New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-10


A PARADISE FOR LAZY MEN.
rRoMA STAFF CORRESPONDENT HE TRIBUNE
Rosario January 81.
The feeblest and most isolated Republic
In South America has shown its gratitude
to an American President by naming town after
him There are villas IN the Spanishspeaking
countries christencd after every saint in the cal
endar, but there is also villa hayes IN ne"
Paraguay That picturesque land. with the most
melancholy history known in the annals of Span
isb-America lies in the heart of the continent
and is pierced in the centre by the Southern ,ropic
II NAV roughly be divided into two sections-cld
Paraguay the working field Of the heroic Jesuits
and the battle-ground of an infatuated nation loyal
to tyrant oppressors: md new Para
quay, comprising the vast region OF
the Gran Chaco, which was adJudcatcd
by President Hayes. in the arbitration with the
Argentine Republic. as portion Of the domain
of the inland Republic. New territories won by
conquest and diplomacy have enabled the Ar
gentinc people to solicit European immigration on
large scale and to give form and direction 10
their Industrial future. The undcvelopcd regions
of the ChacO may be a force III reserve when
will reinvicorate the wasted energies and para
lived powers of the unhappicst of countries. This
is an inference which have drawn from long
return from protractcd residence I'm Asnncion.
No other country in South America has had
so pathetic history as this isolated little State
in the heart of the continent. Asuncion was
Spanish settlement nearly fifty years before Buenos
Ayres founded. Ten years earlier Sebastian
Cabot had explored both the Parana and Para
quay rivers returning to Spain with fantastic re-
ports of silver treasure in the interior, in consc-
ouence of which the lower reaches of the waterway
received the name of La Plata Spanish gar
rison was speedily sent TO Asuncon in order 10
secure possession of what was supposed to he
silver land. The Indians were treacherously dealt
with and there were shocking tales OF rapacty and
cruelty in the administration of the country. a
band of Jesuit missionaries sent out 10 reform
the government and to convert the natives These
missionaries accomplished wonderful work and
with their successors enjoyed undsputed asccn-
dancy in Paraguay for 80 years. They opened
schools reduced the Indian language 10 written
idiom, taught the people the rudiments of Euro
pean agriculture, planted orange groves. cult
waited the yerba tea tree. built villages in the
Interior governed the country humane prin-
ciples and Christianized the natives The Jesuit
missions originally extended to the upper Uru-
quay, but these were abandoned when the Paulistas
ravaged the settlements in search Of slaves. In
Paraguay the priests were unmoested until 17G7,
main in the ruins of their churches and work.
shops, in wood-carving of incompatible skill, and
in the native language which they reduced 10
form, and which is still spoken. In 767 their
expulsion was dccrced in consequence of their
political ascendancy. They offered no resistance
but quietly left the country which they had gov
erned humanelv and intclligently. No greater
misfortune could have befallen n peaceful and
helpless people than the enforcement of this cdct
were 10000 natives employed in various indus
tries. In the course Of thirty years two-thrds Of
the population disappeared in the forests, abandon
ing the plantations and relapsing into barbarsm
Three monsters governed Paraguay during the
next sixty years The first Francia who estab
lished most oppressive dictatorship after the
volt from Spain, converting the leading industries
into State monopolies and prohibiting intercourse
with foreign nations under penalty Of death
Next came the elder Lopez. who pundered the
people and enriched his own family. Then fol-
lowed his ignorant, lascivious and malevocnt son.
who dragged the country into desolating and
ruinous war with Brazil, Uruguay and the Ar
gentine. Never has there been in South America
a despotism so absolute as that OF these three
uncrowned monsters. Paraguay their pr
vate estate Their subjects their slaves
Murder, lust and rapaciiy were the common char
destroyed his people in an insane campaign against
three powerful nations cagucd together 10 open
Paraguay TO the influences of CON nerce and civil
cation When the war began there was an esti
mated population of over 1900, 900. At the close
of the protractcd campaign when Lopez was
killed there was remnant OF 300. 000 mainly
consisting Of women and children. Asuncion was
in ruins most Of the villages had been destroyed
the fighting men had fallen in battle. and women
and children had persisted by the
thousand from hunger in the forests.
Paraguay was apparently irrctrievably ruined Year
after year an infatuated people had rallied 70
the defence Of the dcspot whose crimes they
condoned in a frenzy Of patriotism. Powerful
armies and well-cquipped naval forces were ar
rayed against them. They were dependent
upon their meagre resources and were with
out arms, ammunition and food yet they held
their ground and persisted by tens Of thou
sands, loyal TO the last to the tyrant who had
pundered and oppressed them. The dictator,
who murdered mother brothers, rivals and
friends, had earned popular eXecration, but the
simple-minded Paraguayans made every sacr
flee for him. endured manifold sufferln9s and
mserics for his sake, and fought until he himself
was dead in the mountains, and thrce-fourths Of
the heroic warriors were eXterminated.
The tyrant dead. That was the only
sign OF promise The work of restoring the
fortunes of the unhappiest Of countries was un-
dcrtakcn by few philosophical leaders with
feeling of utter hopelessness. constitution,
modelled after that Of the United States, was
adoped as the basis Of political regeneration The
ruined industries were revived. Women were
set to work in the ycrba plantations Oranges
were sent down to the Plate. Sheep-raising was
introduced. Cattle ranches were started The
VILLAGES were gradually Teoccupled. lhc cap
ital was rebuilt Progress has been slow and
IabOrous but within five years immigrants have
begun to come in and the export trade has in
creased by leaps and bounds. The political
system like those OF nearly all the South Amer
can States, is oligarchcal rather than demo
cratic The President and Vlce-Prcsdent are
elected for q single term Of four years. They
invariably continue TO appoint their own sue
cessnrs and 10 keen the llOYcrnment under The