The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1868-11-25
A SPECK OF WAR
Queer Condu~t of Our Minister to
Paraguay.
Ele IL Accused of Being Engaged
In "a Plot TO AssasSinate Lopez.
Ills COWARDLY FLIGHT FROM
THE COUNTRY.
And Abandonment Of American
Citizens 20 Outrage and
&nlpriS0Rmcut.


SmpriSoRncut.
New York. November l6.-The Her
aid says The United States Minister to Par
aguav has he, n getting hiOiself into serious
trouble with Marshall lopez The latter
accused Minister Washburue Of having en-
tered into the conspiracy to assas.inate the
President, and L was charged that he had
received n reward Of one hundred and forty
thousand dollars for his action The chief
accuser is Senor Jose Berges the Minister
for Foreign Affairs, VITO turned States ev-
dcnce against the cnnSpirators. He charg
ed Mr.. Porter 9 Bliss a member of the
legation, with having signed a conpact
with the con,pirators. Although MIR. Bliss
| denies all these charges in n letter to his
friends, the Paraguayan Government has
| published a letter purpOrting to have been
signed ty Mr.. Bliss admitting all the char
| ges against his own Minister.
This letter is generally believed to have
been gotten from the writer by means Of
torture while in prison.
The whole foreign population of the Rio
de la Plata a'e indignant at The outrag's
committed by lopez in this affair. but re-
gret that Minister of the great Republic
should have even noticed such charges.
The commander Of the American squad
ron, Rear Admiral Davis. had taken
prompt measures to yinIicate the insult to
our fl l,g.
The Post contains the following editorial:
| ElSewhf rc we print Il letter from a well i'm
formed correspondent in Rio de Jnneir0,
the tone Of which shows the deep feeling
which exists among Americans in Brazil
over the extraordinary s'ory about the
| tnifed States Minister in Paraguay, Mr..
| Washburne.
1t is asserted that Mr. Washburne left
| the country an1 abandoned to the barbarous
Dictator, Lopez, two American citizens,
Porter G. Bliss and Georse L Masterman,
both, moreover employed in the Legation.
and thus officers Of the Unit I'd States So
incredible Il story Of cowardIce on the part
Of a United State, Minister, must be re.
ceived as az least doubtful, and susceptible
ofsome explanation honorable to Mr.. Wash
burne, did not a long letter Of Mr.. Wash
hurn,'s himself, which will also be foun!
elsewhere, fdlly confirm it. lie relates, in
this letter, which j. addressed to the Eu-
glish Minister at Rio Janero, that Bliss
and Masternlan were forced from his side,
as he and they were passing from the Lngl
ton TO the water side, whore tney were TO
!
ly did he suffer this atrocous violation OF
the rights oi Americans-of his officers
bnt seems from his account, to have aon.
quietly aboard the vessel waiting tor hiu,,
and sailed Oft .eaving them to their taie,
without stepping even 10 remDns,Iate Our
c'rre>pan len 10 Rio adds still further, tina.
While be English aai french fl tets are
haatenng to paraguaFv, to rescue their pco-
pie, Nashburne has not evea called tor cur
Il ct which lies idle in Rio, while Lopez is
tcrurlng and numbering at his own swee t
will. Mr.. Washhurne : own letter proves
that no such shameful outrage has eve,
been suffered by American citizens as that
which he has tolerated. No such wea1>
mind d person has ever misrcpresented our
10r ernpent abroad, OF suffered our flag to
be debasei and the sanctlty of a United
States Legation to be violated. We will
say nothing OF reports which come from
Rio of Mr.. Wash u-ita S ENHANCEMENT with
1Iop'z; otfls corruption by that barbarian;
1t Is quite enough that he has tamrly subs
mitted to have two American citizens, be-
sIdts large number OF persons of other
nations, taken from is legation where
they had sought refuge from the fury OF
We hope our Government will act prom
pity in tAis matter The country has a
right to demand that the President shall
scDd out, without the loss of day, by the
speedlest conveyance, a man with spi it to
assert and malnJain our rights and the hon
or { t our flag, to take the place of VI ash
burne. Aud the new Minister must ba
backed by fl ct which will enable hin to
wiring from Lopez the most ample repara-
ton and apology for his outrage on cur hag,
and i'm mediate restoration OF all persons
whom he forced from he legation. There
can be no argument on this question.
II our flag does not protect America Ms in
foreign countries it is IA shame. 1t has no
right to place among the htgs of the ma
ton, and unless our Government acts prolu-
: pity and vigorously in thi, matter, we shall
become contemplate among foreigners Let
an officer Of courage, a man like Farragut,
or Porter, be sent out at once on the fastest
maD>ot war we have Let him take the
fleet which lays in Rio Janerio with him,
and be instructed to deal with Lopez as
Decatur did with the Dey Of Algiers.
1t appears from Washburne's own letter
that Lopez is ruthless barbarian, who
violates every law, and respects the rights
of no one, whether native or foreign. There
is reason to believe he has subjected Bliss
and Masterman to the torture, and there is
no reason 70 deal with him Otherwise than
as one would with pirate 1t is humilia,-
ing that 1t should be necessary for the press
OF this country to call upon the Government
to resist such an unheard Of outrage upon
our flag as Lopez has committed, or to save
imprisonment, torture and death ofAmcr-
can citizens. MIR. Wasbburne' misconduct
is a stinging disgrace to every American
nm nv lnr sob l. I m