Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-03-16

VENZEUELA-THE DEATH OF REPUB-
Lies


did not give perfectly accu-
rate representation of the bloody performances
in the Caracas Congress, inasmuch as 1t rep
resented President Monargas as the sole and
immediate cause of the violence, in an attempt
to reduce refractory Legislators to submission
by force of arms 1t seems, after all that the af-
fair was battle of factions-a pronuncidmen-
to. or revolutionary riot, of The true South
American character, only little more terocl-
Gus than usual, "a contest of one party to get
the upper hand of another party, with the SIM
pie assistance of little force and bloodshed,-
in which the President was no farther impli-
Gated than as being leading member of the
one party that prevailed over the other party.
The whole history of Venezuela politics
might be written and shelved away In nut
she'll. The business ofthe republic is a strug-
gle of parties,-a party of ms, of course, and
party of outs, both of them highly democrat
ic, except that each calls the other hard names
-s'aristocrat," ''oligarchic," s'Bntish," &c.
The President of the ms, disguised his party
and It's Congress. by appointments to office OF
unpopular men, apparently political enemies,
bought up for hisown purposes-an inexpiable
offence, which Congress aimed to revenge by
his impeachment and deposition. The Presi-
dent prepared against this, by counting the
outs and making military preparations; in
the latter particular Congress initiated him, by
institutng a Congressional guard to which the
President naturally refused to furnish arms;
and Congress meditated the further expedient
of flight from Caracas to Puerto Cabello.
Congress opened amidst intense political ex-
element, (Which in the South American re-
pubics mean the determination to go to blows
and accordingly, in the attempt of the Secreta-
ry of State to introduce the Presidents Mes
sage, or in the act of reading it, the war began,
inside and outside,-a discussion of bullets
and gers,-bloody logic, butchering oratory,
-'death to the traitors !"-'God and Liberty"
and all the other eloquent expedlents and re-
publican devices with which the HispanoA-
merican freemen convince the world of their
wisdom and patriotism. The Presidents mi
litia and the Presidents mob, investing the
Legislature, with the patriotic desire to pre-
any unconstitutional legislation, fire
volley or two of muskets into the House, by
way of proving their love of law and order;
President is very sorry for the misfortune, and
protects all the members he can catch, by i'm
prisoning them in the palace; and three or four
Representatives being killed and as many
wounded, the difficulty is removed; and the
magnanimous Congress obeys the magnani-
nous President, by passing an act of amnesty
dictated by him, and decree authorizing him
to raise ten thousand men and borrow mill
lion of dollars. And thus the Presidents new
party has achieved great-and almost blood
less and peaceful-victory over its opponents,
the Presidents old party.
That is the way they do things in Venezuela.
Shall we ever do things thus in the United
States? At this question every American will
laugh, and point to the sixty years the repub-
lie of the North has stood, under its present
constitutional form, without shock, without
a trial of its capacity to resist shock, pro-
ceeding from intestine feud; but, above all, he
will point to that extraordinary N oderation of
the American character, (the best and MODEST
trait of the people of the United States,) which
amid the perpetual, hot, and fierce conflicts,
at every election, always secures the submits
sion of the defeated, and the justice, if not the
generosity, of the victorious faction. But still
there is danger, even in America from party
RACES.
The good old bow, that hasbeen bent and I'M
bent a thousand times, snaps, at last, in the
hands of the archer. Human nature is, under
all circumstances, thing of lnfirmity, and pas
sion is stronger than reason. If moderation in
the day of trial be quality which has never
yet failed, we must remember, that another
Characteristic IS, extreme excitablity,-a pas
sionate ardor and recklessness ofsplrIt, under
which we rush into contensions-into foreign
war-into novel political issues and political
organlzations-as if for the very pleasure of
the tumult. We have an ultra love of party
dogmas and even party distractions; and an ex-
cessive proclivty, in some quarters at least, to-
wards sectional bigotries. ALI of these are ell
ements, if not omens, of evil,-the possible
sources of future mischief. As we wax stron-
ger as a people, the rewards of ambition become
more splendid, and the temptations to wrong
and violence more seducing. We have net
shown that we can always remember the law or
obey it; and the same INDUCED fury, which, in
one case, makes riot, may, In another, produce
a revolution.
Letus not, in fact, while we pity and des-
pise the wretched republicans of the South
fatter ourselves too economically with the no
ton of our own strength and virtue All that
we prize ofliberty depends, under Providence,
upon ourselves,I-not upon destiny" or any
blind. unalturabe fate, but upon our good
sense, and fidelity to the repubIican principles
which no American really misunderstands, or
can ever disregard without peril TO the COM
mon veal, We ought always TO cultivate that
moderation of political feeling, unknown
among the Spanish Americans, to which we
have hitherto owed. and still owe, all the pros
perity of the republic. The defeated party
must always yield, the successful one should
always rule with gentleness Threats and Vi
olence should be equally unknown in our leg
islative halls and every where else. We may
change parties as we wish, and alter laws and
constitutions as we desire. Let us never know
such thing as revolution.-North Amer f
o-EThe Commercial of yesterday sticks to
it that the Sheriff does not wish the negro who
escaped from jail, caught and brought back.
That paper says; S.
The white prisoner was Imprisoned for
theft, and after his escape, a reward of thirty
five dollars was offered for his apprehension.
The negro alluded TO, was imprisoned for fir
ing pistol at man, no doubt, with intent to
kill, but for his apprehension ONLY five dollars
was offered. These are facts, and well war
rant ground for our statement"
The Emperor Nicholas, of Russia, having.
been recently informed, that young officer
had Joined religious sect which is considered
hetorodox, issued the following decree:
81 ordain toat he shall be deprived of all his
rights of nobility, and that he shall serve as a
Y1r ba Of 4bcC