with England and her two millions of uneducated children. The handwriting became so similar, that a stranger would have thought the Republic confined to a single writing-master. But the educational element was completely sterile. The only books allowed were silly lives of saints, a few volumes of travels, subsidized and authorized by the State, and hideous lithographs probably put on stone at Asuncion; the worst and ignoblest form of literature once popular in "Bookseller's Row." There was little secondary instruction, and only one institute in which superior teaching was at any time allowed. The newspaper, more potent than the steam engine, was there, but the organ of publicity was converted to Governmental purposes.
"Il n'y a pas de Journaux à l'Assomption," says the Revue des Deux Mondes, with customary and characteristic veracity. As early as April 26, 1845, a weekly paper was established to refute the calumnies of the Argentine press. El Paraguayo Independiente was issued on Saturdays, but irregularly, by the Printing office of the State, and it was purely official, no advertisements being admitted, whilst the price per number was one riyal (65 cents). Some years afterwards it was judged advisable to modify it after a civilized fashion, to vary the matter, and to admit feuilletons and announcements. It was still the official sheet, the Moniteur of the Republic, and it changed its name to El Semanario—the weekly — not as often written "Seminario"—"de Avisos y conocimientos utiles." It was published at the official capital, Asuncion, Luque, Paraguary, or wherever head-quarters might be; forming a single sheet, 2 spans long, by 1-30, printed upon Caraguata fibre. This wild Bromelia makes a stiff" whitey-brown paper, good for wrapping, but poorly fitted to receive type, especially when the ink is made from a species of black bean. The first two columns are the "seccion officiel" and the rest is "no
