The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-16

was ne. suspended lurtner puDiicatiols. buI ~
nll, - Ia tue nature OF Lopez 10 SHOW any in'tshi-
-aty, or even justice, o. acknowledging ne Lai
.eea lei into error by iaise dispositions. men VIC
know him would as soon accuse him VI 0rdinarJs
courage as OF magnlnnity, and ne never was ac-.
cused OF that except in his own Senta.aTto, VI
winch ne Is virtually the editor During an III W.,
Lopez has never exposed himself TO any personal
Danger; lie has never q single OCCASION
rlsAed himself in any battle and wnile ne was
father w re Aa Walls an Of earn over sseny
feet thick from which lie never ventured Tor
weeks together; and at the same Time maj . h,s
great Lopez leading, with dauntess vaor his le-
gions to victory, he was sitting quaking and quiyer
Ing in his cave afraid out lest rail might
reach him. on one occasion some TWO years ago,
When he was out with his bishop and his stan,
shell struck at distance OF naf mile or more from
his EXceeucy. Instantly the brave Lopez turned
and ran ike scared sheep, with his STAR including
the bishop, after him. the latter losing MS nat as ne
fed affrighted after his Chief This is the only IN
stance known Of his ever having been in personal
DANGER he has nCs even the vulgar merit OF personal
courage has he any other. His lrmness, carried
TO obstinacy Is the result OF personal fear. Many
from his power, and whose families nave
been tortured and otherwise prosecuted to
death, have sent messages TO MIN threatening 70
kill him at sight should they ever meet him; he
therefore, dares not treat with the enemy Tor so
many have sworn to pursue him, the word VIII not
AFFORD hun refuge II he once has no army between
him and his enemies; he knows the country 10 DC
lost and rulned he has navy, and In my opinion,
not more than one-ir OF the land forces OF the enc
my. Why the latter do not attack HIN and put an
end to the war do not know: but they do nUl 40 so
and the war may not end Tor long Tune. Lopez
has recently said he expected to be compelled soon
to fall back from the river and then ne would retre
into the mountains, driving everybody, foreigners
and Paraguayans alike before him. IN that case at
the rate the allies have been gong on Tor the last
TWO years, 1t Will De long before he will be unable to
present as strong front 10 his enemies as he did
when they landed above the IeDicuary-vIz., one
man to watch the telegraph.
1t was not, however, till August that heard, be-
sides the conspiracy against the government, that
tnpPp l..Il 40 "a rnblerV n
sury. Or The particulars OF THIS robbery could
never learn anything; neither did | ever have any
noWledge OF the details Of the plan OF the conspi-
racy. IL was said in one OF Benitez's letters that
Mr. Bliss. member OF my Legation, had signed u
paper with others IN which they had engaged 70 as
sassnate President Lopez. l knew that was false
or, AT least mad no doubt that 1t was So and dehed
them to produce any such paper, but they never
showed 1t. They never gave me any clue as to the
manner OF the conspiracy or how the revolution was
10 be effected, and do not believe to this day that
anything Of the kind was ever attempted. The
decai atoms OF the prisoners prove nothing except
the merclless crueltes OF Lopez. for 1t Is known
that he freely employs the torture. He loads his pr
sonerS with heavy letters, sometimes two, three or
four pairs, and besides Hogs tnem If they do not give
the testimony lie requires, till they die.
The country, however, Is entirely denuded Of its
male population. All the ploughing, planting and
sowing Is done by women. Women must yoke the
oxen, do the butchering and all the other work
usually done ny men. There are many women also
with the army to do the labor OF men, and thus re-
lieve the troops; but none believe, are forced to
bear arms.
remained year longer than intended, very much
against my interest and suffering great discomfort
believed that ~ the fnal catastrophe could be OF
Asuncon been taken in February, when the IRON
ciadS went up there, as we then expected 1t would
be- should doubtless nave been able TO save : ne
land again. But when all or them mad been killed or
made prisoners, and nobody-natlve or foreigner
dared come near my house, and was utterly pow
erless TO do service for anybody, thought 1t time
TO obey the orders OF my government and return to
servant, CHARLES a. WASHBURN.
