The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-21
have to give an accounting to God, to
the world and to history
An Unsuccessful Leader

~
the world and to history
An Unsuccessful Leader
General Hernandez has been the leader
of several unsuccessful revolts in the
past. He was expatriated during the lat
ter years of the presidency of Gen. Cipri-
ano Castro. but returned when General
Gomez became President five years ago
and served the Gomez government for
several years as a member of the federal
council. Feigning illness he went to Isu-
rope two years ago and shortly after
wards announced his intention of lead
ing a revolution to overthrow the Co
mez regime. The principal expatiated
Venezuelan generals who are supposed to
be in league with General Hernandez
are Gen. Cipriano Castro, whose revolu-
ton of last August failed from the very
start; Gen. Leopoldo Baptista, late mem
Der of the federal council, who vanished
secretly from Venezuela a year ago, and
Gen. Regulo Olivares, recently governor
of the state of Tachira.
The call to arms is based on the alleged
usurpation of power by General Gomez
on the expiration of the presidential pc
riod on April 10, when his minister of war
was elected provisional president and he
himself commander-in-chief of the army,
as the constitution prohibited two sue
cessive terms as President. General Her
nandez says
1.-The nation has been supporting. with
heroic patience the yoke of eXtortons
and scandalous thieving, TO which it has
been subjected by this man General Go
mez) because it expected that the last
remains of decency or of hypocritical
circumspection on the part of the tyrants
would have put an end to its long suffer-
ing. without the necessity of taking up
arms; but Gomez and his advisors mis-
took patience for cowardice, prudence for
weakness; offers Of adhesion obtained by
threats of torture and dungeons, for 10y
atty; love of peace for implicit approval
of his despotic regime, and the servile ap-
plause of a few spectators for the free
vote of the people. They began TO believe
themselves the absolute owners of Ven
ezuela. and In the blind fury of an ambi-
ton and ayerice without bounds they de-
cided to consummate the most scandal
Gus stroke, a ferocious and absolute
crime; the breaking down OF the insti-
tutions and the execution of the father
land without even the pretense of trial.
In Venezuelan history, with all the I'M
happiness which darkens its pages, there
never has been anything quite so gro
tesque, so open-faced and audacious, as
his hangers-on have attempted to con-
tinue the most barbarous despotism that
has been seen on the whole American
continent from the day of its discovery
Causes of Suspension
The proclamation then goes on to enun-
crate the successive steps which, begin
ming with the Castro revolution of last
year, led up to the suspension of the con-
stitution and the election of DR., Mar
quez Bustillos as provisional president.
''They Gomez and his friends) wove
a ridiculous farce of revolution, with
the phantom of Castro at the head,
raised large army. conferred unlimited
despotic faculties on the President of the
republic which made him irresponsible,
all the constitutional guaran-
tees, and declared martial law, which is
still in force, all with the object of pre-
venting the people from eleeting con-
gressmen through the ballot, which Con-
gress have elected the successor to Juan
Vicenter Gomez. The result of this I'M
demanded political masquerac~ vas a
Congress ad-hoo which they called
'plenipotentiary,' and which was made
accomplice to the criminal action"
General Hernandez evidently believes
that Venezuela is as badly off today as it
was in the old Castro days. He says
THE civilized world is tired of seeing
our vast territory rendered useless to
territory full of unexpected
wealth, where one only hears the laments
Of poverty to the tune of shackles and
chains, the insolent voices of command
of the despots, and the excuses of those
who live by robbing the national treas
ury and trampling upon everything
which is sacred"
Notwithstanding this proclamation,
calling the ''Mochistas" to arms, no news
has been received yet in Caracas to the
effect that any landing has been effected.
A few local uprisings in the interior do
not seem to be of any Importance and
there has not been any noticeable move
ment of the government troops.