New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-27
WASHBURN ON PARAGUAY.


tory of that country and his experiences az dipio
matist under difcues aud ts appearance VIII proba
bly, revive the controversy "a to the cohdno' Vi our
representatives aud naval officers In South America
which, ii Will be remembered has already been hVesu
gated by a Committee OF Congress. Mr. washburn
arraigned the behavior OF Rear-Admras Godon ana
Davis with almost as much severity the character OF
the Dictator Lopez but the Committee could not agree
upon anything except tho Infamous conduct OF the
ruler No action has yet been taken on INC
two reports and the destruction OF Lopez ana his Govern
ment deprives the OF Its international Importance
From advanced sheets OF the book however, which Ia 10
I've published by Lee Shepard we copy some passages
which have great intrinsic interest
Personal HABITS OF DIR. FRANcn.
here t seems opportune to speak OF the personal
habits OF the Dictator His oae Of life was always very
simple regular He cared nothing for good eating OF
drinking He seldom took wine, and his meals never
consisted OF than two three very plain dishes
Like all Paraguayans he smoked great deal Before
was a gross libertine whose mind had been so
him to seek srch intrguos that a half.breed slave
would scorn 10 b his rival After he attained the su
ne fnSs d p aoWns any to
proach him except his negro doestics His temperance
been much commended as though these were great and
extraordinary virtues. His indifference to all MS KIN
dred has aisO been often addced evidence or his non
esty and Observation-Disclosures But what If his table ex
penses instead Of being half dollar day ha peen 1iy
hs I s With the Of thousands
he constantly extorting from his mlseraoe peopo
M S aS n %ss oa ap e ony Of the State
what he had taste or desire for Is made er, py @
they make the s'I most Of that. That he never
favored any Of his blood relations at at, the Esre Elk
was so intensely selfish egostica and so Indifferent
everything but his own power and persoip dst ne
His nearest relatives he imprisoned put to- death with
compuncton, and no one could assign any
other reason than that he wanted To Impress on
every how terribly unnoyably aDsoiae ne s va.
What merit not to to-. sss az % he SS a, read to
murders 4. .,,o,. anna,
propepsities was great coward constant fear OF
ASSASSINATION From the time that he first became Die
spracy and assassination were the perpetual dread OF
the despot in power. They all seemed TO realize thst
they had committed such cruel Injustice toward indyid
uals and families there must necessarily be many who
il the opportunity offered them woudmproye Thy
nen gpon his lie he Dictator in the early
days OF his power ordered that every person who hap
stand motoness and uncovered. with his by his
and head bowed until he had gone by This now
ever did not 10 be sufficient precaution, so that
his guards instructed frequently to cut down with
their ber such people as CHANGED to be In those streets
through which he TO pass. After that as soon "a
known that he was out people ned 70 ther houses
shut their and 81 the eaS erev ad ss as pe He had
several houses in which he was accustomed TO sleep
would select for the coming night HIS moro Isa rest
dence was I'm the old Government House whlcn Is YET
the hospital which was little out Of ,, town
upon an ACTIVITY on which no other buildings ,Iep
was supposed to be to defeat any plan Of conspiracy
that might possibly have been coneoced Tithsns ms
sant fear with no other reason that he knows he
has given many people good cause for 9i
possible 70 endure in this world Francia however,
passed life Of this Kind for nearly hI yfd ss ~ cn
scous during the last years OF his reign that all nope OF
Of Recruitment had ceased to exist in the minds OF tie
people, and had he not become aware that whatever ne
Of the departure Of the swiss doctors there
record tradition that he ever spoke TO human
dog or to an abject slave He never conversed with
any body further than when some unhappy subject
which occasion # the person permitted to enter his
dark and narrow room he would rise 9R from ms
the humble suppliant had entered the door, he was
compelled only to keep his hands down. but to keep
them rigid and fixed at angle Of some Is or 20 degrees
from his body TO show that he had no weapon in either
Would enable Franca to make pistols before
S1SS 90 @ any stop AZ SnhapRs
within Is or 70 s. e What he
The would make his petition When according
S ssn' asasfis se s o1er
soclai Intercourse for 10 years; Even to his
domestic servant. he maintained sta ID his gloomy
males, one OF whom was supposed to hold
another relation to him him None S them sRa
wanted in the house. even supply his necessities;
nee for the house The cost
himself did not probably exceeds single shitnga day
stitute made from -four OF the mandioca, taste of
ce Of the preserved fruit OF the country together
taken mate or PARAGUAY tea suiced for all his wants IN
the way Of eating and drinking In the evening. when
sit for hours with leaning against tree in the
yard his chin upon his breast apparently absorbed in
thought. No could approach him, no one OF his SER
wants would venture to address him. unless to convey to
a@ on Ss sas s sS
speak to him Of any domestic matter. They moved
they were sometimes afraid lest they might offend
him by not advising him OF what was required for the
The evil that men do lives after them" The terrible
system OF Francia continued when he was no more The
pect terror that at his Death they were spelbound
and helpless, so completely Invested of all sense or
less victims OF a weaker and a than Francia. 1t
was his to destroy sl who had given proof OF ntel
gence patriotism ability to the seeds OF entire
submission and unquestioning obedience but to reap
the fruit to sacrifice, a. It were the entire people
country to desert waste and to raise tomb l for
guayan nation, was left to his disciple and mitator
Francisco Soano Lopez
SOUTH AMERICAN REPUBLICS.
The first idea OF republican government is thing
utterly unknown throughout all Spanish America. At
popular election tho party having for the time being the
rcns OF power almost invariably returns its candidates
Hence the changes almost always effected by revolu
tons civil But the defeated parties do not hold
themselves under any obligation to abide the result IL
they the contest hoping 10 win, like the gam
bier who quietly pockets his winnings as long as the
sd run IN S but Losing s,s . the pSS or
Mr. Lincoln, they do not, II out-yoted consider them
selves morally bound TO respect the result II they
get up revolution with reasonable chance Of win
ming, they sure Ia do It,
And how Ia all this to end Many people win say. let
then change their form OF government and establish
mOnarces and call TO each OF these distracted
tries scion OF royalty and then let all the people rally
around his throne. But the people will not have q
archy. aud IL foreign s0yereigus were 70 attempt to
impose 81 their throneless Adventures them
ruler the lesson Of Mexico proves how all would unite