The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-05-05
Don Francisco Solano Lopez,
President of Paraguay.
From the New York Times.

tor five fears has been fighting the coun.
tries about him, and gaining nothing
thereby. The dispatches state that his
army was surrounded, and he, refusing to
surrender, was killed by Brazilian Ian
GER. We have many times before been
tod that Lopez was dead, but generally
in dispatches from Lisbon, which have
invariably been promptly contradicted
by kilograms from other quarters. But
this time, receiving the news as we do,
we must conclude that the truth is for
once told about this man.
Don Francisco Solano Lopez was the
eldest son of Don Carlos Antonio Lopez,
the first President of Paraguay, who ru-
| led from 1874 to the time of his death.
! He was born In 1927, and was early sent
to Europe, where he received a thorough
education. In 1858 he entered upon pub-
lie life, being sent by his father to ratify
! the treaties of commerce which had been
concluded by Paraguay with England,
/ France, and Sardinia This done, he re-
tired to Paraguay and led an easy life
| until his fathers death in September, 1862
A month later he was unanimously pro
claimed President ofthe Republic of Para
quay, and installed with much pomp and
ceremony; and 'front.' that time until the
present his career was stormy and event
full. He found Paraguay when he assumed
the Presidency, or the Dictatorship as
many term the head Of the government,
| comparatively prosperous and with
splendid prospects, and he has left it
desolate, almost, if not quite, ruined
country
1t would seem that at first he was dis
posed to continue the work Of his father
for he directed his attention principally
to the encouragement of q great extern
sion of the cultivation of cotton. But he
was led from this very soon to less peace
full pursuits by conspiracies against his
power which were concocted by the
priesthood and younger brother, and
by difficulties in which he became in
volved with the surrounding countries.
Siding with Aguirre, the lawful Presi-
dent Of Uruguay, who had been driven
from power by Flores, the leadersof the
Colorado or j" Red Party" with the as
sistance of Brazil, and being convinced
by Aguirre that as soon as the Brazilian
party had absorbed Uruguay they would
advance upon Paraguay, Lopes, in Sep
TENDER, 1864, through his minister of
Foreign Affairs, protested against the
course of Brazil towards the Uruguayan
President and himself In November
following Paraguyan war vessel captu-
red Brazilian mail steamer, without
a previous declaration of war, and de-
clared its passengers to be prisoners of
war, and the next day Lopez formally
notified the Brazilian Minister at
Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, that
the flag of his country was regarded as
hostile, and the Paraguay River would
henceforth be closed to all Brazilian YES
sells. The Brazilian Minister at once
started for home to communicate the
state of affairs to his Government, and a
month later, without the slightest warn
ing, Paraguyan army entered the Bra
which the Brazilian Government had no
CHANNEL of communication save the block
AIDED river. First q Brazilian port, then
several towns and finally,on April 10, 1865,
the capital of the Province, Cuaba,
were captured. A'A t
In the meantime Flores had deserted
Lopez He had again become sole ruler
in Uruguay, and had concluded an ALI.
ance-on the 22d of February 1S65-with
Brazil against Paraguay. Learning of
this Lopez let Brazil alone for "A while,
and, suspecting that the Government of
the Argentine Republic intended to enter
this alliance against him, turned his at
tentiop in that direction, and, as before
in the case of Brazil, anticipating a for
NAL declaration of war, seized an Argen
tine vessel which lay in the Paraguayan
River at Asunclon, and few days later,
marched an. army into the Argentine
Confederation, and captured the City of
Corienties Thereupon that Government
declared war against Paraguay, and thus
the three surrounding countries were ar
rayed against it. $50 ]
Recognizing the necessity for desper
ate conflict, the allied Governments enter
ed into a secret treaty, which was not
made public for some time after,!n which
they solemnly bound themselves not to
lay down their arms unless by common
consent, nor until they had Overturned
the actual Government of Paraguay, and
furthermore, not to enter into any seper-
ate treaties of peace, truce or armistice,
except by mutual consent. And then
followed the destructive warfare which
waged without interruption to the pres
ent time. lopez proved himself brave,
"plucky" soldier, and match for the
allied armies. His vitality and endurance
were wonderful Many times he was
driven to the very brink of the last
ditch" and then, to the utter consterna
ton Of his foes, gathered strength, and
turning upon them brought the allied
commanders almost to despair. So un-
was the progress made by
the allies in oyerthrowing the power of
Lopez, to which they were pledged that
in both Brazil and the Argentine Confed-
Grafton, that decided opposition to the