The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-19
The Americas Minister at Paraguay and
the Tyfanf RsOpeZ.

such action has been taken.
TIN. American Minister at Paraguay and
the Tysant AOpeZ.
The Rio Janeiro correspondent OF the New
York Post, whose complaint against Minister
washburn for allowing the President of Para
quay to arrest two members of his legation has
furnished the basis of several newspaper para
graphs, appears to have given the subject in
adequate consideration. The Buenos Ayres
Standard, a paper representing the English
speaking people OF the Eastern coast of South
America, declares that if any fault is to be
found with Mr. Washburn it is that he display
ed too great determination in resisting Lopez
and in affording protection not only to mem.
bers of his own legation but to other foreign
ers aud even to subjects of the Paraguayan
government who had incurred the hostility OF
its semi-barbarous and tyrannical President.
Messrs. Bliss and Masteman were arrested as
they were leaving the house of Mr.. Washburn
in his company, aud the fact that the steamer
Wasp was lying miles below did not give the
minister means of protecting them any more
than if she had been lying in New York har-
Dor. The Wasp was subject to the control of
her commander, Capt. Kirkland and not to
that of Mr.. Washburn, and all sthe measure
that in any event could be adopted to obtain
redress would be by act OF war. From
present advices, therefore, it appears that our
minister must be entirely exculpated from the
charges that have been preferred against him.
Upon arriving at Buenos Ayres Mr.. Wash
burn addressed letter to the British Minister
here in which he gives many interesting de-
tails OF his contest with Lopez in behalf of per-
sons who came to him Tor protection. The fol-
living extracts from the letter present vivid
picture Of the condition of Paraguay and OF
the character of the man who governs it:
For more than fifty years the country has
been Diouysius gallery. It was always the
policy of Franca and of Carlos Antonio Lo-
peg that everything should reacn the ear OF FL
Supreme" But in the worst days of Franca
the Government was mild and paternal COM
pared with what it has been under this young
or Lopez. People have been thrown into pris-
on not Only for saying things perfectly lnno-
cent not for not reporting what they had not
heard 1t is made the duty of everybody to be
spy on everybody else, and woe to him whose
ears are not open to every word spoken in his
presence.
The arrest of all the civil magistrates indi-
Gated that it was not the foreigners alone that
had made themselves obnoxious to Lopez
But what it was all for no one in my house, as
yet firmly believe, bad the least idea. The
published correspondence, however, will show
that about the 18th or 10th OF July the govern
ment suspected, or affected to suspect con-
spiracy, alleging that ex- Minister Berges was
a traitor, and was in collision with the enemy,
and that under my official seal had trans
mitted the correspondence to and fro between
the conspirators. l must refer you to the pub
lished correspondence to show how they I'M
dertook to connect me with the conspiracy, or
at least, as knowing that a revolution was in
contemplation. AT first it would seem that
q -l..14s Al.
they began to publish the correspondence; but
after receiving my letter of the 18th OF August
in which showed SO many contradictions in
the declarations that had been made by the
accused-probably under torture-that they
suspended further publications.
But it was not in the nature of Lopez to
show any magnanimity, or even Justice, by
acknowledging he had been led into error by
false deposition. Men who know him would
as soon accuse him of ordinary courage as of
magnanimity and he never was accused of
that, except in his own SenldndTiO, of which he
is virtually the editor. During all the war
Lopez has never exposed himself to any per-
sonal danger; he has never on a single occa
sion sisked himself in any battle, and while he
was at Paso PucG he had an immense cave, or
rather house, with walls of earth over twenty
feet thick from which he never ventured for
weeks together, and at the same time his Or
gan was filled dd museum with accounts of
the great Lopez leading, with dauntless valor
and quivering in his cave, afraid to venture
out lest ball might reach him.
cowARDIcE OF LOPEZ.
On one occasion, some two years ago, when
be was out with his bishop and his staff,
shell struck at distance of half a mile OF
more from his Exceliency. Instantly the
brave Lopez turned and ran like a scared
sheep, with his staff, including the bishop,
after him, the latter losing his hat as he fled
atfrighted after his chief. This is the only in
stance known of his ever having been in per-
soual danger; he has not even the vulgar mer-
1t OF personal courage, nor has he any other.
HIS WEAKNESS
His firmness, carried to obstinacy, is the re-
suit of personal fear. Many persons, his own
people, who have escaped from his power, and
whose families have been tortured and other
wise prosecuted to death, have sent messages
to him threatening to kill him at sight should
they ever meet him; he, therefore, dares not
treat with the enemy, for so many of them
have sworn to pursue him, the world will not
afford him a refuge if he has no army between
him and his enemies; he knows the country to
be lost and ruined; he has no navy, and, in my
opinion, not more than one-ffth of the land
forces of the enemy. Why the latter do not
attack him and put an end to the war, 1 do not
know; but they do not do so, and the war may
not end for a long time. Lopez has recently
said he expected to be compelled soon to fall
back from the river, and then he would retire
into the mountains, driving everybody, for
elgners and Paraguayans alike, before him.
In that case, at the rate the allies have been
gong on for the last two years, it will not be
long before he will be unable to present as
strong front to his enemies as he did when
they landed above the Tebicuary, viz: one man
to watch the telegraph.
CONDITION OF PARAGUAY.
The country, however, is entirely dennded ot
its male population. All the blowing. plant-
ing and sowing is done by women, Women
must yoke the oxen. do the butcheripg and ali
the other work usually done by men. There
are many women also with the army TO do the
labor of man, 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 in
tended, very much against my interest and
suffering great discomfort believed that a.
the final catastrophe could be of great SER
vice, especially to the foreigners; and had
Asuncion been taken in February when the
iron claas. went up there, as we then ay.
pected it would be, l should doubtless have
been able to save the lives of many who now
will never see their native land again. But
when all of them had been killed or made
prisoners, and nobOdy-native or foreigner
dared come near my house, and | was utterly
powerless to do a service Tor anybody /
thought it time to obey the orders of my Gov
eminent and return to the United States.
WADE HAMPTON is as prolific an author as
can be found anywhere, and as sensational as
the author of Griffith Gaunt. His last work
Is