of this measure was to counteract the injurious effects that might have arisen from the introduction of foreigners into Paraguay, under pretence of carrying on their trade, but whose only design would have been to sow the seeds of discord. This precaution was prejudicial to the interest of the Paraguayans, but they adopted it as an act of prudence.

Persons unemployed were engaged in making new roads, in building bridges, and in other useful works in the interior of the country.

For two years, thinking that their institutions and repose would henceforth incur no danger from connexion with foreign nations, the Paraguayans have endeavoured to establish in Europe commercial and po litical relations. With this view they have sent to England an agent, and two ships loaded with sugar, cocoa, indigo, cotton, &c; it is with the same view that they have created, in each of their departments, under the auspices of the supreme director, a commercial company for the exportation of the produce of their country, and that considerable capitals have been applied to the operations of these companies, the presidents of which are all chosen from among the members of the representative body.

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The finances of Paraguay are in the most prosperous state; and although, hitherto, this country has had neither custom-house nor excise, it has incurred no debt its government on the contrary, has supplied a loan of 2,000,000 of dollars to the landholders, to enable them to improve their estates; and it has in its coffers a reserve of more than 1,000,000 of dollars in specie. Its revenue arises,

First, from a tax extremely light on land; secondly,

from the produce of the lands and houses which for: merly belonged to the Jesuits, and which are the richest and the finest in the country; thirdly, from the tythes formerly received by the church, and which the law, in consequence of providing for their maintenance, has appropriated to the state.

These branches of revenue have been applied to the different exigencies of the republic, and to the improvement of whatever has been established, in the interior, in order to promote individual prosperity. Such has been the economy in this application of the different public funds, that during the last four or five years, there has been in the treasury, a yearly surplus of half a million of dollars. These sources of revenue will, no doubt, considerably increase when foreign trade shall have acquired the activity which government is now endeavouring to give it.

The following constitutes the armed force of Paraguay: 30,000 militia, who can be called out only in case of foreign invasion; four legions of volunteers of 2,000 men each, one legion only serving at a time, and being paid only during the time of service; lastly, three ships of war destined for the defence of the rivers. These forces are under the immediate command of the supreme director, who had no occasion to employ them, till Buenos Ayres and Artigas wished to induce Paraguay to join them. Buenos Ayres was obliged to renounce its project, and Artigas, having been defeated, was taken and imprisoned, by Dr. Francia, in a monastery, where he has remained seven or eight years.*

* General Artigas was one of the first who, on the eastern bank of La Plata, took arms to release the country from the Spanish

Thus the war, the evils of which so severely afflicted the other parts of Southern America, has scarcely affected this province, in consequence of the wisdom with which, during the revolution, it constantly separated itself from the countries with which it is surrounded.

The supreme director has also rejected all the proposals made to him by Buenos-Ayres to unite Paraguay, to the confederation of the provinces which formerly composed the viceroyalty of the river La Plata. He even refused to establish any commercial relations with these provinces, whilst they were torn by intestine dissensions ;* but there is no doubt that he will now adopt some other system. His only object, at that time, was to secure to his country the continuance of its independence and tranquillity: these, in his opinion,

dominion. When the Portuguese took possession of MonteVideo, finding himself too feeble to expel them, and BuenosAyres not being disposed to make common cause with him, he applied to Governor Francia, who, for the reasons stated in this article, formally refused to second his designs. He then thought he could enforce compliance by arms; but, after a struggle of two or three years exhibiting only an occasional degree of energy, his enterprise completely failed.

* During the whole time that Paraguay refused to join its neighbours, it had no foreign trade but with Brazil; and this traffic was very limited. The only foreigners permitted to enter its territories were the numerous victims of party spirit, who had been obliged to leave the provinces of Corientes, Tucuman, Buenos-Ayres, and particularly the eastern bank of La Plata.

would have been compromised, had he connected himself with nations who had involved themselves in anarchy. With equal and even with greater reason, he rejected the still more extraordinary proposal of the emperor of Brazil, to incorporate Paraguay with his empire. The Paraguayans were the more surprised at this proposal, on the part of Don Pedro, because his father, King John, had formally acknowleged their independence before his departure from Brazil. In a word, the Paraguayans are determined to remain as they are, free and independent; and there is no sacrifice to which they would not submit, to maintain themselves in the happy situation in which they have been placed, during the last sixteen years.

RECOGNITION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF HAYTI BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT.

The contemplation of the great and interesting scene which the succession of every day develops, excites emotions of pity and contempt for the wretched conspiracy of those pigmies in political science, who would rejoice to roll back to their sources the torrents of civilization and liberty, Gifted, in their own estimation, with the attribute of prescience, they are yet incapable of extending their views to events the most obviously probable; and, whilst the current of human affairs impels them forward in its unceasing and rapid progression, the illusion of imagination persuades them that they themselves are stationary, and renders them insensible to the immense interval which separates them from the men, the time, and the circumstances, in the midst of which they

still believe themselves existing. Never, however, did events more numerous or of greater magnitude than those which we now witness, prove, with an equal degree of evidence, that, when revolutions have effected a change in the manners, the habits, the character, the desires, and the interests of nations, their development may be retarded by some temporary obstruction; but that the prevention of their final accomplishment, at the period assigned to them, in the political order, is beyond the extent of human possibility.

From the day the inhabitants of St. Domingo, after breaking their chains and expelling their oppressors, placed a torch over the doors of their houses, that, at the first appearance of a hostile flag, the flames might again consume whatever had been reconstructed; from that day, the sovereignty of France over St. Domingo possessed only an ideal existence: and the moment which witnessed its annihilation was that, when the enfranchised negroes confided their liberty to the protection of the laws, of justice and of humanity. From that moment, which achieved and permanently secured the triumph of the Haytians, the only course that wisdom dictated to France, was to secure by treaty a participation in the advantages to be derived from the new order of things. And yet, in a period of twenty-two years, how many misfortunes have been occasioned! how many sacrifices have been made! and what torrents of tears and blood have flowed, to defend a vain phantom of sovereignty against the claims of an expanded and liberal policy! The richest of the Antilles has been involved in the ravages of fire, and inundated with blood; the treasures of France