The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-05-07
LOPEZ.
The Unhappy President of Para
quay.

on the La Plata Brazilian reports have
killed the dictator of Paraguay, and his
obituary has been printed i'll the Ameri-
can aud European papers> 1t 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
Janeiro monthly packet to Lisbon, and
London dispatches say that the news is
fully confl med.
The remarkable man who has so long
resisted the combined efforts of two pow
erfnl nations, assisted by third, to
destroy his power, was born in Para
quay in 1927. He was the son of the
former President, Don Carlos Lopez, a
man of singular astuteness, energy and
resolution. Don Carlos succeeded to
the despotic power OF DR.. Francia in
1914. Paraguay; ever since it threw
off the Spanish yoke; was ruled by the
imperioits will of one man. Francia
was its lord tor thirty years. Before
his dsath was announced, the elder Lo-
peg srceeded in establishing himself as the
successors and when he died in 1862,
after sanguinary and oppressive reign
of eighteen years, he left by will, accor-
ding 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
despotie monarchy, and its ruler WAS less
trammelsd by law and conscience tEanthe
master of the Orient on the Banks Of
the Bospllorus.
Before the elder Lopez passed away.
fe sent his son to Europe to study the
world and to improve his mind and man
ners. Don Francisco went abroad
ostensibly On diplomatic mission. He
travelled, as the heirs ofroyal 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 guar
dian visited the leading capitals of the
continent and in most places negotiated
commercial treaties. An exaggerated no.
ton prevailed in Europe, at that time,
of the value Of the growing trade of the
La Plata, and young Lopez was re.
ceived with much consideration. Be.
fore he left the Old World, he contrac,
ted domestic alliance which lasted
through all his subsequent fortunes
both good and bad, and which exerted
a material Influence upon the country
over which he was to rule. He mel
in Dublin one Eliza Lynch, an Irisl
woman the iwife of d surgeon in thu
French army. She left her husbane
and followed Lopez to Paraguay as hi
mistress, and became in time the moth
er of his six children Her power ove1
/ him was unlimited. 1t was the belle
| of the victims of the dictator's relentlss
policy that Madame Lynch influenced
him to the commission of his worst acti
of Cruelty, and nerved him to the des
perate resolution to sacrifice the Who'll.
Paraguayan people to the consummatior
of his personal ambition.
Lopez became President ir 1862
A year later he dispatched Senor Here
ra one of the highest naval officers tt
Europe, with several of the brightest
young Paraguayans Of European descent
to study engineering and military disci
plne and strategy. When Senor HERE
i ra returned, he carried back larg,
quantity of war material and score 0
English founders and workmen. Thi
would seem to indicate that Lopez, a
the outset of his reign, bad warlike de
signs upon his neighbors. The wa
came in 1864. Ofcourse the two side.
had different versions Of the CASTS bell.
Lopez charged the Brizilians with
violation of the treaty made with his ia
ther for the maintenance of the statAsqu
on the La Plata. Brazil had interfere,
, in Paraguay in favor of Flores, the leade
of the Colorado party. The Blancos wer
, driven from power, and this it was tha
} Lopez proceeded to resent. He seize
: BRAZILIAN steamer on the La Plata
and thus broke up the free navigatio
of the river. He threw all the Brizihan
living IN Paraguay into prison, and the
suddenly, without a declaration of wal
, invaded the territory of the Argentin
Republic, which was in alliance wit
, Brill. On the 18th of April, 1861
, with an army of 10000 men be car
tured the city Of Corrientes by suppris,
The Argentines were unprepared fo
his advance, as treaty was in existenc
providing that, in case of war between tn
Argentine Republic and Paraguay, hos
, tilities could not be commenced withou
six months preliminary notice mutual
: exchanged In May, 1865, the celebr;
5 ted triple alliance was signed by th
!. plenipotentaries of Brill, the Argentin
republic, and Uruguay. The Emeperc
Z of Brazil took command in person
| The first battle was naval one, fougl
) in June, on the Parana, and resulted i
3 the driving back of the Paraguayan n,
4 Wy. The next was fought on land, !
Uruguayana, in Brazil, and the allie
were again victorious, capturing 800
t prisoners. Lopez retreated upon b
! Notifications He made a stronghold |
! Hunlaita, on the Parana. This plae
underwent a seige Of two years, an
e its defense reflected the greatest cred
g on the military character Of the Dict'
q tor. Not until many thousand live
! were sacrificed Oh both sides did it "a
+ into the hands Of the allies In Jul,
e 1868 Lopez desputed every mile ]
his territory. He made stand at Tin
q bo. then at Tsbiauary, and at last
!. Villetta. EARLY ID 1863 he was route
t at the latter place, and was forced
= abandon Asuncion, the capital and tai
9 to the mountains. During the Ia
|. wear of his rnle Al Asnncion he had