New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-17
PARAGUAY.
LopEz-MR. wAsHBURN's STATEMENTS.

fore the House Committee on Foreign AHaIe' III
relation to ParaGuayan difficulties. 1T had been iny
intention not to appear IN print. or to publish any
thing sbearing on those matters; but having OBJ
served that desperate attempt is being in'uo ~
the friends and admirers of that fraEiclde' Pnc''
and bishop killer that murderer of all Foreigners
and exterminator of his people, fra"C''Uo
SOIanO Lopez TO forestall public opinion Dy D0U
and shameless system of lying. think 1t duty ~
mvsclf and the other victims of the deSpots lnnu-
man barbarities TO make brief statement
propose first TO notice statement ,n"' IA"
appeared in a great many newspapers 'IaS uuI'He
this investigation Commander Kirkland OF the wasp
testified that after bad escaped from Lopezs power
,ritb mart of my Legation, and was on board his
assoI Mrs Washburn had stated at the dinner table
:, NV nresence that there had been conspiracy IN
Paraguay to depOse Lopez and set up his brother
Benigno in his place. And it is added AT this
remark of his wife, Minister Washburn looked up
and frowned unpleasantly at the lady. Commander
Kirkland noticed the statement of Mrs. WashOurn
aud the horror of her husband at the unexpected os
closure and exchanged glances of wonder with q
gentleman who had come from Buenos Ayres with
him in the capacity of interpreter. The disclosure
of this conversation of Mrs. Washburn IS said TO
have produced very strong impression on the In
vesigating Committee"
In reply TO this have to say that it Is false In
every respect 1t is false that Mrs. Washburn ever
said there was conspiracy for neither she nor any
one else who has escaped from the hands OF Lopez
believes there had been 1t is also false that
ANYTHING occurred in the Committee as stated above
What Capt. Kirkland did state was. that one DAY
when was not present, Mrs. Washburn SAID that
there never had been any conspiracy but there was
plan to depose Lopez and for his two brothers to
succeed to power He also said that the remark was
so conflicting with what had said in the presence Oh
Mrs. Washburn and with her concurrence and cor
roboration that it surprised him, and he did not
know what to make of it. He, thereupon, without
asking any explanation of the discrepancy either Oh
her or me- reports it, with true eavesdrOpping hdel-
iy worthy of his friend Lopez to his chief Admiral
Davis But. if aware that his story
was so absurd that nobody would believe 1t on his
own statement he brings an affidavit from frlehu
of his by the of Dayie, who he says was pres
ent at the time and heard the remark of Hrs. Wash
burn. What this Mr.. Davie was on board the Wasp
Tor never knew. Kirkland alleges that he had him
as interpreter translator. &C.; but, Kirkland him.
self talks Spanish as fluenty he does English he
did not need translator and the inference is that
he took him up for the very purpose he has been put
TOTO be spy and convenient witness This TACT
of his bringing an affidavit from this ready witness
is confession that his story was so absurd that he
did not expect to he believed on his own testimony
He brought no affdavits to the truths to which he
testified. Why he, then, to this statement
Soon after the return of Admiral Davis to Buenos
Ayres after the rendition of Bliss and haserman to
be sent at the dictaton of Lopez, prisoners. to
be tried as my accomplices in the imaginary plot it
was given out and circulated through the press of
this country that he had discovered irrefragable
proof that conspiracy had existed in Paraguay,
and that was the head of it, Of course this report
came from the Admiral from one Of his two Off
GERS Ramsey and Kirkland, as they were the only
persons of the squadron who had any interviews
with Lopez or anybody in his camp. Yet each and
all of these naval heroes asked the question by
the Committee if they had any evidence OF any per-
son who had been in Paraguay before and
through the war; and who had escaped from Lopez's
power that there had been any conspiracy, and
they were all forced TO admit that they had
nothing except the alleged remark Of Mrs. Wash
burn which Kirkland admitted was in direct con-
ict to all the rest Of the conversation had with her
or ME while on board the Wasp Admiral Davis it
is true not having his keeper Ramsey, at hand to
warn him from such folly read extract from one
of my letters to Benez Lopezs Secretary of Foreign
Affairs whom he afterward executed as conspirator
IN which stated was all in the dark in regard to
the strange proceedings that were going on around
me, but that from the very strong measures which
the Government taking was convinced that
something unusual had been discovered. Leaving
Washington last evening / find in The HeraIfs dis
patches long account of what transpired before the
Committee yesterday, The materials Of TINS tissue
of Misrepresentation were evidently furnished by
Gen. Mcmahon BY this it appears that he made the
same stupid blunder as Admiral Davis by attempting
"a prove fromEmy dispatches to Benitez that there
had been conspiracy. The quotation from them
that he paraded most triumphanty was from letter
in which was replying to "a statement that plot to
assassnate Lopez had been discovered and frustrated
Ibid not believe it at the time; yet it was not for
me to say so. Diplomatic usage and courtesy re-
quired that should express my fluctuations that he
had escaped from such danger and this simple fact
is paraded evidence that such plot really existed
though my only knowledge Of ii, as appears from the
rest of the dispatch, was derived from Lopez's own
Ministers Mcmahon himself, however, would not
saw though closely pressed by the Committee that
he believed that there ever had been any such plot
or conspiracy as he tries TO nsinuae there was by
contemplate subterfuge through the telegraphc
reporters. At one time, admit did suppose plot
had been discovered, but what it was one in my
house had the most remote idea But when the
declarations from the tortured victims of Lopez
were sent to me in which imaginary conversations
with me were reported and numerous acts imputed
TO me of which had never thought, dreamed or
heard, and the charge of attempt to assassinate
made against men who knew had never thought OF
such a thing then knew it was all false, and the
whole thing was but plan of Lopez to murder us
all and then have such declarations as he might
choose put forth as our confessions to justify him in
the eyes of the world That he would have openly
and publicly executed me / never supposed. but L
have the best evidence the nature of the case admits
that he was anticipating the delight OF having me
brought to his headquarters and tortured before his
eyes, the climax ofiwhch would have been reported