The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-19
FOR els COUNTRY
PaIacio Leaves to Prevent
Further Bloodshed.
PURELY A POLITICAL QUESTION
PaIaciO Says lie Never Wished to Be Dictator
Working Tor the Coed Of HIS
COuntrymen.

Especial TO THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatchl
BoRDEAUx, July 1S.-Raimuudo Indueza
PaIacio set foot on European soils today.
1t was on board the French trans Atlantic
company's steamer Labrador that the OK
lied president came to France, accom-.
panied by his wife, son, daughter, niece
aud suite, including two secretaries and
the editor OF the Opinion Nacsonal OF Car
acas. The party boarded the Labrador at
Fort de France, whittier Senior Palacio had
been conveyed from Laguayra by a Vens-
zuela man-of-war, the ostensiole object
being to honor the departing president,
but the real object being to insure his quit
ting the country.
II never wished to be Dictator Pala-
clio said, ''and never wished to remain il
power q single day longer than 1 bslisvee
the necessities OF the country demanded
The good of my countrymen is all desired
am going away because am told it Is for
the good of the country and to prevent the
shedding OF my countrymen's blood. The
whole thing is question Of pure politics
ana question OF constitutional reform.
There Is no personal question, and
MY ENEMIES LIE
when they say such is the case. The coun-
try, am confident, was with me, but by a
slight majority the cortes were against me-
What Iwanted was simply this, 10 divide
the country into twenty states, as was the
case formerly, instead OF only nine, as the
division is at present, so as to have the
president elected by the direct vote of tbe
people instead OF by congress. BY a small
majority congress was opposed to this,
there being for the government forty votes
and against the government only forty-5wo
or forty-three, the strength OF the reaction
airy party being partly due to the ambition
OF several Members, who fancied that they
had a chance Of being elected to the presi-
dency oy congress, having no chance OF
election whatever oy popular suffrage. If
congress had reassembled under these con-
ditiOns q 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-
pressed desire for reform, while seven
out Of the nine councils general had petit
toned congress for the same purpose. Sim
liar petitions today mad been made by al
most all towns.
HERE COMES THE CRITICAL POINT.
Surprising had wanted congress to assem-
bic, my supporters 10 congress would not
have agreed TO It. In any case l could not
convoke congress without preaching to my
deepest convictions and also 10 those of
my friends AID people, who hoped that
| would bring about reform of the consri-
tuition My desire was to convoke the fed
eral assembly. repeat, 1t is lie to say
1 hoped to'be rs-elec1ed president ~ that
assembly. I would have succeeded in this
noble task but for The personal ambition or
men who claim to De devoted TO the Lib
ersl cause. Had General Sarria, minister
Of war, and General Monagas, both depu-
ties, not been deToured By q desire TO be-
elected TO the presidency by congress and
/ consequently refused to Join in the pro-
/ posed measure OF constitutional reform.
their votes and those OF q few others who
were their partisans would have given a
majority in congress and there would have
been no cause for my refusal to convoRe
the chambers. You know how 1 left
the Casarmarilla. Those two men
came to me on the ground OF
personal friendship aud told me that my
conduct had been misconstrued and had
alienated the Rympathies of the people, who
believed me 10 DO the cause Of the war.
They claimed, therefore, that my only re-
source was to summon congress. To that
my reply was that / would never sacrifice
my convictions, that to call congress at
tnat juncture 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 1 had
drawn up. After that called meeting Of
the cabinet and federal council, at which
again expressed my desire to retire from
office. The next day there was a second
meeting, when l decided TO give fresh
proof that no personal considerations
weighed with me. / declared my inten-
ton of handing over she presidential func-
tions to my constitutional successor, DR..
Vinegas, and of leaving the country.
said l did not wish to be the cause Of any
bloodshed, that would go away, and did. .