National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-04-10
The War in Paraguay.

along, and every South American
man has brought us stcreotyped ac-
counts of deadly but indeclsive com
bats. separated only by periods of
even more deadly and costly inac-
ton. 80 long period has elapsed
since the commencement of the war.
and so complicated have become the
interests involved in it, that few
among us retain a clear and correct
/ idea of the origin of the conflict, or
know to which OF the conbatauts
we should award our sympathy. We
( do not know that the struggle is
passionate and earnest; that the
waste of life has been fearful: and
that the energy and material re-
sources OF four OF the South Amer
icau States have been squandered
in manner that would seem to lie
Il folly and scandal. The fight has
been very unequal one-the pow
er III empire OF Brazil, the Republic
of Uruguay and the Argentine CON
/ fedcracy being OH one side, and the
/ Republic of Paraguay standing
alone on the other. But the battle
| has not been to the strong. For
months the army Of the allies has
I laid idle and Iotting from disease
in the pestilential angle Ct the rivers
PaIana and Paraguay, doing little
else than Watching the iudOmitable
, troops OF their opponent, until at
length the Emperor don Pedro be-
can to confess to himself that he
had undertaken a hopeless task. AS
this conviction dawned upon the
| most formidable OF the allies, events
occurred that tended to sicken his
| confederate, the Argentine Repub.
| lie, OF further cXertlouS III the stlug.
| Gle into which passion had unWlt-
tingly led i. \ deadly disease ray
aged it's cities, a.. expenses OF the
war pressed heavily Oh its trade and
finances, and Il dangerous lnsurrec.
tiun broke out in one OF Its own
provinces. And there seems to be
reason to hope that the conflict is
now about TO close.
An examination Of the map OF
South America Will aid the reader
to refresh his memory as to the Oh
/ gin of this unhappy war. The Re
public of Paraguay is shut out, or
hemmed in, from all intercourse
with the world al large, i'll a pecu-
liar manner. She has no sea coast.
The Empire of Brazil encompasses
her on the north and east the Ar
grntiua Gonit'tici throws it-Cli
around her on the south and west.
! Her only channel of communication
/ with the outside world is the Para
Ma river, which, after forming the
northern, eastern aud southern bOun-
Diary of Paraguay, flows through
the Argentine Confederation and
dehouchcs Into the sea, becoming
the bay, which is called the is.o dc
la Plata aud which, although termed
a river, is more an estuary of the
sea than II stream. The Paran;
river is the artery through wlncl
the life blood of Paraguay flows. L
Is more essential to its existence Il.
a nation than the Mississippi is It
the United States. The freedom 0
its navigation Is the one indispeusa
Die coalition ON which not only tht
pros Gritty but the continuance o
the Republic depends.
But the north side, or mouth o
the Rio de Ia Plata, belongs to an'
is commanded by the Republic o
Uruguay. This little commonwealth
has been almost necessarily torment
ed and distracted by revolutionary
movements and disorders. Brazil
5 which bounds it on the north, hat
long desired to obtain control oyc
it, dcsttnieS, and thus extend he
| power to the command OF the RI
dc la Plata. At the close of 1851
| prctcXt for advancing to this ohioc
was furnished, and eagerly sclzet
. Some Brazilian subjects were il
! treated by the government that the
was in power in CIUguay; Bla2
' iomcnted a revolution against tn
. government, Joined her forces
= those of Gen. Flores, the head {
the revolutionary party; overtime
l The government, and set up Flor,
\ in its stead. Paraguay saw this Al
II proach Of Brazil toward the con
> mand Of the Platte with keen anX
ETY. and jealousy. While yet the i
tcrvontion of Brazil in the affairs
Uruguay was only threatened, Il
Paraguay Government rcplesentt
r to the Emperor Don Pedro that
would regard the consummation
e tlliS interference us Il cause OF WI
)l The warning was disrrgarded--tl
't intervention took place--and IN q
III first months of 1868 the Governmci
G. of Flores was set up III Montevide
Z the capital of lragmt, and Pal
IL quay had declared war against
OF aud it's ally, Brazil. An army
lc parnguayan troops was made rea'
G, to match into the southern corner
ol Brazil, and thence to Uruguay,
p, the purpose of attacking the 81
III zliah forces stationed in the Repu
rs lie. But to do this the army mt
H. pass across n narrow neck o! la
- belonging to the Argentine Conf
r. Grafton, and known as the ProvlI
81 of Corrientcs. 20 the surprise a
wrath OF Lopez, the President
Paraguay, II e Argentine goNcl