The New York herald., 1870-08-22
Reconstruction of Paraguay--Thc Nc

President.
Since the death Of President Lopez the
news from Paraguay has been meagre. The3
closing scenes of the war revealed sad pic
ture of the condition of this gallant little repub
lie. They presented to US country desolated
and people impoverished. When we look
back few years and call to mind the happi-
ness, prosperity and industry of the Para
guayan people, feeling of sorrow is expert |
enced when the present and past are brought
into comparison. The long war of the allies
against Lopez brought untold miseries on the
Paraguayans. Depopulated cities, aban-
doned towns, neglected farms, forsaken marts,
famine and all the attendant evils Of cruel
war have reduced the country to state of
destitution most deplorable to contemplate.
The associated armies of Brazil, the Argentina
republic and Uruguay, in fighting the dictator
Lopez and laboring for his subjugation, nearly
anihilated people and destroyed nation and
blasted for years to come its hopes of prosper
ity. Laying aside the magnanimous it would
have been nothing more than just had the
allies, after Lopez was defeated and slain on
the banks of the Aquedabau river, and the
object Of the war accomplished in his destruc-
ton, taken the necessary steps to afford the
Paraguayan people facilities for the reconstruc-
ton of their country and enable them to return
to the pursuits of peace. Instead Of that, how
ever, we find in the city Of Asuncion quar-
rels of the victors over the spols. Surely the
powerful empire of Brazil had nothing
more to fear from the countrymen of Lopez;
and the Argentine republic, together with
Uruguay, might have found enough to occupy
their attention at home rather than to contribute
to the further humiliation of sister republic.
Yet we find at this day Paraguay in con-
dition never equalled in her history. The
latest news from Montevideo informs us that
President has been elected for Paraguay;
but when it is considered that this President
is the special arot6ge of Brazil, and that he is
surrounded by Brazilian soldiers in the city
of Asuncon, it is by no means difficult to
perceive what hollow sham the late elections
in Paraguay must have been. Is this the
result which the Argentines and Uruguayans
entered into an alliance with Brazil to secure?
Does it not appear plain that such reconstruc-
ton means eventually Brazilian absorption2
Is not this the aim of the great South Ameri-
can empire? Her former allies are powerless
even if they desired to interfere in her schemes
of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Two revolutions now
occupy the attention of the Argentine republic
and Uruguay. The revolutionsts, too, ara
making considerable progress; consequently
these two republics must look to home and try
and restore peace to their disordered States.
Brazil, in the meantime, with no one to inter-
fere with her, pursues plan of reconstruc-
ton for Paraguay on basis that will easily
admit of absorption, should the great empire
desire it. This is what the late elections in
Paraguay mean. A Brazilian protege as
President of Paraguay, maintained by Brazil
ian bayonets, is a mockery which does not
require even time to unveil, and as such it
will be regarded by the world.
REV SIDNEY A. COREY made an untimely
disDlav of his anti Catholic sentiments at