The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-07


Caracas, April l, 1S4s.
SIRI have in your valuable journal of the 2sth
February ut, an account of the events which took
place in Venezuela from the time of the election of
General Monegas To be President of the Republic down
to the end of January of the present year The
racy OF the relation contained in your journal places
II beyond doubt that it written by some one who
was member of Congress, and eyewitness of the
horrible massacre committed the execrable oath of
January, by command of President Monegas, and by
the troops which he had contrary to law assembled
In the capital to the number of 5000 men. Perfectly
agreeing as do with the account referred to- ~ alto
| gether correct should not have been induced to
trouble you on the subject 1t not for letters
published in your paper few days after dated the
10Th and 18th January, said to have been received
from this city by gentleman resident of New York,
Wch letters render IL necessary to make few obser-
vaons These letters do not relate the in the
manner in which they took place but in the man uer
in which the Charge d.4taires of the British govern
ment IL anxious TO describe them and this circum-
| stance shows who the writer Of them He is an
| Engishman, a man who has in his breast heart of
steel, intimate friend of the aforesaid Chargs
Failures, and his accomplish in ALL whatever it may
be, which he undertakes. will quote from the letters
you published specimen of the falsehood of which
| the writer's guilty
son the 24th. in the morning, the Secretary of State
Doctor Sanavra, proceeded to the Chamber of Repre-
sentave in order to lay before them the Presidents
Nessage-whereupon two persons of the faction OPP
posed to the government threatened his lfe-one Of
| them with dagger, the other with pistol. When
this known outside in the street. the people and
part of the militia advanced to tho doors of the hail.
when of those inside the building fired and killed
person in the crowd The people so much irr-
tatcd by this act, that they Immediately
an attack upon the Chamber of Representatives."
All this is false What really happened was Us fol-
lows By the constitution the Secretaries of State
allowed to be present in the chamber give any
| explanations which may be demanded of them pro-
position made and agreed to- that the Secretary of
State should remain in the Chamber to make the
cessary explanations upon the threatening aspect Of
It Is hardly necessary to inform you Mr. Editor that
| the alarm which existed was produced by the Pre-
sident and his cut-throats, in order to intmidate
| the Congress in its deliberations. When the
| sage had been rcaed which ut "a p. m, a
discharge of muskery was heard outside the Chamber
followed Immediately by several other discharges
arms in succession The troops of the government
had just then fired upon Colonel Smith and the twelve
young who had mounted guard to protect the Con-
gress without any provocation whatever having been
given by them Then it was and not before that dep
uty drew dagger and rushing up to the Secretary of
State addressed him as follows: Doctor Sanarra you
knew of this Save shall all die together"
The deputies in favor of the government had previously
LETT the House leaving behind not single partizan Of
that deputy should thus resort to the only of
safety This efectual that can YOU Sir,
that if the Secretary had not been in the
Chamber all the members in it would have been, every
of them massacred; but the assassns would have
the risk ofwoundng the Secretary ifthey had fred
This is sure and certain that all the membere who
left the place where the Secretary mastered
The writer of those letters goes to say that the
President the Commanders and civil authorities
the Of danger and saced hundreds of persons
The truth follows Shortly after the attack began
the Senate commissioned of the deputies in favor of
the government to request the President their
lives which he did not only because they had not
solved removing the Congress Porto Cabeo.
also in order that he might have instrument which
might confer the appearance Of legality upon his acts
At past p NJ he conducted the Senate in safety to
the government house. The Senate then expressed to
the President its wish that efforts should Immediately be
made to the other branch Of the Legislature The
which followed upon this request will
cotton by those who present at it, The President
replied that he had had no participation in the attack
upon the Chambers though no doubt 1t would be at
tributed to him. After few minutes the Senate again
reminded him of the danger in which the other branch
was and that some one was ceasing to exist every
ment that parsed lie then protested In few and plain
words that he could not in intervene and that
would be dangerous account Of the evaporation Of
and military officers to the Of danger Thus
hour had elapsed since the arrival of the Senate
when he went out for this purpose The fact is the
President sought delay on purpose till he could ascer
tain that the Representatives Garcia, Roas Gonzales
P. Roas and the Secretary of the Chamber Cana 40
had been killed. whose heads he had loudly called
the Of the house when several of
the assassns left in the morning in order to go and at
tack tho Chamber While this scene was go ne on and
seve-a of the Senators entreatng the President
to the of the others the Governor of the Pro-
vince also Messrs Belford Hinton and Wilson, the
Charge daairs of Great Britain with other persons,
into the apartment The latter person joined his
entrcates to those of the Senate and said the Pres
dent Yes, General it is necessary" Then ut last
General Monagas consented and went out at q past
P. NJ accompanied by the Governor the Secretary ut
War and five or six other persons.
This suffice Sir, to convince that the let
tiers which echo from the British embassy here
tissue of falschoods invented for the object OF
throwing doubts upon the Of the oath January
direct these remarks to YOU Sir, in order to cause
historical truth to prevail since the of the
oath January, premcditatcd long before they
cuted, unexampled in the annals of crime that
many on that account will refuse to give credit to
them.
Now that am addressing you, Sir permit to
plain the cause of the spite of the British Charge
against Venezuela. He has two leading motives The
first Is. the persuasion that If there regular
vcrnment it would suffer him to reside in Vcnezuc
la; the other is the dispute on the question Of boun
dairy between British Guyana and Venezuela. In
1S4l that government seized upon 10000 square miles
Venezuelan
upon all of that vast province containing more than
10000 square miles watered by the majestic Oronoco.
and innumerable tributaries. The means adopted to
get possession of this vast territory of Guyana
anarchy and divisions among the different
of Venezuela and dissolution Of the republic. This
vast territory might in time become the seat of rich
powerful. and prosperous republic.
You will be convinced Sir of the truth Of this
ton when you know that Venezuela is in debt to the
following amount
Domestic debt SlI9O695
s22752oo7
The foreign debt is owing to British subjects. The
domestic debt of Venezuela has been increased this
year by S150O00O which money has been employed to
maintain the army which served assassins Of the
Congress. and to support the tyranny Of Monagas.
Thus the whole Of the debt amounts to $24. 252N1
How can Venezuela in constant struggle with anarchy
which absorbs all her resources pay. with her income
of 20000OO the capital and interest Of great debt
No will say she The English government
knows this and therefore foments all the bad cemen
contained in the country, in order that when Vene
guea is reduced to misery and poverty. she may seize
upon Guyana in payment Of the debt due to her SUBJ
jects. | am. Mr.. Editor, yours, SC
A MEMBER OF CONGRESS-
AND EysWirsrss or rHr FAcrs.
Mother Goose on the Mexican War.
From the National Intelligencer
III" said brave Scott Der many coffin:
,oa %i, q. soldiers SS and shot, They do the weepns
Where's Santa Annal - said bold Gideon.