The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-31
MONDAY, AUGUST 81, 1868.
The Paraguayan War.

The Paraguayan War.
TIE news from the seat Of war on the Parana
is, as usual, contradictory, but that received
from both Paraguayan and Brazilian sources
appears to agr, 9 on one point-the evacuation
of the fortress of Humata by the troops of
Lopez, and its occupation by the Allied forces'
The advices from Rio state that the fortress
was finally reduced by the starvation process
which has been SO long under way; that two
hundred and fifty cannon, and large quantity
OF ammunition and small arms, fell into the
hands of the Allies; that four thousand of the
retreating Paraguayans had been cut off from
the main body and surrounded in Gran Chaco;
that three of the Brazilian iron. clads had sue
oeeded in passing the obstructions on the
Parana, and had joined the fleet in the bonn
baIdment of Lopez's position at the mouth of
he Tebicuari;-in short, that all the indica-
tions pointed to an early termination of the
conflict in favor of the Allies. From Para
guayan sources, it is acknowledged that HUI
malta has been evacuated; but it is claimed
that all the large guns were spiked and the
small stores removed, and that the stronghold
was abandoned without the knowledge of the
enemy, simply because Lopez had completed
his new defensive lines on the Tebicuari. The
Paraguayans are represented as being still
hopeful that the Allies will not attempt to
enter the interior; and that, through their
lasstude, the war will soon be terminated
in favor of the former.
From the beginning, the conflict has been
one of the most unequal of modern times.
The following figures show the resources of
the respective combatants with the number
of men furnished by each up to the lst of last
April
Brazil ...............3 go 500 10 900 OOO 5s OO)
Arg Confed.....". $40 600 l,200t go 10000
Uruguay .......... 700S0 350,UO0 1000
Tot. of Allles~4 9i6 500 II $50 600 $4,000
Paraguay ..-...."... 81 900 1,U0O,0OO 10000
BY reason of this great inequality in extent
of population and resources, the sympathes
of the civilized world have generally been
thrown in favor Of Paraguay, which has been
regarded as a champion of true democracy,
oppressed by the ambitious monarchy of Bra
zil. The history of Paraguay effectively dis
proves this theory. DR.. Francia. the founder
of the Paraguayan nationality, was a model
despot, who had no sympathy whatever with
republican institutions. Under his sway
Paraguay became one vast plantation with
population of slaves who were held in COM
plete subsection to the Dictator or Supreme.
He controlled the entire industry and COM
merce of the country, and governed it solely
in his own individual interests. At his death,
in 1S4O, after having welded the Dictatorship
for twenty-five years, he was succeeded by
creole named Lopez, who, although he had
been obliged to remain hidden away for years,
to escape murder at the hands of Francia,
adopted in all its details the oppressive policy
of his predecessor. Lopez remained in power
until 1862, when he was succeeded by the
present Dictator of the same name.
To arrive at the origin of the present con-
flict we must 60 back several years. Rosas,
Governor of Buenos Ayres, having usurped
the supreme power of the entire Argentine
Confederation, contended that Paraguay also
owed him allegiance, and to enforce it blocked
up the La Plata, thus materially interrupting
the commercial enterprises of the elder Lopez.
coalition between Lopez, Brazil, and Uru-
quay resulted, and after protracted fighting,
Rosas was overthrown in 1852, and free COM
municatiOn established with the ocean. The
Paraguay river, like the Parans one of the
principal streams which empty into the La
Plata, had been previously closed to Brazil by
both Lopez and Francia but the former, in
return for the material assistance received at the
hands Of Brazil, guaranteed henceforth to that
power the free navigation of all the streams
flowing through his dominions. Advantage
was at once taken Of this concession by the
leading commercial powers Of the world. But
Lopez soon showed his defiance of all treaty
stipulatons; the Waterwitch, an American
man-of-war, engaged on peaceful mission, was
wantonly fired upon and several of her crew
killed. Brazilian vessels were refused passage
up the streams, and the Brazilian Minister
ordered out of the country; and such high
handed operations We're carried on by the
Dictator until a new, but only nominal settle
ment of the difficulties was arrived at about
the year 1858.
AS soon as the present Dictator came into
power, he commenced to strengthen his posi-
tion, with view to renewing the pretensions
of his predecessors. Engineers and war ma
terial were freely imported from Europe, and
in 1854 he struck the first blow by seizing a
Brazilian mail steamer and imprisoning at
his capital humber of Brazilian officers,
CIVIL military and naval, none of whom, it is
said, have as yet been released. Vessels of
war were sent ND the river and savaraI Rrazi