608 



PANSLAVISM. 



PARAGUAY. 



connection with the extension of the autonomy 

 of the several departments and systems, will 

 exercise upon the Austrian Slavi, and whether, 

 on the other hand, the Magyars will know how 

 to so do justice as to conciliate and win under 

 their banner the different nationalities which 

 live with them. Of themselves, the Magyars 

 who between 1528 and 1681 were almost over- 

 come by the Turks, and were delivered only 

 by the aid of the Germans and Poles are too 

 weak to form an effective protection for Eu- 

 rope against the East. It is the office of Aus- 

 tria to form and maintain such a protection, 

 and present a nucleus around which the scat- 

 tered populations of the Lower Danube may 

 rally. For this reason, on the other hand, the 

 preservation of the Austrian Empire is often 

 regarded as a European question. 



The Panslavic idea has made much progress 

 in the south-Slavic lands belonging to Turkey. 

 The people in these regions are of the Chris- 

 tian religion. As trade relations with "West- 

 ern Europe are more developed, and European 

 culture is more impressed upon them, the de- 

 sire increases to be freed from the Turkish 

 yoke. The conception entertained by Efiro- 

 pean diplomacy, that the Turks may become 

 civilized, or may be induced to govern their 

 possessions after the models of Western civil- 

 ization, is a chimera. Their possession of those 

 lands was never lawful ; the desire of the in- 

 habitants of the countries to be free from their 

 domination and enjoy independence is a just 

 one. It is the right of the hardly oppressed 

 against the oppressor. The interest which the 

 European powers have taken, since Greece was 

 freed, in the preservation of Turkey, has its 

 foundation in rival jealousies, in consequence 

 of which no power will permit another to 

 have exclusive possession of the country, and 

 in disagreements about the division of the Ot- 

 toman empire, each power bespeaking the best 

 part for itself. They have, therefore, exerted 

 themselves for the upholding of the status quo, 

 and have thereby placed themselves in oppo- 

 sition to the aspirations of the Christian Sla- 

 vi for freedom, which have found sympathy 

 and support only in Eussia. This attitude of 

 Russia has, therefore, caused these people to 

 gravitate more toward Eussia, and to show 

 themselves more accessible to Panslavistic ten- 

 dencies, while the other powers, especially 

 Austria, their nearest neighbor, have mani- 

 fested more friendship for Turkey than for the 

 natural heirs of Turkey. But the South Slavi 

 lack the specific national momentum, the simi- 

 larity of social institutions, and the material 

 economical interests, which should attract 

 them to Eussia. The religious principle by 

 far outweighs the national, and it is religious 

 pressure which gives them the elasticity they 

 need for national and political regeneration. 

 "Whether Eussia, if it should extend its domin- 

 ion over the Danubian countries, would not be 

 weakened rather than strengthened, is a 

 thought which Cobden suggested several years 



ago ("Eussia," 1836). Forcible seizures, as 

 a rule, harm the aggressor more than they 

 benefit him. The annexation of non-homo- 

 geneous elements having dissevered interests 

 is likely to result in an increase of the cen- 

 trifugal with a corresponding lessening of the 

 concentrative force. 



PAEAGUAY, a republic in South America. 

 The last President of the republic, General 

 Francisco Solano Lopez, fell in a battle against 

 the Brazilians, on the Aquidaban, on March 1, 

 1870. The Vice-President, Sanchez, was made 

 prisoner during the engagement. The rem- 

 nant of the army of Paraguay was either an- 

 nihilated or dispersed, arid the country fell 

 virtually into the hands of the allies. The 

 provisional government, established by the 

 allies at Asuncion, on August 15, 1869, was 

 composed of C. Laizaga, C. A. Eivarola, and 

 J. D. de Bedoya. This government has not, 

 however, been recognized by any of the for- 

 eign powers. The representatives of the allies 

 at Asuncion were therefore anxious to order a 

 general election throughout the country, and 

 to let the people decide on their future form 

 of government and a new administration. It 

 is thought that the statistical reports of the 

 area and population of Paraguay have been 

 considerably changed by the recent destruc- 

 tive war. The territory of the republic has been 

 to a large extent devastated, and its boundary- 

 lines may be essentially modified. The popu- 

 lation, which was estimated at 1,300,000 in 

 1857, is said to have been largely reduced. 



During the month of January, several en- 

 gagements of minor importance took place 

 between the remnant of the forces of Lopez 

 and detachments of the allied armies. Lopez 

 retreated to Panadero, where he encamped 

 with about 1,500 men, the only remainder of 

 his once powerful army. When compelled to 

 leave the latter place in consequence of the 

 total exhaustion of supplies, he abandoned all 

 his sick and the majority of the women, hid 

 away the heavy cannon which he could not 

 remove, and marched northward along the 

 east side of the mountains of Maracayun. As 

 soon as a report of this movement reached 

 General Camara, he at once surmised that 

 Lopez's aim was to reach the' abandoned Bra- 

 zilian village and fort of Dourados, in Matto 

 Grosso, where some cattle could be obtained. 



Dourados lay about 150 miles to the north 

 of Panadero, and about 250 from Concepcion. 

 General Camara, with some 1,500 cavalry, in- 

 fantry, and artillery, determined to set out 

 with forced marches along the diagonal route 

 to Dourados, while a similar force, to set out 

 later, was to strike the bush-road, which Lopez 

 was moving along, and to keep close behind 

 him, harassing his rear, but avoiding an en- 

 gagement, so that, when Lopez would reach 

 Dourados, both the Brazilian corps would be 

 close to him, and could strike a decisive blow 

 with superior numbers. Accordingly, General 

 Camara marched northward toward the Para- 



