New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-15


stigated by and belonging to the Ogarchical party
came from Chaguaramas, rode up, favored by the
darkness Of the night, to the Presidents residence
and attacked the guard. attempting to force their
way into the house crying N4era Neaasas -
! Fortunately at the yery outset the horse of the
leader Of this party Be!sario, was shot down,
and the confusion created By this gave the guards
time to rally to the defense Of their general. The
assessins were instantly repulsed and took to
fight. On the 92d the towns Of Guarenas, Santa
Lucn, Calabozo, with others OF minor importance,
took up arms against the Government, imagining
that the President had fallen victim to this
treacheroUs plot, and showing clearly that the
whole affair had been regularly combined and or
ganized Had any one in Venezuela before
doubted the popularity Of Monagas he would at
once have been undeceived, for the whole popula.
ton of Caracas spontaneously rushed to his de-
Tense Addresses of congratulations from all the
Provinces were also sent to the Government
House.
In the month of July, l54o, Paez resolved on
again trying his fortune on the soil OF Venezuela.
He landed at Coro, where his adherents raised
about 1920 men, surprised the authorities aud
of the country spreading desoation wherever he
passed. The country people fled at his approach,
till at last they assembled in numbers arming
themselves as they could, and together with the
militia surrounded him in place called Campo
Monagas where, finding his position desperate, no
surrendered at discretion, throwing himself upon
the cemency of the Government. Paez was tax
en- TO Caracas, where the President, with the con-
sent of the Council of Goyernment-the Con
gress not being then in session-instead OF hand
ing him over to the regular tribunals to be tried
for treason, granted him an amnesty; but for the
security and tranquility Of the Republic, exiled
him from its territory. In the meantime addresses
poured in from the provinces urging the Govern
ment to allow Paez to be tried by the common
tribunas-not as a consprator merely, but for the
excuses, murders, incendiarisms and rapine al
legged to have been committed by him and his fol-
lowers during his last expedition. The President
fearing some outbreak of the people, who, stirred
up by all these addresses, might have have been
led into some excess fatal to Paez, had him re-
moved from Caracas to the Castle of San Antonio
in Cumana, where he remained until the Congress
of the Republic passed decree banishing HIM for
ever from the territory of Venezuela He proceed
ed TO the island OF St Thomas, and thence found
bis way to New-York by way Of Philadelphia.
Among the officers who surrendered at Campo
Monagas were many of those who had been tax
en- at san Carlos de Zulia and liberated on their
parole. In most countries such a breach OF talth
would have been punished with death; but Mon
agas true to the principles which he had adopted
on assuming the reins of Government, merely ex-
lied the most prominent among them. During the
whole of his Presidency there has not been SIN
Gle execution throughout Venezuela for political
oienses.
Such, briefly told, IS the history of this affair,
as we have carefully obtained it from sources on
which we have every reason to place reliance
There are several points which we have not
touched, but we have gone through what is most
important in some detail, not merely Tor the pur-
nose of indicating our protest against the unde'
served honors which the friends OF Gen. Paez had
managed to have conferred upon him, and our
warning as to his intentions toward Venezuela,
but also to do Justice to President Monagas, who
has been abominably and industriously calum
mated in this country and Europe. We believe
that he is every way superior to the common run
of South American Statesmen, and has deserved
well Of his country. His conduct throughout this
critical struggle, in which selfish and unscrupu-
lous minority employed all possible means to get
the permanent control of the nation in order that
they might enjoy its power and fatten on It's
wealth, seems to US at once firm, moderate and
wise and, therefore, worthy Of praise. Venezuela
owes it to him. more than to any other individual,
that her republican institutions are preserved in
ternal peace maintained, and the way OF national
improvement kept open. And while we cherish
no illusions as to the immediate destiny OF any
Republic in South America, we are convinced
that the triumph Of the Liberal party in Vene-
zuela and the administration of Monagas will
hereafter be generally recognized as highly ad-
vantageous 10 that country.
Gen. Paez concludes his Defense with a very
guarded denial that he is now intriguing with
view to his return TO Venezuela We should
like to believe that he has sincerely submitted to
tbe severe lesson he has received but his past
actions forbid it. We have no wish to bring HIM
more than any other exile residing in tins country
inconveniently before the public. But we shall
not be deferred from denouncing any movement
which may seem to us to contemplate the perpet-
nation of that anarchy and that exploitation OF the
South American people from which Liberty and
Progress have already severely suffered on
that Continent.