The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-01

INC that it would not ne lOUg Dcioic many
Of those engaged i'm the new political move
ment would return 10 the support OF the
government and thatthe government forces
would soon stamp out such oil the reYO-
lutionary party as might remain IN arms.
This NAV be taken as the official declar-
ation II the government If Venezuela Of
the outbreak Of revolution. The last IA
tional congress and the legislatures OF all
the states Of Venezuela authorized q
change in the constitution, among other
things extending the term Of the president
from two 10 four years.
President PalaciO claims the first duty
If the new congress is TO proclaim the new
constitution and 20 then elect a president
and wee president for term 10 be named
bv him. The opposition declare the first
dirty If the congress 10 be the election Of
the two officials, and the second to pro
claim the constitution. This would result
in giving the new president four years
term. The difference in their views pro
duced a deadlock, and as neither party
would give way the opposition members
of congress left Caracas the capital and
General Crespo raised the standard of re
volt ia the HtftAtt ilAAtf tt' tA--A' i-N .t't'
ing been elected. President PalaclO holds
over. and his enemies say he has taken the
first step to the dictatorship IN the con-
test now begun both parties are confident
Of success.
The politics OF Venezuela are curiously
complicated By the expressions Of England
Guzman Blanco at one time the dictator
Of the country, sold the right 10 mine gold
in the wonderfully rich Yaruma country
to an English syndicate for s5,O0oO0 The
EMPLOYEES Of the syndicate took possession
OF the country. and with the connivance Of
the English officials in British Guiana an
nexed the land. England now claims the
count,y between Guiana and the Orinoco
river. territory larger than the states OF
Connecticut and Massachusetts,, and prob
ably the richest gold bearing territory in
the world. Tothis England, it IS said has
not a shadow Of claim, except that Of be-
ing stronger than Venezuela IL Is prob
ably only q question Of time before the
United States will be forced TO interfere in
accordance with the Monroe doctrine.
The outbreak Of revolution in Nenczuels
brings forcibly 10 the mind the eXtraor-
binary number of revolutions which have
taken place or been begun in the span
ism American countries during the pres
cnt century. It really seems rs though
there was 40 instant of time when revo-
luton was not going on somewhere among
these republics. The most important i'm
its effects was that in Brazil, which re
suited in q change in the government from
that OF an empire 10 that of a republic.
Dom Pedro bad paved the way for this by
antagonizing the Shareholders in his final
ly successful efforts to free the slaves.
Probably no revolution is on record in
which there was less blOOdshed than in
that of Brazil, and although there has
been trouble since, notably in reyolts OF
the state Of Rio Grande do Sui, which has
brought fighting with it,, the change of
Government has been almost wholly peace
fnl This fact shows the service Dom
Pedro rendered his country in educating II
up to the point where self government was
possible.
But the other revolutions in South and
Central America have not been blOOdless
bv any means. The echoes of the guns OF
the civil war in Chilli have scarcely yet
died away That revolution was brought
about by the desire Of President Balmaceda
to seize the whole power of the country
and proclaim himself dictator. He dched
the congress, and the revolutionary party
was quickly formed. Troops went into the
field, the navy joined the insurgents, and
after q war lasting some months tie gov
eminent troops were defeated and the Con
gressional party was successful the de-
feated consprator against the freedom Of
the country dying by his own hand. One
of the results of that CHILEAN civil wal