The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-07-09
Affairs OF Vemez wein and the New York
Herald


from this city, both absurd and Infamous for Vene-
zuela; and II Is singular that such eminent paper
as the Herald will allow place in its columns for
such false and Infamous articles against the liberal
party IN venezuela, party which has stryen, and
Is still striving, to establish in this part of the
Amercan contlnt mt those same political principles
which are working feictously among our
Northern brethren. We regret that among the
free and enlightened inhabitants of the banks of
the Hudson, the bitter voice Of calumny has been
raised to deprecate the great dpatrotlc acts of
the memorable oath January. On that day the
people ct Caracas made the greatest stride they
have ever yet made In their OF independence
and liberty. An ambitious general, at the head of
an oligarchist party, had reigned (don,iaaba) for
many years over the Venezuelians, and had ar
rived at sucn pitch to impose the most debasing
slavery on them and he smoothed off this tyranny
by sarcastically invoking the names of liberty"
and order" to annul the popular right OF suffrage,
and govern In spite of public opinion. The Vcne-
zuelians have employed constitutional means to
remove from his post OF power this ambitious
general, who, sustained as he was by the majority
OF our military men, great portion of the clergy,
and all those VeneZuellans inmical to liberty and
democratic principles, was making rapid strides
towards the legal establishment of Ogarchist
principles. which from the first he desired to fix In
the land; and for this purpose he employed the
public power to annul the popular votes and elevate
his paItizans to the electoral colleges and Congress-
candidates of the popular party from being elected
TO the presidency, and elevated to that office Gene
raj Jose Tadeo Monagas, who never had parti-
c,pated in the miserable intrigues of the Oligar-
chists, and because this General did not serylely
bend to the will OF Paez, his party declared war
against HIM short time after he entered on the
duties OF his office, and this obliged him to throw
himself on the party which had previously COM
bated his election; This conduct was worthy of
the aPpauses of the .Venezuclians, and the great
liberal party resolved on sustaining this admins
tratl0n, which had been raised to power by the eff
forts Of Paez, who.was much irritated, lnasmuch
and both he and all his party, in their turns, agreed
to support the nefarious plans with which they
had cOntrived to wrest the executive power from
the hands OF Manages, and the result of their con-
Of the power of Congress, whica they would rule
When this dlabollcal plan was discovered, we did
not hesitate for a moment i'll advising the course
to be pursued in the case we showed that the
people ought to be called to listen to the dispute
about to be commenced by the two high constitu-
honai powers. The people promptly answered the
call, and passed definite sentence on the case
The Repwbiicam0 was the first who favored this
appeal and Its editor appeared at the bar to ,sus
had assumed as duty. He did not go merely to
defend Gen. Monagas, but that sacred liberty
which would certainly be destroyed, along with
the authority OF the President. Liberty could not
be saved, unless the executive power was saved
along with Il. 1t was not General Monagas, then,
who induced the occurrences of that memorable
day-as the writer in the Herald seems to think
nor were those occurrences for the purpose OF de-
Tending him from impeachments pending before
Congrees. No; these occurrences saved our Ii
lberty, which was threatened By a congressional
fraction, who had openly conspired to legalize
despotsrn in Venezuela. We ourselves have
taken prominent part in these acts, and we have
not, nor are we now, particularly attached TO the
person Of General Monagas; but he personiiied
those principles, and to defend them, it neces-
sary to uphold his authority. The great liberal
party which has flown to arms to defend the ad-
ministration, has acted with the same sentiments,
and for the same reasons that animated us in
course towards the general. II is not through
feelings OF personal affection that we have sus-
tanned, and continue TO sustain his authority-but
because his administration accords with our poiti-
cal ideas and whilst he pursues this course, the
liberal party will give him their assistance, and Et
RerMbioano will sustain his administration. But
should he stray from these principles, as liberals
we will combat with him; as we are strong enough
to maintain our footing over ohgarchy, and over
whelm that executive officer who shall undertake
TO interpOse obstacles in the way OF our glorious
march towards the establishment OF true repub-
lie.
We make these explanations IN order that the
eminent editor Of the New York HeraM may I'M
derstand that the Repu6iicano does not belong to
the personal party OF the executive authority, and
flat it will only defend him so long he proceeds
in accordance with the principles which It's editor
advocates. In this highly impGtantnewspaper Che
Hvaid) some very calumnious articles against the
liberty party have appeared, and they have fallen
so far into error as to call it the negro party. In
Venezuela there are not--neither can there be-
any parties Of castles, for the whites, Indians and
negroes are so mixed up that the line of demarka-
ton is completely ObIiterated. It was part OF the
policy of the Spaniards to keep up in the minds OF
the other two races a great terror OF the white
race, so that this fear would deter these two
whom they destined for domestic slavery, from
making any attempts at independence; and the
oligarchiste, who are great opprcssors and as
unjust as the Spaniards availcd themselves OF this
colored pretext some time ago to force the whites,
and those who pass for such to support the tyranny
OF one man for fear of the tyranny OF caste.
Some North Americans who have believed in this
story of the arrayng of castles In Venezuela, have
united themselves with the olgarchists to combat
the tendency which they suppose the liberal party
have towards personal slavery and this is the
ready echo in the classic land OF political
liberty The most singular thing is that
almost all the colored men who aspire TO a certain
social rank of the ohgarchlst party, that party
which is represented to be the white one. Pr
mango died defending this party, Of which Paez is
the leader, and they are both equally white Es-
pinal, Siso, Herrera, Hernalz, Perelra, NC, be-
long to this white party, and Guzman, Valero,
lbarra, Urrutla, Rivas, Carabano, &C., belong to
the so-called black party. II is very singular that
the children of blacks should side with the whites,
and that the latter should fraterniZe with the
blacks, or form party against their own caste.
In the same number of the Herald we read the
following
"a man Of fatal influence in the misfortunes of our
country appeared at the end OF these above de-
scribtd II was oil Wilson who went arm in arm with
ono Of the sssassins, Gen. Diego OHara All the con-
sprstors continually going in and coming out at
the house of the British embassy, via, the Generals
Monagas O'Hara and Santiago Marino Colonies Lo-
DO and Austria, and to these was Joined ono Of the
most wicked Of them all namely, Dr. Thomas Joseph
Sanavria fierce and trcacherous man. and an impa-
cable enemy Of his country. Colonel Wilson received
them all; with some of them he held secret confer
ences. which doubtless could not have been confer
cnces upon harmless subjects Great notorety marked
cut this conduct OF man ungraefu for the hospital
tiles he has received and of those who has the
chief band in the misfortunes Of our country"
II would be well If this eliminating paragraph
list would explain, or demonstrate what fatal inilu-
ence it liz that has been brought TO bear on the mis-
fortunes of the country. The great misfortune
which this country has experienced, has been the
rule and fatal administration OF the ohgarchist
party, that retrogradc party so inimlca TO liberty.
This IL the only misfortune which the country has
met with, and the same paragraphs confesses