Arizona republican., 1906-01-15
HOW VENEZUELA
 F0RGIVES REBELS
When a Revolution Ceases All Past
 Sins are Pardoned Automatically.

New York, Jan. 14.-Translations just received in this country of the plead ings in the Venezuelan courts in the matter of the suit brought by that government against the New York & Bermudez (AsphslO company for S11,- 0J0,000 damages suffered by reason of the company's alleged complicity in the Mates revolution of 1901, bring out many unique features.
 Conspicuous among these is the fact that the laws of Venezuela are so framed as to restore political offenders to full rights after disorders have been put down. As the laws stand, If you are caught while a revolution is going on, you must take the consequences. Once the revolt is quened, all past sins are forgiven.
 The local Venezuela attorney for the company at Caracas shows up these points very clearly. They are of par ticular interest in view Of the fact that this suit is absolutely unique in inter- national proceedings. The Mates rev. olution took place in 1901, yet in 1903 1 the government brings a suit against l foreign corporation for complicity in | that movement. The government does 1 not claim that the company's property ] was outlawed or liable to seizure for ! the proceedings, but damages are de- ! manded for the financial injuries suf- 1 fered
 In the pleadings of the Caracas at | torney, he states, quoting Venezuelan laws:
 ''The law of June 18. 1865. establishes In article 16 that public order. disturb i ed by political offences, being restored, all criminal proceedings shall abate, and all persons prosecuted on whom Judgment has been pressed or not shall be free from punishment
 The code of 1897 resolved that in | such cases on revolutionary offences. all proceedings should abate, and i prisoners be restored to liberty, public | order once reestablished, according to the terms of the above mentioned constitution. a provision which can be | found in the same words, in the penal code now in force in the republic
 ''The foregoing quotations, clearly 1 and plainly prove that it is social and political interests which have led our i legislators to overrule, in what refers to that kind of public offences, the gen. eral rules of common law in criminal matters.
 What the state wanted on annul- | ling in connection with this, the gen | eral rules of common law, was to ap- | pease the minds, to give examples of AAiohASCAlCS anu ", 10 ma ke hatred be forgotten, to sweeten un- grateful recollections, and to try to
 make that peace. obtained by the end of the struggle, to become peace Of mind, spiritual peace, in one word
 moral and social peace.
 When the international trouble was on in December. 1902, President Cipriano Castro advised the country by a patriotic address, in part as fol- ! lows:
 And since this. the fatherland, can only be great and powerful in an at-
 mosphere of fraternity amongst the
 natives, and circumstances necessitate
 the efforts of every one of them, both in the name of those my feelings and of its needs, I lay the doors of all the | prisons of the republic open to those who for political reasons are arrested. i I also hereby open the doors of the 1 country to all Venezuelans who for the same aforementioned reasons are i abroad. and return all reyolutionists l to the enjoyment of their property 1 which has been sequestrated by req
 sons of public order
 Such a provision means nothing less | than pardon. desistance, an amnesty ! in fact, which the state grants by law 1 to all persons convicted of political
 offence, yielding to circumstances of public order and general convenience" 1"