
hen in 1864 Brazil aided General mill
'es in his rebellion in Uruguay Lo- and
sent messenger to say that he to o
Id not permit it. But Brazil pro- stru
ed and carried Flores rebellion to bias
essful revolution, and Lopez sent new
rmy to take Matto Crosse, rich the
ilian province. This he still keeps. ties
IN the Argentine Republic refused her
we him permission to cross her ter the
y to invade Brazil, he began acts deci
,stility against her at once, without cons
,e or declaration of war. and
ith varied fortunes he has carried unto
his war, first invading this repub- intel
md then Brazil, and afterwards he be
ed among his own jungles and idle
1ps, and as soon as the invading
crossed the river he set down be- A
them, not two thousand yards dis II,
and there he has remained for nleti
, four months. Mo-,
rt Humaita was for years his faith the
pride. 1t is six lesgues above the pany
&c k1o 81 !