The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-27
TIE REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA.
Narrative OF the Leading Political Evenss
from the Year 1880 10 che Present Day.
'In medic tutissiIrus bis. y

We closed the first part of this narrative on the
eve Of the meeting OF Congress, in January, l8i3.
Affairs stood thus in Venezuela:-
KoDagas, by having dismissed the ministry Of
March 6, lS47, (Which had in a manner been
forced upon him by Paez, and vas constituted o..
tirely of Paess partisans, and by having committed
the sentence Of death against GuEHan, found nm
self with the most bitter and incorporating
hostility OF the Paezistas. These latter had oeen
intriguing al through the last seven months Of ths
year 1877, to procure majority in Congress against
Mopagas, with view 10 impeach and depose hun,
and then declare Paez nj the head OF the affairs,
and thus by willy coup d'etat regain their ost pc
sitop positive rulers of the country No stone
had been left unturned by the Paezistas TO procure
y favorable result to these deep laid plans. raez
himself made visit 10 ApIrc, where his influence
WAS greatest, and every member Of the party, &C.
STATED as they were 6y the issre 70 once more re-
and day. A most pertinacious system Of abuse Of
uonaeas and his government was kept up by the
ehgarch presses, and the coarse invectives beaped
grounds for impeachment against Nonagas were most
trivial, ms we have before remarked; but this i'm
parchment they counted on as the means OF srsting
him.
The government party were not idle either: and.
alnoe Venezuela was u republic, never had political
feeling run SO high. What is very remarkable is
that scarcely any principles discussed in this
war Of partes-the struggle was openly tsat Of the
cats against the ms.
Itrequires no great political acuMen 10 predict
that, when IN republic the struggle is for men in.
sbeau OF prlEcirlSs, III ls "a Oad tOr the pnb-
Inc welfare. This. however, is the great misfortune
Of the South American republics-ther prOneness 70
consider men instead of principles. In the United
states, where true republican principles are under
stood and carried out the healthful struggles be-
tween parties serve to equalge the goyernncnt; but
there II is struggle for principles and tie minority
always acccde 70 the will expressed by the minority
OF their fellow citizens, and the watshful opposition
take care that the party in power do not entirely
disregard the wishes OF the minority. These topics
however, are foreign to our present narrative.
Hereafter We may enter into discussion Of them,
and show the cause, barely political grounds
without reference to the difference of race of the
immense superiority Of the United States over
these republics. Truly, some of the citizens Of
that glorious young giant among nations do net
sufficiently appreciate the magnifcence of their
political institutions, when they so ceolly talk of
secession from the Union, Sc. Ii viii be dark
day for humanity, if ever the Union is dissolved,
and freedom will have its last knell rung. God
grant that such calamity may never happen 10 the
human race. Let us now return to paez and Mona
gas.
On the Goth of January, lS4s, Congress was 10
Assem- bic ~ Caracas, and this day, big with the
fate Of Pace aud his. partisans, arrived The Re-
Preeoptatrves and Senate Of Venezuela held Their
sessions IN the building the Convent OF San Fran
CISCO, in Caracas. The 20fh. 2i,t! and ODD. were
occupied with forming the house, Nreceiyiny the
usual messages. &c, and on the 25d the Pae2istas
intended commencing their Contemplated c0up a eaf
On assembling on that day, the first step taken was
TO procure an armed guard to be placed over the
house. This guard, which consisted of two hun
dreC men, was placed by the sole authority Of Con-
Eress, ard the command Of il entrusted to Colonel
William Smith, an Engshman by BIRTH but who
has resided III Venezue Ia for many years, having
served on the patriot side during the war of indie.
pendeBee. Colonel Smith is a devoted aaherent
Of Paez, and had served Ill important positions as
sway In the country.
The Governor of the province ofCaracas observing
the armed guard at the door Of Congress- immedi-
ately represented TO the President of the rprnbIc
thle nuQIl had been rlaead witt
him or his authority, and that such display Of
torce, on the part of Congress- unconstitutional
The President Immediately sent General j. NJ
Oarreno tn the Congress to demand an explanation
Of their conduct, and to know by whose authority
this guard was placed, preventing the publicity Of
the session OF Congress, which the eOnsti lion
expressly ordered.
Abe fact Of the matter was the excitement in
Caracas, among the populace, on that day, was i'm
mtnse. II was well known that co,tp d'6,at was
Meditaied by the oligarch party; aud the members
oflt; seeing the great popular feeling agains! them,
partly from determination 70 carry their point,
and partly for fear of popular Interference vitn
shtm, placed The gaaId ihsre = * protected 81
cary eus Sheu .ns at leisure. Ii is exactly ana.
-sgous to the following esse:--Supposins q certain
party in the United States Congress ara debating
some point on which exists mueh ryhiis feeling
gay, FOR instance, ins passage OF the Fugitive slave
hw-supposing that party were to pacs guard at
the doors of Congress, and surround their building
with armed sentinels OF their own party, how do
This was on the Sd January. TIE Congress an
swered General Carreho that they themselves had
ordered the guard, and that it was placed there in
accordance with resolution of their own. and that
they considered that the constitutional represen-
tatives of the people, they empowered place
sneh guard, If they had reason TO suppose that
their sessions would be menaced by the populace.
They likewise stated that the following day they
should move that the sessions of that Congress
be transferred to Puerto Cabello in the fortress of
that city, they protested that in consequence of
the threats of the populace, they could not hold free
debate in Caracas.
This answer showed how determined the oligarch
party were TO carry out their plans of impeacniag
and deposiDg Monagas, and they evidently counted
upon doing so in the fortress Of Puerto Cabelio i'll
despite of the avowed wishes Of the people. Once
let us get him impeached and deposo1 lqo TEN TO
take mis- trial, and we will reinstate Paez and ali
will have been done constitutionally.
Ii is difficult to imagine a condition of moral
blindness so great as that to which the Paez party
then reduced by their insane desire TO once more
obtain the rule. They appear to have had their
gaze so steadfasty fixed on their proposed object,
rs to bave remained totally blind to the unmstek-
able signs Of popular dislike to them and they
wildly rushed to their fate; the very they
took 10 aid their intrigues proved the inst.umeuts
Of their destruction.
Az may be imagined, Monagas was not idle either
this day. He and his constitutional advisers saw
clearly the crisis impending, and every preparation
was made to keep the city quiet, and prevent any
outbreak. The barracks were all put in readiness,
sentrels posted all over the city, and no precau,n
left unattended to. TO preserve peace and order
The Congress in the meantime, continued their
guard their place of meeting. and the morn.
rg Of the memorable oath Of January ls4-, das LED
on Caracas
Fatal 24,h Of January,--result Of the p,rinacious
efforts Of beaten party--how many widows are
mourning this day for their husbaLos-now many
children for their fathers--how many mothers for
their sens! What desperate loss Of property How
many embitteTed feelings, how much strife and
boodshed and how many years Of repentance,
have not the events Of that day brought on Nele.
guela! Heavy il the load the consciences Of
those who gave rise to il; and ] leave those VINO
have read this narrative thus far to judge who it
was hat caused il. have not " eStenuated aueht,
or set down aught in malice" but the plain chro-
biological history Of the events lending 10 thscriss
detailed IN this narrative--be their merit yhst il
mayarc, at least, an true, historical facts defy