1832.] Dr. Francia, the Dictator of Paraguay. 21 



year of his age, did not appear to be more than fifty. He addressed me 

 at first with studious hauteur ; but finding me unembarrassed, he soon 

 changed his tone. On opening my portfolio to take out some papers 

 which I had to present to him, he perceived a portrait of Buonaparte, 

 which I, knowing his admiration of the original, had designedly placed 

 there. He took it up, and examined it with great interest on my telling 

 him whose likeness it was. He then entered into a familiar conversa- 

 tion on the political state of Europe, and surprised me with the extent 

 of his information. He demanded the news from Spain, for which coun- 

 try he professed the most profound contempt. The constitutional charter 

 of Louis the Eighteenth was not to his taste : he admired much more 

 the military government and conquests of Napoleon, whose downfall he 

 deplored ; and, in speaking of his reign, I remarked he loved to dwell 

 on those passages which were in some degree analogous to his own situa- 

 tion. He reproached us Swiss with the melancholy campaign of 1815, 

 comparing it to the kick bestowed upon the dying lion in the fable. 

 But the principal topic of his conversation turned upon the monks. He 

 accused them of pride, depravity, and intrigue, bitterly inveighing 

 against the tendency which the clergy in general evinced to throw off 

 the authority of government. ( If the sovereign pontiff/ said he, ' were 

 to come to Paraguay, I would make him only my almoner/ Foreseeing 

 for Europe the return of fanaticism and superstition, he insisted on the 

 necessity of crushing the monastic spirit in America. He declared his 

 devotion to the cause of South American independence ; and his ideas 

 on the mode of government for the new states appeared to be just, 

 although in opposition to our own. He shewed us his library, the only 

 one in Paraguay : it was small, but well composed. By the side of the 

 best Spanish writers we found the works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Raynal, 

 Rollin, and La Place. He had also some mathematical instruments, globes, 

 and charts. These simple people, when they beheld the dictator employ- 

 ing the celestial globe, were impressed with the idea that he could read 

 the stars. But Francia's aim has always been rather to enlighten than 

 deceive his countrymen. On dismissing us, he addressed us as follows : 

 ' You may do here whatever you please profess whatever religion you 

 like ; but do not meddle with my government/ " 



At this period the dictator increased the troops of the line, and 

 placed the country in a posture of defence. The new levies were quar- 

 tered in the Convent of St. Francis, a circumstance which greatly 

 exasperated a Spaniard, who had the imprudence to say openly " The 

 Franciscans, it is true, are extinct, but Francia's turn will come next." 

 This language was reported to him, and he sent for the Spaniard, and 

 addressed him as follows : " As to when I shall go, I am really igno- 

 rant ; but this I know, that you shall precede me." And the unfortu- 

 nate wretch was shot on the following day, and his property confiscated. 

 The reign of terror had now dawned. The unfortunate Spaniards 

 were shot under circumstances of aggravated cruelty. So great was 

 his economy of ammunition, that only three soldiers were allowed for 

 an execution, so that they were often obliged to dispatch their victims 

 with their bayonets, Francia contemplating in perfect composure 

 these bloody scenes from the windows of his residence. But amidst 

 these scenes of horror, the dictator's attention to the welfare of his 

 country was unremitting. Immense swarms of locusts destroyed the 

 crops, and produced a general panic ; Francia, with admirable presence 