The letters from Mr.. Porter c. Bliss were written
while still at the American Legation, while still at
liberty but doubtful whether he and Mr.. Mastermann
would be allowed to leave Paraguay, not Withstand.
ing their being defended by Mr. Washburn as at
tached to his legation. But read the following letter
written by the unfortunate man but one day later,
but within the clutches Of Lopez, and Judge what
threats even tortures must have been employed to
extort it from him. No greater damning evidence
OF the utter untruthfulness Of the long string OF de-
positions which Lopez has published to convict Mr..
Washburn Of the charges brought against him could
be adduced than the simple perusa OF letter which
bears the most convincing internal evidence OF hay
ing been written under threats or instantaneous and
painful death or under the racxing tortures OF I'M
scrupulous cruelty.
SEPT. II, 1868
UOited States Minister Resident
SIR-Findlng myself at length relieved from the
restraint which your Exceileacy has SO long eyer.
freely and spontaneously the important part which
your Exceency has taken In the revolution, in
which you have involved many persons and among
them myself. have declared Feeling deeply, be-
cause would like TO avoid such scandal 10 your
Exccliency but following out the TRUTH that
your Exceancy has been the soul Of the revo-
luton, and II this deed now appears to the
light OF heaven confessed to by all its accompces,
TO whom does II owe IFS existence to your Ex-
cehency, who has continued It's direction up to u
very recent perIodY l consider myself, therefore
completely absoved from the promise which your
Excelency extorted from me Yesterday in your
office not TO reveal your proceedings old or new.
Even your brilliant speculations with the company
OF Hopkins, for which your Exceliency ought to
pocket q handred and odd thousands OF ratacones,
have been put IN evidence, as also the gdcd pill
you made Polidoro and Octavlano swallow.
also the last Of Caxias, at the time OF your Excel
lencys celebrated visit OF mediation In March, last
year.
determined to request from your Excellency the
delivery 10 the bearer OF my historical manuscripts
which involve compromise with tins government
ana which are without reason In deposit with
your Exceilency, you having taken possession OF
them during my Illness last year, and because have
forgotten TO demand them Of you. They consist, as
your Exceleacy well knows, OF voluminous his
tory OF Paraguay till the year 1910 and 1900
pages more OF notes IN spanish on more recent
epochs, WITH tne chronooSy UP 10 our days Also
send the three letters written by express Oder OF
your Excelency for your Justification regarding
the affairs OF the revolution, of which one Is ad-
dressed TO the New YORK IVoria, another to Rev.
William I. Goodellow In Buenos Ayres, and the last
to my father, Henry Bliss, OF New York. me trula
having been fully displayed these letters cannot
serve your Excelency Tor any object and since they
are false 1t suits me no longer to keep the mys-
terry OF hypocrisy, aud Tor your own honor your Ex
cellency ought 10 comply strictly with these my de-
mands. do not exact from you the English manu-
scripts which your Excellency made me write in
spirit inimica 10 Paraguay, since these are the pro
peIty oi your Eycellency; but I advise you as q
Trend not 10 attempt TO nght against tile evidence
given by INFINITE witnesses. take advantage or the
occasion salute your Exceency with distinguished
esteem and appreciation. PORTER O. BLISS.
The last letter from the Foreign Minister OF Lopez
was dated september and is OF immense length,
recaptiuatng the dispositions and giving views to
strengthen the weak points detected and to blacken
the case against Mr.. Washburn. Thus Carreras one
OF the Montevideau exiles to whom Mr.. Washburn
had given refuge to the last raises the amount OF
money which Benigno Lopez, the brother OF the
President, Is said to have paid to Mr.. washbu IN
for promotion OF the conspiracy and for remuncra