The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-19

German population may enjoy them.
Paraguay and Braxn-The Crisis In the
Our latest dates from the allies in front Of
Villeta show the army to be in = most deplora-
BILE condition. Encamped upon very narrow
strip OF ground in . swamp, aud obliged half
Of the time to do picket and outpost duty
standing in the water, they are necessarily
stricken by disease and are rapidly disappear
ing from the muster rolls In the meantime
their gallant enemy is boldly defending him
self; is throwing up numerous Notifications
and even building himself palace within
look like the overthrow of Paraguay? What
a splendid defence the women Of the country
make against Brazilian efforts! II the women
fight so hard, as we are requested to believe
by allied reports, it is probable that there will
be neither hide nor hair left of the Brazilians
and Argentines when The Paraguay babies get
ut them.
Marshal Caxias has sent thanking party,
via the Gran Chaco, to gain the rear of Lopez.
1t consists OF twenty thousand picked men.
Poor fellows, we pity them, for it must be
HORRIBLE to be shot down by women; and yet
this fate awaits them. Caxias calls for twenty
thousand additional troops. BY the way of
Bolivia and Panama we learn that immedi-
ately upon being advised OF this Lopez issued
the following
An-
Headquarters or THE ARMY,
VIiLErA, oct. 20, 1858.
1t having reached the President OF the republic
that The Brazilian commander now besleging this
position Las made an additional call FOR twenty
thousand men, il is hereby ordered that tile several
departments OF the state shall, by allotment in pro.
portion TO their population furnish i've thousand
babies, not less than three nor more than Ave years
OF the above allied reinforcement.
Fer order OF III Supreme. CARRERAS,
Adutans General and Chief Of StaiY.
Our Buenos Ayres adyices tell us that
ex-President Mitre has refused to take com
mand of the Argentine troops now in the
field, and that the auctoneer Gelly y Obes,
is retained in that position.
Without single honorable principle ami
mating the allies at the inception of the contest
a war ruinous to the interests of all South
America has been carried on for more than
three years. AS yet the allies have not gained
a single point which indicates that they will
ultimately conquer the country They do not
even now command the line of the Paraguay
river, which is inferior to dozen lines which
Lopez can take up after the Brazilian iron
clads have driven him from the river bank.
But how stands Brazil, in the meantime, with
reference to her power to continue the strife
Her estimated war expenses are now some
five million gold per month, while it is stated
that the Minister of Finance WILL on January
l, 1869, find himself with an exhausted trea
sury. Add sixty million direct expenses per
annum to the present Brazilian debt of five
hundred and seventy-fve million dollars gold,
and we have an amount which it will be diff
cult for the empire to struggle under. It will,
in fact, be many times larger than our own,
taking our resources and population into con-
sideration. The next Brazilian financial move
is for another foreign loan. How well she can
negotiate it remains to be seen. If capitalists
have their eyes open to the republican senti-
ment existing throughout the empire they will
be little disposed to lend to crown whose
subjects will in a change of government, COM
menee a clean slate by reputation of all debts.
With all this. however, we say, as we have be-
fore said, Dom Pedro has, in the Paraguay war,
staked his crown on the result. If he be- de-
feated the empire disappears at once, while If
victorious he may prolong imperial existence
for short time. But tie chances of victory
are far distant, and the best proof is that the
Brazilian field marshal in command calls for
twenty thousand more men.