The New York herald., 1868-05-14
ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION.
Allied Bribery, Not Bravery. Successful.-Em-
burTnssinents of the Fieet-How m Prussan
Officer Dcceivcs the Allics--The Eieciicus--
CouimerciaI-Exch;inge ON Europe.

BuENos AyREs, ;. A., March %, 1888.
The war against Paraguay promises TO continue
q long period Three iron-cad and three monitors
have passed Humaiti, hut that is all. The question
begins to he asked how they passed. and the answer
generally given is, by gold rather than by steel The
commanding officer at the fortress il believed TO
have had sovereign application to his patriotism
SO unexpected to Lopez the passing Of the feet
and so dissatisfied was he with IL that he had
the commanding officer shot Immediately II is sad
thai all the injuries received by the fleet in passing
were from the opposite shore, the Chaco side.
Now That the feet has passed, what to do with II is
a serious question without coal ana without am.
munition they are nearly harmless. Communication
l. still kept up with the flee; overland but at great
risk and expense. Every cannon ball costs $40
and every ton OF coal costs s21o, In silver. Pro-
visions for men and horses are in same proportion.
and at such the risk is great in carrying
provisions along a line Of thirty miles of swsmpy.
bushy roads, where jungles, marshes and ambus-
cades mipglc their dangers. The portion Of the fleet
that long lay between the two forts Curupaty and
Humaita is there still--it Is said very STILL The
unusual rise In the river swept away the Brazilian
railroad and the brazilian encaupneDt on the Cha,o
side, and thus cut OF communication from below
In this state OF things the two divisions OF the nee
are both In almost useless If not dangerous con.
dition.
For some days we have had no important news
from the seat OF war. The only news Is that we
shall soon hear OF some important movement on Fort
Humaila. Something has been often promised
that we do not regard promises as meaning anything
at all On the contrary, all the great achievements
have been unheralded.
There is q rumor that Lopez has left Humaits and
IA iortifying limbo but do not believe II.
The army OF the allies numbers now thrfy.fye
thousand men, and IL s believed that Lopez has less
than twenty thousand. The perpetual additions
made to the forces OF the allies does not increase
tneir number Death from diseases of the camp and
from epdenIics IA so common as TO equal the enor
nous additions 10 the army.
or this war one thing Is certain: no one yet sees
the end OF It. Any advantage any great point
gained will not decide matters. AS long az
there is gold dollar tiiat the credit OF the
three allied nations can command, they VIII
use II for this AS for Lopez he does expect
TO yield. He and his hordes are native and adapted
10 high temp erature, where pestiential feyers
breath death to the invader. His allied foes are TO
each other ancient enemies, and time he believes
will array them again as before He has on his side
the unity drectness and rem0rselessness Of absolute
irresponsible power. The troops taat Lopez COM
mands are proverbial for their logged perseverance
ana unquestoning obedience. The engineers gun
ners physicians and the instructors In all the pract-
cal arts OF war are the best that can be found. Ex-
PLOTS performed by them worthy OF the paiDy
days OF the most chivalrous pe0pe.
As an illustration OF the attraction felt towards
Paraguay take the fOllowing.-A Prgssian
oricer asked leave or absence to 60 and
join Paraguay and 1t was refused. He then
At Rio Janeiro he was arrested by the Brazil.
ians, but was released when both Prtssan aud
French Ministers demanded that messenger carry
ing dispatches to resident Minister should not be
arrested on board Of a foreign vessel by. govern
ment whose soil he bad never touched. Beset with
difficulties here he went TO Valparaiso, and crossing
the mountains Joined the allied army IA visitor.
There he renamed some mon hs and then dIslp-
peared. In of the raids made by the allies they
came upon some ranciOs recently deser ed by he
paragusyan troops, IN Que OF whicn they found