The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-30

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then, on April 4, only a few days after
the first disaster, there came a second
trembling OF the earth, which lasted for
eight hours. We can well understand
why there were then many thousands
more who wavered in thei ralleglance to
repubIicanism, and why 1t needed all the
powers of Bolivar and his conferes TO
keep any appreciable part of the people
from forsaking the cause. But they did
it, and It was not a great while before
the discouraged and expiring members
were famed back into vigorous life.
It is amazing to learn what was dine
with the ragged and starved armies led
by Simon Bolivar. His marches and coun-
ter marches back and forth through the
tropical lowlands of Venezuela and Col
ombia, across the towering Andes from
Caracas to Bogota, to Quito. to Lima, to
Cuzco, fighting battles in dense jungles
where life Is almist unbearable, or an
bleak and wind-swept tablelands, fourteen
or fifteen thousand feet above sea Level,
foot up many thousands Of miles. The
name of Bolivar has been almost deified
in the countries which received the bene-
fits of his genius, but it cannot be truth
fully said that his fame is entirely free
from blemish. His aims and aspirations
wer Of the highest and noblest, and not
once did ne depart from his avowed pur-
porse, which considered not at all his own
welfare, but alone the liberty of the Am
erican. countries then ruled by Spain. But
in the attainment Of his ends he some
times showed an impetuous and hasty
judgment. resulting in deeds which can
not be condoned. The one great blot on
Bolivars life is his ordering the whole
sale execution of Spanish prisoners in
1914.
The revolution in Venezuela mad reach
ed that period when 1t was known as la
guerra a muerte, war to the death.
Hitherto Bolivar had treated enemies fall
ing into his hands as prisoners of war,
and with great humanity; but now, ex-
asperated beyond endurance by the atroc-
ious acts of the enemy, he declared and
put into effect a policy OF retaliation,
which meant a Spanish prisoner shot for
every patriot put to death. The revulu-
tionists then began to make such head
way with their cause that the royalists
armed their slaves and turned them loose
on the country, sending out emissaries TO
organize them and infiame their passions
against their former masters. There were
more than 10000 slaves then in Venezuela,
and the army formed from them marched
from the banks &C the Orinoco to Caracas,
a distance of 400 miles, destroying every
human being in their way who would not
join their murderous band.
Bolivar had meanwhile been shut up in
Caracas and La Guayra with an inferior
force of 400 prisoners. News Of the con-
dition OF things beyond the city reached
the prisoners, and an uprising among
them was planned and nearly executed.
Under these circumstances which threat
ened Caracas with the direst of all evils
that of falling into the power of the slave
army-his mind oppressed with anxiety,
harassed with a multitude of cares. and
exaSperated at recent 0utrages and mas
sacres by the enemy, Bolivar was hur-
ried into an unpardonable act. To the
commandant OF La Guayra he sent an or
der demanding the immediate execution Of
every prisoner and SS6 Spahiards and
Canary Islanders wer mearGhed out and
shot. A week later the Liberator issued a
manifesto, setting forth the state of af-
fairs at the time and his reasons for this
act est ~. -, 5s+
The death of Bolivar presents a sad
spectacle. For twenty years-from 1910 to
1S3O-his whole existence was devoted 10
the securing of independence to his ma
tive land and to the betterment of the
social conditions of his countrymen. He
had been proclaimed Liberator of Colom-
bia (Which then included Venezuela, Ec-
uador and PERU, and the Father and
Founder of Bolivia, and he had organized
representative governments and presided
as chief magistrate in each. But he had
many enemies who declared that he
sought a. crown; and many of his friends
made the mistake Of thinking OF establish
an empire and seat the Lfberator upon
its throne But Bolivar would none of it.
Imperial authority was the very thing he
had been struggling so valiantly against
so many bloody moons. Even the power
with which he was invested became dis
tasteful to him, and in many of his public
and private letters this sentiment is very
prominent.
In 1899 tickle public became dissatisfied
because he would not accept greater pow
er and honors from them, ard soon turn
ed entirely against him. In 1850 the Lib
orator retired to Santa Marta on the coast
of Colombia to seek rest f1r a sickened
body and a wounded spirit. The end
came quickly and he died on December Il
of the same year; and it was not until two
or three years later that Colombia and
Venezuela began to value the Liberators
work at its true worth,
In summing up hastily the character OF
this great South American, II seems hard
IL fair to compare him Gas he has been
done) with Washington. Their environ
ments were as different day from night.
the material out of which they had to
construct armies entirely unlike, the peo-
pie they had to advise when at last free
were far apart in their social and political
education; necessarily their actions differ
ed as widely as the causes for them. But
in this they both were equal: their ef-
forts were directed euntiringly towards
the accomplishment of a single purpose
Independence: and neither wished for
personal elevation above his fellows.
TESTING HIGH EXPLOSIVES