PERSONAL CHARACTER OF LOPEZ.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 524, 24 January 1870, Page 3

PERSONAL CHARACTER OF LOPEZ.

Francisco Solano Lopez is a very stout man, about 45 years of age. He is short, hut has a commanding presence. In England he would be called darkish, being about the colour of Spaniards generally, with black hair ; his hands and feet are very small. When in a good temper he is well-looking, and his manners and conversation very agreeable ; on the contrary, when in an ill-humour, he can look remarkably black. He is careful of his appearance, fond of military finery, especially in his staff, and has a somewhat peculiar strut when walking. His legs are short,' with a decided bend backwards. He has a good seat on horseback, and when young used to be a hard rider. Now, however, it is a labour to him to get on and off his horse. He is of very indolent habits ; will sit down for many hours, talking, or stand an equally long time, his, walks limiting themselves to one or two hundred yards. He is extremely •fond of Mrs Lynch's children, but not of his other ones, of whom he has a number by different women. He entertains friendly feelings for no one, as he has shot almost all those who have been most favoured by himself, and who have been for years his only companions. He is a great smoker, and lover of the table ; he eats enormously ; after dinner, when in a good humour, he occasionally sings a short song. He has a large stock of good claret, of which he is very fond, and which no one at his table used to drink but himself — not even Mrs Lynch or the bishop ; people dining with him were served with an inferior class of wine. During some months, at Paso Pucu, he used to play draughts with the bishop the whole day long. The bishop used to be up long before him, and used to go and wait in Lopez's corridor with his hat in hands. When Lopez came out the bishop shuffled up towards him with a deprecating look, and made a deep bow, to which Lopez would return a nod, without touching his cap. Lopez speaks French fluently, always conversing in that language with Mrs Lynch, who was educated in France. He knows a very little English, and of course Spanish well, that being the official language of the country ; however, he never spoke anything but Guarani to the men and officers, including myself. This Guarani is a most charming and expressive language, though many words have to be borrowed from the Spanish, to express things with which the original Indians were not acquainted. Lopez is a good speaker, especially in the kind of oratory likely to inspire his troops with confidence in himself and themselves, and with contempt for the enemy. He rarely himself did or said anything to disgust people, giving his orders for these things to General Resquin. He would allow no one to initiate a joke in his presence, though fond of making one himself; he is a great stickler for his dignity, and used to make even his brothers call him "Your Excellency." He has an iron will, and an intense pride, and a great reluctance ever to give a counter-order after he has once settled anything. He is, when he likes, very smooth and gentlemanly, and capable of imposing even on diplomats, and making them believe anything he wishes. He never feels the loss of his best officers and men, except as having so many men less to fight with ; but he was particularly careful that the enemy should not know where he was, for which purpose he abolished the brass helmets of his guard, and also its banner, and hid the guard behind some out-houses. He did not allow the guards to turn out, or even the sentries to present arms,' on the three or four occasions on which he visited part of the army, lest the enemy should see and recognise him. He also gave up using his favourite scarlet "poncho" embroidered with gold, and wore a straw hat instead of his kepi, and wore his gold-laced saddle-cloth inside out. He had his horse saddled every morning, and his carriages harnessed before daylight, to be ready for a bolt, should the enemy make an entrance into his lines anywhere. At the beginning of the war he rarely took any drink except at his meals, but latterly got into the habit of. calling for a glass of port wine very of ten throughout the day. This habit commenced a little before he began his last atrocities, and doubtless had a great influence in making him cruel. During this period, however, he was generally in a good humour outwardly. At San Fernando he he used to go out with his children and fish ih a lagoon near the head-quarters. ;• . :. ■ . . His distrust of -every one is illustrated in r the following occurrences:— ln Augusty 1866, a Yankee, Mr Manlove, presented himself- at our outposts, and was then taken up to headquarters. He stated that he had come to make certain business proposals to Lopez, who, however, would not see him. At length, by means of a third party; he told Lopez that, having at his disposal three vessels in the West Indies, in every way adapted for privateering; he had come to ask him for letters of marque for.: them *to prey upon Brazilian . commerce. Lopez pretended to believe he, was only Z r a spy, and would have nothing to do with him, keeping him under arrest for some time. At length he wis let out, and -Mrs Lynch used to send him presents of beer, &c. He was, however, at length brought down and shot as a conspirator^/ In July, 1867, Major Von Versen, a distinguished officer on the Prussian Staff, presented himself at our outposts. He waa sent by the Prussian Government to observe the war from the Paraguayan side. On his arrival at Rio Janeiro, the Brazilians threw him into prison, believing, or profess-] ing to believe, that he was going to join | Lopez as a commander in his army. After j some time the Prussian minister procured j

his release, and he went on to Buenos Ayres. Here again the Government threw him into prison, and, after a great deal of interference in his behalf, he was liberated on condition that he should not go to Paraguay befere he had made a trip overland to Chili, which was also in his programme. He accordingly started across the Pampas for Chili, arrived there and returned, and went to Paraguay, having ridden about 3000 miles on horseback, to keep to his promise. He left his papers in his portmanteau at Corrientes, with an agent of Lopez's, who used to communicate by means of the Indiansin the Chaco, and who was to send the portmanteau immediately to Lopez. Arriving at the allied camp, he bought the best horse he could get, and one morning made a bolt for it, and got into the Paraguayan lines. Here his arms were tied behind him, his horse and clothes taken frpm him, and he was treated as a spy ; but, although his papers never turned up, Lopez at last became convinced that he was really what he representsed to be, aud he was allowed to walk about near his hut only. On the retreat through the Chaco, however, he was placed in the chain gang, and had to do that journey on foot, and the same again from the Tebicuary to Pikysyry, being all the time among the prisoners. He luckily escaped with his -life at last,—" The War in Paraguay." By George Thompson, CE.