The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-15
HCIPRIANO CAS7RO'S
RISE TO GREATNESS
President of Venezuela Has Risen From Humble Birth in
the Andes to the Effective Ruler of Territory
Of 600, 900 Square Miles.
BY Charles Johnston, 3. G. s. (Ret).


President Castro is ono OF tho few re-
markable men that South America has
produced. He is the second figure In
Latin America to-day, Pornrio Diaz,
creator of modern Mexico, being the
first To get n measure OF Castro's
achievement, let us see what he has act-
ually done. Beginning In nm obscure
nook in the Andes. no has risen, by sheer
force OF individual genius, until now he
Is ruler. undisputed and effective ruler,
Of vast territory OF six hundred thou
sand square miles. equal in arear to
New England and all the Atlantic
States as fas as Florida with Ohio. Ken
lucky. Tennessee. and Alabama thrown
In. It is true that the population Of
his realm is small, only two and half
millions: nevertheless. II Is equa! to that
OF many OF tho medieval kingdoms OF
Europe. which look big In history.
Cipriano Castro Is not merely nm
adroit person who happens for the mo-
ment to be at the top. through some
lucky turn OF fortunes wheel. He fought
his way up. out OF practical exile. He
has maintained himself. chiefly by fight
Ing, for four years already-longer than
the lifetime OF any ministry In France
since Sedan. He has still three years
Office legally assured to him, and will
undoubtedly II still alive. be able to
have himself reelected. as Dlaz did.
He has faced dlscord ct home. and the
rlenaces OF three first-class foreign pow
ers, and is at this moment gayly nego-
tating with a fourth. in the intervals
OF court revelry, dear to his Latin heart.
Finally. the revenue Of his kingdom Is
something like ten million dollars a
year. the spending ,of which is practl
cally altogether in President Castros
hands.
Here is fair success, in these days
where success Is considered everything;
and although many harsh things have
been said against Castro. 1t IL impos-
sible to deny the remarkable character
Of his personal achievement. He Is in
his own way "a personality as dominat-
ing, as magnetic as WIS the great Ma
poleon. His ascendenoy. the force OF
his will, Is the one power in Venezuela.
He Is unuqestioned master OF three mil
lion men. and carries his authority easily,
with a certain exuberant geyety very
pleasing to watch. in these melancholy
and thought-ridden days. Will-power Is
always an interesting and formidable
thing. and Emerson rightly says that
Providence seldom creates really strong
will, The strength of will which Cipriano
Castro has manifested from the begin
ming of his career Is remarkable; his
personal ascendancy is admirable, as n
study in spiritual force.
His Rise to Greatness.
There have been rulers OF men who
gained immense prestige by gigantic
stature and physical force William the
ConQueror was one OF them. OF him 1t
was said that no hind but his could
bend his bow. Earl Strongbow, the Nor
man invader Of Ireland, was another.
He fought against twenty armed knights
himself armed only with a stake. and
defeated them. Peter the Great was
third. He could outwrestle any man in
his vast dominions. and used as his
walking-stick O hugo iron bar about six
feet long. Alexander III. was equally
atrong He could break thick silver
rouble between his fingers and once.
calling casually on a friend, and having
no card to leave with him, twisted the
poker into q true love knot, and left 1t
as token OF his visit
Cipriano Castro has no such visible
strength to support his authority. He
Is little man, almost diminutive. Hit
height liz under five feet FIVE, and, far
from making UP for this in extraordi-
nary stalwartness and strength. his Is
slim and slender as boy, weighing not
much more than hundred pounds.
The President of Venezuela is still on
the right side of fifty, and as far as
personal activity and energy co. is more
like twenty-five. He has, one may sur
mise, q great future before him. and
may accomplish great things. II he be-
thinks himself either to strengthen and
upbuild his own kingdom, or to turn his
thoughts to neighboring States. either
as n conqueror or as consolidation, the
founder OF new South American con-
federation. applying the trust principle
to the Latin republics.
Castro began life on a plantation at
San Antonio, in the mountainous region
OF Venezuela. in the. Los Andes division
of the republic. He made himself first
the chief man in his village, and the
progressive and energetic boss OF local
politics. He was everywhere the expo
nent of push, OF enterprise. OF innova-
ton; but he was a wise and long headed
adviser. with keen eye to solid prac-
teal results. He gained confidence by A
the soundness OF his counsel, while he .
aroused enthusiasm by the magnetism
OF his personality the electric energy of
his will. Venezuela was, In those days,
divided into twenty-one States, which
sent their representatives to the central
Congress at Caracas. the capital. Castro
determined to turn his popularity to a
practical end and became congress
slonal candidate for his home district.
He applied tho indispensable plan of or
ganizatlon to the problem in hand, and
enrolled his supporters into a well-knit
band, who called themselves Castristas
| or Castros men. He was triumphantly
elected. and set off on his long journey
of a thousand miles, over hill and dale,
| through forest and valley, to the noun
tain metropolis of Venezuela.
| In the Venezuelan Congress-, the little
man from the Andes made n great sue
cess. Endowed by, nature with a fine
voice. he has all the gifts of oratory that
the Latin nations adore. He is now
persuasive. now humorous at one time
peremptory, at another pathetic; he
sparkles and thunders by turns. And
through it all, there is a keen perception
of the matter in hand, a concentrated
and penetrating insight into the question
at issue. Above all. there is Astounding
moral energy, a, swift rush Of force and
yigor. very stimulating to friends, very
exasperatng to opponents.
These gifts made the little Andean n