New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-24
LOPEZ.

More than once during the long war on
the La Plata Brazilian reports have Killed
the Dictator of Paraguay, and bis obituary
has been printed in the American and
European papers. 1t looks now as if the
story of his capture and death in the wllds
of Matte Crosse is true. The report
comes by the Rio de Janeiro monthly
packet to Lisbon, and London dispatches
say that the news is fully confirmed.
The remarkable man who has so long
resisted the combined efforts of two pow
ertul nations, assisted by third, to de-
stroy his power, was born in Paraguay in
1927. He was the son of the former
President, Don Carlos Lopez. man of
singular astuteness, energy and resolution.
Don Carlos succeeded to the despohc
power of DR.. Francia in 1874. Paraguay,
ever since it threw off the Spanish yoke,
was ruled by the imperious will OF one
man. Francia was it's lord for thirty
years. Before his death was announced,
the elder Lopez succeeded in establishing
himself as the successor, and when be died,
in 1862, after sanguinary and oppressive
reign OF eighteen years, he left by will,
according to the constitution of Francia,
the scepter to his son, Don Francisco
Solano Lopez. Paraguay, though in name
a republic, was never otherwise than a
despotic monarchy, and its ruler was less
trammeled by law and conscience than the
master of the Orient on the banks OF the
Bosphorus.
Before the elder Lopez passed away. be
sert his son to Europe to study the world
and to improve his mind and manners.
Don Francisco went abroad ostenslbly on
a Diplomatic mission. 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
service 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 ID Europe,
at that time, Of the value OF the growing
trade Of the La Plata, and young Lopez
was received with much consideration.
Before he left the Old World, he contracted
a domestic alliance which lasted through
all his subsequent fortunes, both good and
bad, and which eXerted material H.
1uence upon the country over which he
was to rule. He met in Dublin one Eliza
Lynch, an Irishwoman, the wife OF sur
peon in the French army. She left her
husband and followed Lopez to Paraguay
as his mistress, and became in time the
mother of six children. Her power over
him was unlimited. 1t was the belief OF
the victims of the djctator'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 sacrifice the whole Para
guayan people to the contamination of his
personal ambition.
Lopez became President in 1862. A
year later he dispatched Senior Herrera,
one of tine highest naval officers to Europe,
with several of the brightest young Para
euayans of European descent, to study
engineering and military discipline and
strategy. When Senior Herrera returned,
be carried back large quantity of war
material and score of English founders
and workmen. This would seem to indi-
cate that Lopez, at the outset OF his reign,
had warlke designs upon his neighbors
The war came in 1864. OF course the two
sides had different versions of the cdSus
beH. Lopez charged the Brazllians with
violation of the treaty made with his
father for the maintenance of the status
g,,o on the La Plata. Brazil had interfered IL
Uruguay in favor of Flores, the leader Of
the Colorado party. The Blancos were
driven from power, and this it was thai
Lopez proceeded to resent. He seized g
Brazilian steamer on the La Plata, and
thus broke no the free navigation OF the
river. He threw all the Brazilians living
in Paraguay into prison. and then suddenly
without declaration of war, invaded the
territory of the Argentine Republic, whlct
was in alliance with Brazil. On the thlr
teenth of April, 1865, with an army OF ~,
900 men, he captured the city OF CorrI'
entes by surprise. The Argentines were
unprepared for his advance, as a treaty
was in existence providing that, in case O.
| war between the Argentine Republic ant
Paraguay, hostlities could not be com
| menced without six months preliminary
| notice mutually exchanged.
| In May, 1865, the celebrated triple
alliance was signed by the plenIpoten
tiaries of Brazil, the Argentine republic
and Uruguay. The Emperor OF Brazi
took command in person. The first battle
was a naval one, fought in June, on th'
Parana, and resulted in the driving bacl
of the Paraguayan navy. The next wa
fought on land, at Uruguayana, in Brazil
and the allies were again victorious, cap
turing 5000 prisoners. Lopez retreate'
upon his Notifications He m ade strong
hold of Humaita, on the Parana. Thi
place underwent siege of two years, an
its defense reflected the greatest credit o.
the military character of the Dictator
Not until many thousand lives were sacri
| feed on both sides did it fall into til
hands of the allies in July, 1868. Lope
disputed every mile Of his territory. b
made stand at limbo, then at Tebiquary
and. at last at Viletta. Earlyin 1869 he wa
routed at the latter place, and was force
: abandon Asuncion, the capital, and tax
to the mountains. During the last year {
his rule at Asuncion he had diplomat
difficulty with Mr.. Washburn, the Unite
States Minister, in consequence Of havin
i arbitrarily imprisoned certain America
! citizens. Mr.. Washburn quilted tt
, capital and took refuge Q
board of an American war vesse
but the prisoners were subsequen
" released, after much suffering. M
/. Washburn was recalled, and Gener
{ McMahon was sent out as minister fro