Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/142



112 THE MURDER OF GENERAL FLORES.

on February 19, 1868, when the Brazilian ironclads were triumphantly steaming past the batteries of Humaita.

The why is not so readily answered. It necessitates a certain explanation of parties and politics in " the Banda." This I will make as curt as possible : for none but a pro- fessional can the subject have an atom of interest.

The Republic of Uruguay â€” double the size of Ireland â€” represents three distinct and hostile parties â€” Blancos, Colo- radoSj Conservadores.

The Blancos are the " outs/^ They represent our Tories and the old Democrats of the United States : they are locally known as " Gauchos^^ â€” backwoodsmen â€” and when rising to the importance of an Artigas, as " Caudillos/^ or guerilla leaders. They are Conservative, retrograde, and '^ know- nothing.-'^ Yet they are preferred by strangers as being men of honour, education, and property, and they greatly outnumber, some say four or five to one, their rivals. Their name comes from wearing round their caps a white ribbon, bearing the inscription, " Defend the Law ;" others say it was originally blue, but washed out.

The Colorados, Colora^'os, or reds, are still the '4ns/" They correspond with our Liberals and the former Republicans of the Union : they wear around their caps the red ribbon of Federalism, and their motto was, and is, '^ Constitution.-'^

^' Outs" also are the Conservadores. These men must not be confounded with our Conservatives; they are ad- vanced Colorados â€” in fact. Radicals. It is a small, but turbulent and violent party, ever aspiring to power â€” furiously hating both their rivals â€” crying for European civilization, and yet obstructing it by extra taxation and various diffi- culties. It is chiefly recruited from the Doctores â€” pro- nounce Dotores â€” mathematici sine mathesi : men who love to discuss Liberty, Congress, Education, Constitution. These professional politicians have, as a rule, no principle