Mr. Washburn to Mr. Seward.
Sir: The French gunboat Decidee, which, in my despatch No. 68, I said had been ordered by the French minister, Hon. Charles Lefebvre de Becour, to go up the river, and, if allowed by the blockading squadron, to go to Asuncion to give relief to the French consul there, who for more than a year has been unable to communicate with his government, has been arbitrarily stopped by the Brazilian admiral. The minister informs me that the request for the steamer to pass was most ungraciously, if not uncivilly, refused by the admiral, and by [Page 610] the special envoy of the Brazilian government, and that, consequently, the gunboat will return to this port.
At the time of the arrival of the Decidee at the Tres Bocas, the allies were preparing to make a general attack on the outpost of Curuzu and the stronger position of Curupaiti. The former position was carried with great loss, but at Curupaiti the allies suffered a terrific defeat. For the first time during the war, in which many defeats have been incurred, as well as many successes achieved, the newspapers of this city speak of the attack on Curupaiti as a most disastrous repulse. The number of killed and wounded is variously estimated from five to eight thousand. No estimate has as yet been made, to my knowledge, of the losses of the Paraguayans; but, as they fought behind intrenchments, they are believed to have suffered but little comparatively.
When this news first reached here people in despondency talked of peace; but such ideas seem to have passed away, and now the only talk is of more men and means for the war. The best friends of Paraguay and of President Lopez admit that the war must go on; that this country, and more especially Brazil, can never treat with Lopez without exposing themselves to the contempt and derision of all the rest of the world.
The three powers began with an alliance in which Paraguay was considered as a country already conquered, and the division of the spoils was the main subject of the treaty. To retire now, under the opprobrium of defeat, would not only be the signal for the overthrow of the party in power here, and of the usurping Mores party in Uruguay, but, it is believed, would even endanger the throne of Brazil. Hence, there is a strong probability that the war will last for at least a twelvemonth longer.
Very truly, I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.