The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-08
The airy aadmaau zlormno january 1896

uries of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia,
| and he expended in the peoples SER
vice nearly all the large fortune which
| he inherited.
The future general returned from
Spain in 1909, and lived in retirement
with his young wife on one of his
| estates near Caracas. The change Of
climate presently proved fatal TO the
! young Spanish woman, and Bolivar
sought in travel and public life forget
! fulness of his grief. He had taken lit
tie part IN the revolutionary movement,
which had been progressing since the
beg inning OF the present century, per-
maps because he was abroad, and also
TOO young. The war for independence
which resulted in the formation of New
Granada and Venezuela into the Co.
toInblan republic was opened without
MS active participation. This was the
revolution at Caracas of April 10, 1870
Later ne took a commission to repre-
sent the new patriotic government in
London He returned home the follow
ing year and retired to his estate
In 1871 he first appeared as prOmin-
ent IN the republican cause. He was
recognized as a leader from the start
until his death, although ne was prac-
ttcally in exile at the time Of the latter
event In 1873 he had firmly establish
ed his position and maintained 1T, with
the exception of brief intervals when
he was temporarily thrown down by
conspiracies and jealousies, until he
resigned the presidency, in 1880, and
went 10 Santa Maria where he died,
discouraged and broken-hearted, Dec
IL Of the same year.
After six years of figh ting-in 1873
General Bolivar was made president of
the republic Of Colombia-formed OF
Venezuela and New Granada. He had
previously assumed the title of liberator
end dictator, and ruled as such, except
when hs temporarily gave way TO Span
ish arms. In 1929 Spain gave up
the struggle to maintain dominion. In
the ten years Bolivar had been in the
saddle, the parent country had at no
time exercised sway. Her rule was
spasmodic and confined only TO districts
1t did not exist uninteGTuptedly at any
point In the series of skirmishes and
stricken fields that made up his military
history, which IS also the history OF
South American independence, Bolivar
showed himself a thorough general. He
fought a, waiting fight, and, to a large
extent, let the climate and fever and
ague do his killing. He also conducted
one or two campaigns on the plan which
made a general of the United States
army famous He had no established
basis of supplies, but relied on the
eneny's- stores for his subsistence. Boil
var was a brilliant milbtarist, and if his
proclamations and general orders sound
sometimes like a comic opera, it should
be borne in mind that they were address
ed to a vivacious, effervescent people,
and that Bolivar himself was not a ma
tive OF the frozen, temperate north. In
an engagement he was brilliant and
dashing, something OF the late Custer
style of warrior
After fairly esta blishing the independ
ence OF the home country, he went to
Peru upon invitation Of the natives and
marched q triumphant army into Lima,
the seat of the government. He estab-
Eshed a dicta toTShip, crossed the Andes
drove out the Spanish forces and re-
signed his rule after recognizing the
government. He next proceeded to the
territory now known as Bolivia, in his
honor. The provinces and colonies
here suffering under the Spanish op-
preston and rapacity, harder and more
tyrannica1 with each succeeding cen
tury, called upon the lfberator for de-
liveranoe. The armies of the depOtism
fled before him. Bolivar'S reputation
as an invincTble warrior helped him
much in the conquest of Peru and Boil
via The forces Of Spain were made
up to an extent OF the soldiers who had
made Intellectual stand before him in
Colombia.
He gave Bolivia government under
a constitution, and also drafted a code
of laws. In establishing republics the
liberator had not alone the Spanish rule
10 break. He had to contend with the
ambitions of his own generals, who,
when the conQueror had gone, would
establish small but invariably futile
dictatorships of their own. Some Of
them paid for the political ambitions
with their heads, for the Hberator pro-
ceeded on radical lines when necessary.
1t was disloyalty and jealousy, the evil
reports and cOnspiracies of his Geuten-
ants that hastened the patriots death.
One of his sIbordinat s-Paez-grasped
the diCta tOrShip, as the result of one of
these numerous cOnSpiracieS. Bolivar
retired to Santa Maria, resiging his
position as nominal head of the govern
ment. 1t was regarded as matter of
months only when he would again be
in control hut the sense Of ingratitude
and loss Of political power. together
With a constitution Worn by military
hardship and weakened by the constant
work Of reorganizing and official labor
extending over twenty years, proved a
fatal combination.
EolivdrS memory was accorded all
the honor which he failed 10 receive
living. Bronze statues keep him before
the people of every considerable city
in the countries he made. The Nene-
zuelan government desiring his name 20
be known among all free people have
erected a memorial 10 him in this coua-
try. His genius can scarcely be over
rated. He found people 500 years BE-
hind the free states Of the earth. He
took this unpromiSing material and
made nations. He made the country
free Of Spain whose grinding and whose
tfyanny had stunned its material and
dwarfted its mental growth. These
are thu proofs Of his greatness and the
res sons why his name viii be always
hOnored in America W. +. l..
a I-arua