New-York tribune., 1870-04-22
I0pEZ ND pAR1GNIY.

LOPEZ IND PAPdG UAY.
At last we know from indsputablc author
ity that Lopez has fallen. Special and coplous
news from our correspondent in Rio Janciro
explains this momcnlOus fact, As no telegram
from Lisbon, London, or Paris possibly
can. We can now. from the position
of an impartial and trustworthy Anen-
can observer, understand how ana WHERE
the implacable Paraguayan actually met MS
death. On the 1st of March, Lopez Wi'h Il
thousand men, while on his retreat 10
Doliyia. was found on the LETT baDk OF
the Aouidavan River, a tributary Oh ihe
Paraguay, and was surprised, routed
and killed. 1'bis, in few words, is the brazli-
ian story. As related by our correspondent, IL
is invested with details, the circumstantial
fitness of which attest the credibiiity OF all
its main facts. What was The fate OF the iiVe
or six generals of Lopez; who among his best
officers were killed along with him, his son, his
minister and his Vice President; what families
followed the mother, the sisters and the SONS
of Lopez into captivity-all this we know.
We must, however, still make an exception
in honor of those two wendrous people, the
Minister Parauhos and Madame Lopez. 1t ap-
pears TO be as hard for Minister Paranhos to
tell the truth as it is for Madame Lopez 10
die. Perhaps we ought to say that 1t Is dliil-
cult for the Brazilian Minister to sur
render what he believes to be good
story "a il il for the ParaeUayan Mother
to give up her life. She still lives, that supe-
rior creature, the mother of band of tor
tured brethren, the grandmother of number
less martyred children, and the only surviving
parent of their destroyer. Her fOnr sons anu
two daughters are with her--they father
less, she a widow; yet the loss of Lopez Is
clearly their gain if Senior ParmhOs is worthy
of credit when he says that tie mother and the
daughters had been condemned to death, and the
| former was to have been executed the very
dav on which the Brazilians made their attack!
Here is n terrible fixture Of facts-a perfect
Ceuci tale told by MunChauscn with the gravity
of Il statesman. For the present it Is not
easy to deny it, for Mr. Lopez Is dead
and Mrs. Lopez is a prisoner in The hands
of those who tell the tale. And, after
all Mrs. Lopez, the victim of the
ex-President's cruclties or the ex-Secretary Of
| States stories we cannot say whch--still
! lives! This il, indeed, the most portentous
fact of all. 1t is a terrible but an inevitable
reelection that the only way of verifying
Senior ParanhOs's story may be by putting The
old lady to death-whom may God guard for
many years, as the Brazians say.
| The fate of Paraguay is the next question
! after the death of Lopez. So closely does 1t
adioin Brazil, so far have the Brazilians taken
the lions share of the hardships, the spOils,
and the responsibilities of the war, that there
! is but one thought in the worlds mind at
present of the disposition which is to be made
of Paraguay. Strict right may not be regarded
in that event, for the war has long outworn
terms of treaty. The custody of Paraguay has
become Blazls through sheer helplessness OF
her ally, and such it promises to remain. Ar
ticle s of the treaty Of alliance prescTibes that
! Paraguay shall not be incorporated or placed
under the proiectOrate OF any of the
Allies. Article IA cxacts from the Paraguayans
payment OF thc costs Of the war, or indcmnities
which would amount to the same thing
but this is sheer impossibility. Unbappiy
however, for the worst theories Of Brazilian
rapacity, Dom Pedro does not appear to be
wild or wicked man. Il is truth that his his
tori0grarhcr5 at Asuucion can lie fearfully;
but the Emperor is too great lover Of sci
encc, we trust, to dcspise the force of truth
and honor. At all events, he has done well
in declining Il statue and in telling bis coun-
trymcn to spend the money they would have
devoted to him on schools.
What is the lesson of the downfall of Lopcz'
Simply ths-that penicious system, no mat
ter how strong, no matter how nightly
allied with vicious energies defeats itself
III the end. All its spread and advance
ment is a progress to the bad. 1t may
increase on all sides, but only to demoralize
all things 1t swells rather than grows So
the pride of Lopez became more and more, until
it absorbed his cOuntrymen, and then burst
and overwhelmed them in ruin. He had
several of the qualities Of great ruler, and
some traits Of most fatal weakness and prema-
ture failure, for he was but forty three years
at the time of his death. The lesson which
the slow power of Brazil has taught the hot
haste of Paraguay is an awful one. The lesson
which Paraguay has taught Brazil is u signif-
cant one (; and it is for Dom Pedro to profit by
III i'm rpin WI