San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-10
MINISTER FROM VENEZUELA TO THE
UNITED STATES.

Senior Francisco Antonio de Silva,
the newly accredited Minister from
our sister Republic Venezuela to the
United States, was born at Margarita
Isle, one of the States of Venezuela,
and is about fifty-eight years of age.
After careful home tuition he finish
eG his collegiate course at Valencia, in
the State of CarabObO.
Revolution and political troubles
drove him to stay at Havana, Cuba, at
the early age of twenty. He utilized
this his first visit to the ever faith
full isle, by closely studying its peO-
pie, their Institutions and form of gov
eminent, a study that in after life has
proven invaluable to him, and greatly
redounded to the benefit of the Spanish
and his own government. His studi-
Gus habits chung more tenaciously TO
his taste the more he saw of gaiety.
He has ever been the student, and has
succeeded, among his many other at
tainments, in becoming master of sew
eral languages. Some of his etfusiOns
were the means of his Introduce on to
Henry Clay, who expressed his de-
light and pleasure with the young
him an invitation to visit him in
Washington, or his Kentucky home,
at some future day, an invitation of
which Mr.. de Silva gladly aVailed
himself two years later. On this Occa
sion he became acquainted with Cen
eral Winfield Scott, visiting West
Point, and being there personally i'll
trOduced to the cadets that a few years
after became the great generals OF the
United States.
In Baltimore a personal friendship
followed his acquaintance with the
head of the BOnaparte family that eX-
tended to all its relations in this coun-
try and in France, which country he
was about to visit and become the at
tache of his government at its embas-
sy in Paris. He held the office during
the time of NapOlaOn's admnistra-
ton. Mr.. de Silva was transferred
from Paris and promoted as secretary
of legation at the court Of Madrid. In
that city he had the pleasure Of social
intercourse with the then great Amer
lean statesman, the Hon. Pierre SOule,
who was at that time American min
lister at the brilliant court of Queen
Isabella. Mr.. de Silva returned to
Paris in 1865, and in search of poetical
literature paid an extended visit to
the Isle of Jersey, then the home of
Victor Hugo, of whose writings Mr..
de Silva had become one of the most
enthusiastic admirers. A warm per-
sonal friendship followed the acquain-
tauceship thus pleasantly formed be-
tween the two men.
In 1856 Mr.. de Silva returned to
his home in Venezuela, and in 1860
began the publication of a newspaper
which he named El Noticiosco Law,
commerce, news of the day, and poll
tics were its prominent features-par-
ticularly the latter, the editor siding
with the conservative and Paez inter
ests up to the year 1868, which result
ed in the Coche treaty, between Cen
eral PaeZ and General Blanco, the
latter man whose great statesman
ship has made him the virtual ruler
of Venezuela from that day to the
present. Two years ago General
Blanco appointed Mr.. de Silva consul
general at New York, transferring
him from Havana, where he had been
consul-general for nearly eighteen
years with satisfaction to the Cubans.