Year: 1868

Our latest intelligence from the seat OF Tas
on the ParanS is interesting, though quite uis-
Ineligible. There appears to be no doubt re-
garding the evacuation Of Asuncion by the
Paraguayans, but the despatch does not state
clearly whether Humaita has been captured by
the allied forces. The telegram states that
the allied army stormed the redoubt at HUI
malta, and after desperate struggle succeeded
in carrying the work." We are not informed
If the entire position occupied by the Para
guayans was stormed, and we are inclined to
think that only an outwork of Humaita has
fallen into the hands of the victors. But be
that as it may, it is quite evident that the allies
have gained decided and substantial success.
Humaita, if not yet taken, must now be closely
invested, and as its defenders have no forces in
the interior with which to raise the siege its
downfall becomes merely matter Of time.
The Paraguayans could, it is true, by suddenly
massing their forces, cut passage through the
besiegers; but in SO doing they would be neces-
STATED to abandon the greater part of their
artillery, trains and other equipments for an
army. Their position would therefore be
scarcely improved. All things considered, we
are reluctantly compelled to admit that, if the
news be true, the prospects for final over
throw Of the Paraguayans are very strong.
They have been contending against such great
odds for so long time that we hoped to see
them triumph eventually over Brazil and her
allies; but it now looks very much as if they
must succumb to overwhelming numbers.


Believing, then, in the probability Of the
war being nearly at an end, if it has not al
ready practically closed, and that the allies
will be the victors, it remains to be seen what
will be done with conquered Paraguay. Brazil
has been charged with design of absorbing
the little republic, and it has been asserted
that she has designs upon her present allies
also. Dom Pedro's government will probably
have soon to inform the world what its pur-
poses are. To elucidate this matter we pub
lish elsewhere r5sums of the origin and
progress of the war to the present time.
With Paraguay crushed the Argentine Con-
federation and the Oriental Republic can
offer but q feeble resistance to the Brazilians,
and if the latter design their conquest also
nothing but coalition of all the South Ameri-
can republics will prevent it. We very much
fear that Brazil is not satisfied with her present
gigantic extent of territory, but is ambitious of
reducing the entire South American Continent
under her imperial rule. Happily for the foil
ing of such scheme, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and
some other of the republics have for some
time looked jealously upon the encroachments
of the neighboring empire, and may come to
the rescue before the finishing blow is given.
Still, it would be kind of retributive justice if
the Argentines and Orientals were to wake up
some fine morning and find themselves sud
denly transformed from citizens of free repub-
lies into subjects of his Imperial Majesty Dom
Pedro. They would richly merit such fate,
for they entered into the crusade against Para
quay with scarcely ground for so doing, and
if in destroying the liberties of their neighbor
they should lose their own we should feel no
sympathy for them.


impression that the news telegraphed from
Lisbon and published in our issue of Saturday
was substantially correct and that the cause of
the Paraguayans was hopelessly lost From
telegram which we publish this morning, 1t
will be seen that leading French journal has
received dispatches from Rio Janeiro stating
that the position of the Paraguayans is not so
desperate as the Brazilian accounts represent.
We shall be glad if the intelligence prove to
have been an exaggeration Of the facts. It is
not altogether impossible that the reported
triumph of the allies will prove falsehood. 1t
may have been manufactured for the purpose
of favorably affecting the elections which are
being held in the two republics and in Brazil.
Should this be the case the Parguayans may
not yet be helplessly defeated. At any rate,
we trust that something may transpire that
will change the present unfavorable aspect of
affairs.


The London Press on Disr ael's Defeat.


The ''wild cheers" with which the liberals
exulted over Disraeli's defeat last Saturday
morning proclaimed, as il were, the recognition
of public opinion as the new sovereign mower