The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-16

| as strong front TO his enemies as he did when
he landed above the Electromagnetic, one man
to watch the telegraph.
1t was not, no oEever, till August that heard,
besides the conspiracy against the Government,
that there had been great robbery of the public
treasury. OF the particulars of this robbery
could never learn anything; neither did ever
have any Knowledge OF the details of the plan
of the conspiracy. 1t was said in one of
Benilezs letters that Mr.. Bliss, member of
my Legation, had signed paper with others
in which they had engaged TO assassiuate
President Lopez knew that was false, or, at
least had no doubt that it was so, and de6ed
them TO produce any such paper, but they never
showed it, They never gave me any clue as to
the manner OF the onspiracy or how the revO-
luton was to be effected, and do not believe to
this day that any thing of the kind was ever
attempted. The declarations OF the prisoners
prove nothing except the merciless cruelties of
Lopez for IL Is known that he freely employs
the torture. He loads his prisoners with heavy
letters, sometimes two, three, or four pairs, and
besides logs them, If they do not give the testl-
mony he requires, till they die.
The country, however, is entirely denuded of
it male population. All the ploughng, plaut-
ing, and sowing is done by women. Women
must yoke the oxen, do the butchering, and all
the other work usually done by men. There
are many women also with the army to do the
labor OF men, and thus relieve the troops; but
none believe, are forced to bear arms.
With the hope that the war would end shortly,
/ remained year longer than intended, very
much against my interest, and suffering great
discomfort. l believed tnat at the final ca'a5-
tropbe could be of great service. especially to
the foreigners and had Asuncou been taken in
February, when the iron.clads went up there,
as we then expected It would be, | sholld
doubtless have .beeu able to save the lives of
many who now will never see their native lauds
again. But when all of them had been KILLED
or made prisoners, and nobody, native OF
foreigner, dared come near my house, aud 1
was utterly powerless to do service for any
body thought it time to obey the orders OF
my Government and return to the United
States. Very respectfully your obedient servant,
CHARLES A. WAsHBURN.
The letters from Mr.. Porter G.. Bliss were
written while still at the American Legation,
while still at liberty, but doubtful whether he
and Mr.. Masterman would be allowed to leave
Paraguay, notwithstanding their being defended
by Mr. Washburn as attached to his legation.
But read the following letter written by the
unfortunate man but one day later, but within
the clutches OF Lopez aud judge what threats
or even fortunes must have been employed to
extort it from him. No greater damning evil
dence of the utter untruthtulness of the long
string of depositons which Lopez has published
to convict Mr.. Washburn Of the charges brought
against him could be adduced than the simple
perusal OF letter which bears the most con-
vincing internal evidence of having been
written under threats of instantaneous aud
painful DEATH or under the reaking tortures of
unscrupulous cruelty.
SEPT IL, 1S6s.-To His Excellency Hon. Charles
A.WashburD, United States Minister Resident
Sr:-Fiddlng myself at length relieved from
exercised over my will, | cannot do less than
confess freely and spontaneously the important
part which your Excellency has taken in the
revolution, in which you have involved many
persons, and among them myself. l have de-
clared (feeliDg deeply, because l would like to
avoid such a scandal to your RXcellency but
following out the truth) that your Excelency
has been the ooul of the revolution, and If this
deed now appears to the light of heaven,
confessed to by all its accomplces
to whom does 1t owe its existence save to your
EXcellency, who has continued its direction no
to a very recent period? Iconsider myself,
therefore, comp leely absolved from the promise
which your EXcelency extorted from me yes
terday in your office not to reveal your proceed
ings, old or new. Even your brilliant specula-
tions with the company OF Hopkins, for which
your EXcellency ought to pocket hundred and
odd thousands of patacones, have been put in
evidence, as also the gilded pill you made
Polidoro and Octaviano swallow, as also the
last of CaXias, at the time of your EYcellency's
celebrated visit OF mediation in March, last
year. PORTER c. BLISS.
The tone of the native presses of the River
Plate and Brazil is decidedly against Mr.
Washburn. He is taunted by them for cowardice
in not sacrificing him self before yielding SO far
as to allow the foreigners under his protection
to leave his house. But such accusations of
CO Tardice come with a bad grace from a city
whose inhabitants not many years ago
allowed Rosas and other tyrants of his stamp TO
tread upon their necks for years without QUE
having the spirit to rise and slay their tyrant.