The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-21
A PRESIDENT IN EXILE.
Why PRlaoio and His Party Left Their Ma
tive Land.

|
| BORDEAUX, July 2O.--Raimound Indussa
Palacio, sxilod president OF Vonszuels and
party. boarded the Labrador, which has
arrived here. at Fort do France, whither
Senor Palaeio had been conveyed from
LaRuayra by Venezuela nun-of-wAr. tl.
ostensible object being to honor tho departs
| ing president. but tho real object being 10
insure his quitting the country.
II mover wished TO be dictator" Palacto
said. land never wished TO renain In mower
q single day longer than l believed the no
osssitiss Of tho country demanded. Tho
good of my countryme 10 all l desire. I
am going away because am told 1t IL for
the good OF the country and to prevent tho
shedding Of my countrymen's blood. Ths
whole thing IL y question of pure politics
and question OF constitutional reform.
There is no personal question, and my ene-
mics lie whom they say such IL the case.
The country. am confident. was with me,
but by . slight majority the cortes wora
| against me.
what wanted was simply this, 10 d.
vide the country into twenty states, a. WAS
| the case formerly, instead Of only nine, AZ
tho division is at present, so ~ to have ths
president elected by the direot vote of the
people instead of by congress. Ry small
majority congress was opposed to this, there
being for the government forty votes aud
against the government only forty-two or
forty-three. the strength of the reRctionary
party being partly due 10 the ambition Of
| several members, who fanoisd that they
had chance Of being elected to tho presi-
| dency by congress-, having no chance of
election whatever by popular suffrage. II
congress had reassenibled under these con-
ditions reform of the constitution would
not have been carried, despite the fact that
the country was almost unanimous In its
| favor. All the municipal councils ex-
presssd desire for reform, while seven out
OF the nine councils general had petitloned
congress for the same purpose. Similar pe-
titions to-day had been made by almost all
towns.
Here comes the critical point. Suppoa-
ing had wanted congress to assemble, my
supporters in congress would not have
agreed to it. In any case | could not CON
woke congress without proving recreant to
my deepest convictions and also to those Of
my friends and people, who hoped that l
would bring about II reform Of the constitu-
| tion. MY desire was to convoke the federal
assembly. / repeat. it ia lie to say hoped
to be reelected president by that assembly.
! would have succeeded in this noble task
but for the personal ambition of men who
| claim to be devoted to the liberal cause,
Had Gen. Sarria, minister of war, and Gen.
| Monagas, both deputies. not been devoured
by desire to be elected to the presidency
by congress and consequently refused to
join in the proposed measure of constitu-
tional reform, their votes and those of 4
few others who we're their partisans would
have given majority in congress, and there
would have been no cause for my refusal to
convoke the chambers. You know how
left the Cnsarmarr lila. Those two
men came to me ON the ground Of
personal friendship and told me that my
conduct had been misconsttued and had
alienated the sympathies of the people, who
believed me to be the cause of the war.
They claimed, therefore. that my only re-
source was to summon congress-. 10 that
my reply was that would never sacrifice
my convictions, that to call congress al
that iuncture would be the moral triumph
of the revolution. and that peace could only
be fully restored by the convocation Of the
general assembly, and for which had
drawn up call. After that called meet
ing OF the cabinet and federal council, al
which | again expressed my desire to retire
from Office. The next day there was sec-
ond meeting, when decided to give fresh
proof that no personal considerations
weighed with me. | declared my intention
of handing over the presidential functions
to my constitutional successor, DR.. Vii.
legas. and of leaving the country. said
did not wish to be the cause Of any blood
shed, that l would go away, and did"
! tn Sar OtsT