The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-04-28
hopez, the Unhappy President Of Paraguay

GOp61, tAc Ouu0pp3 110olu0ne Va
The Paraguayan war of six years duration
ended last month with the death of Lopez, the
dictator of that Republic. The following
graphic description Of events connected with
this daring chief and his ,unexampled perse-
yerance will prove interesting to our readers;
: More than once during the long war on the
La Plata. Brazilian reports have killed the die
tator of Paraguay, and his obituary has been
printed in the American and European papers.
fs looks now as if the story of his capture and
death in the wilds of the Matto Crosse is true.
The report comes by the Rio de Janeiro month
" packet to Lisbon, and London dispatches
say that the news is fully confirmed:
The remarkable man who has so long resist
ed the combined efforts of two powerful ma
tions, assisted by third, to destroy his power,
was born in Paraguay in 1927. He was the
SON of the former President, Don Carlos Lopez,
a man of singular astuteness, energy and reso-
luton Don Carlos succeeded to the despotlc
power of DIR. Francia in 1874. Paraguay, ever
since it threw off the Spanish yoke, was ruled
by the iYnperious will of one man. Francia
was its lord for thirty years, Before his death
was announced, the elder Lopez succeeded In
establishing himself as the successor, and when
he died in 1862, after sanguinary and oppres-
sive reign of eighteen years, he left by will, ac-
cording to the constitution of Franeia, the
scepter to his son Don Francisco Solano Lopez.
Paraguay, though in name republic, was new
or otherwise. than a despotic monarchy, and Its
ruler was less trammeled bylaw and conscience
than the master of the Orient on the banks OF
the >Bosphorus.
Before the elder Lopez passed away, he sent
his son to Europe to study the world and to
L TsSnY,E 'r0n
co went abroad ostensibly on diplomatic mis-
sior. He travelled as the heirs of royal houses
are wont to travel, in care of a trusted officer
Of the court, which in this case happened to be
an old Italian general who had seen much SER
vice in the Valley of the La Plata The Prince
and his guardian visited the leading capitals of
the continent, and in most places negotiated.
commercial treaties. An exaggerated notion
prevailed in Europe, at that time, of the value
o2 the growing trade of the La Plata, and
Young Lopez was received with much conside-
ration. Before he left the Old World, he con-
tracted adomestic alliance which lasted through
all his subsequent fortunes, both good and bad,
and which exerted material influence upon
the country oves which he was to rule. He
met in Dublin one Eliza Lynch, an Irish wo-
man, the wife of a surgeon in the French army.
She left her husband and followed Lopez to
Paraguay as his mistress, and became IN time
the mother of his six children. Her power
over him was unlimited 1t was the belief of
the victims of the dictator's relentless policy
that Madame Lynch Influenced him to the
commission of his worst acts of cruelty, and
nerved him to the desperate resolution to sacri-
fee the whole Paraguayan people to the con-
summation of his personal ambition.
Lopez became President in 1862. A year
later he dispatched Senior Herrera, one OF the
highest naval officers to Europe, with several OF
the brightest young Paraguayans of European
descent, to study engineering and military dis
cipline and strategy. When Senor Herrera
returned, he carried back large quantity of
war material and a score OF English founders
and workmen. This would seem to indicate
that Lopez, at the outset of his reign, had war
like designs upon his neighbors. The war
came in 1864. of course the two sides had
different versions of the casus 6elH. Lopez
charged the Brazilians with q violation of the
treaty made with his father for the mainte-
nance of the status srquo on the La Plata. Bra
I'll had interferred in Uruguay in favor of
Flores, the leader of the Colorado party. The
Blancos were driven from power. and this it
was that Lopez proceeded to resent he seized
Brazilian steamer on the la Plata, and thus
broke up the free navigation of the river. He
threw all the Brazilians ivingin Paraguay into
prison, and then suddenly, without declara-
ton of war, invaded the territory of the Ar
eentine Republic, which was in alliance with
Brazil. On the 18th of April. 1865, with an
army of 10000 men, he captured the city of
Corrientes by surprise. The Argentines were
unprepared for his advance, as treaty was in
existence providing that in case of war be-
tween the Argentine Republic and Paraguay,
hostilities could not be commenced without six
months preliminary notice mutually exchan-
ged. In May, 1865, the celebrated triple alli
ance was signed by the plenipotentiaries of
Brazil, the Argentine republic and Uruguay.
The Emperor of Brazil took command in per-
son. The first battle was a naval one, fought
in June, on the Parana, and resulted in the
driving back of the Paraguayan navy. The
next was fought on land, at Uruguayana, in
Brazil, and the allies were again victorious,
capturing 5000 prisoners. Lopez retreated
upon his Notifications. He made stronghold
of Humaita, on the Parana This place un-
derwent siege of two years, and its defense re-
hected the greatest credit on the military char
acter of the Dictator Not until many thous-
and lives were sacrificed on both sides did it
fall into the hands of the allies in July 1868.
Lopez disputed every mile of his territory.
He made stand at limbo, then at Tebiquary,
and at last at Vilesta. Early in 1869 he was
routed at the latter place, and was forced to
abandon Asuncion, the capital, and take to the
mountains. During the last year Of his rule at
Asuncion he had diplomatic difficulty with
Mr. Washburn, the United States Minister, in
consequence of having arbitrarily imprisoned
certain American citizens MIR. Washburn
quilted the capital and took refuge on board OF
an American war vessel, but the prisoners were
subsequently released after much suffering. Mr..
Washburn was recalled, and General Mcmahon
was sent out as Minister from the United States.
He succeeded in re-establishing friendly rela-
tions with Lopez, and remained with him in
his shifting camp until Congress annulled the
mission.
After the loss of his capital the fortunes of
Lopez went steadily on the downward course.
.o,,nh driran to tha ntains he raisod uo.r