Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-08
South Americas independence
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

lutionary troops. In the swings of
power back and forth among factions of
the French Miranda became involved
in intrigue and fed to England.
Even in those distant days. wealthy
colonial families sent their sons to Eng
land to be educated. In London Don
Miranda found a little coterie of South
American students all intensely inter-
ested in the politics of the day. They
had watched with the keenest interest
the struggle of the American colonies
for independence and their Sympathies
were engaged. Miranda became leader
of a group of these students. A few
years older than they, veteran Of
foreign wars, his WORDS were listened to
avidly.
With a handful of ardent followers,
including some Americans who remem-
bered his Revolutionary War services
and even some English adventures, he
returned to Venezuela and led q revolt.
This was in 1905 and while the coup
was momentarily successful, the su-
perior forces of the spanish garriSons
put down the republic which had been
proclaimed and the rebels fed.
M-Luck Marks Dictatorship.
Don Miranda was not dismayed. He
bided his time. 1t came In 1910.
Napoleon was waging the Peninsular
| WdI LII 0Ram anu W6io G41Sd&n1k kk4S
full attention Of the Spanish arms.
Miranda again landed and raised the
standard Of independence. He was
hailed as a liberator and constitution,
modelled on that Of the United States,
was written. He was named dictator
| for transition period. Venezuelan.
independence was formally declared on
July S, 1911.
Then one Of the most curious events
! in history occurred From .TIYlU for
months the new republic gained
strength. But in the spring of 1912,
the people, Roman Catholics wholly,
celebl ated Easter with accustomed
pomp. On March 26, Holy Thursday,
the populace was gathered in the
cathedral when, with sudden fury, a
great tropical storm broke and stimuli
taneously severe earthquake rent the
earth. Buildings crashed, tie earth
opened in wide assures.
| The priesthood who had resented the
| revolution because OF their belief that
the King Of Spain was the Lords
anointed, seized upon the catastrophe
to declare that 1t was a judgment of
God for the breaking away from Spain.
| The frenzied people, most Of them Hit
crate, rose against the revolutionist
leaders in q spasm Of fanaticism. Don
Miranda was taken. He was transport
| ed to Spain, where he was tried for
LHedSOn aIlQ thrust 1nCO 1Oul prison
| at CadiZ. There he died in 1915 on the
fourteenth Of July, the French national
holiday, which celebrates the fall of
the Bastille, just such q gesture toward
| republican government as that to
which Don Miranda himself was q
martyr.
That was the end Of republican rule
in South America. SPANS grip was
renewed on her colonies. But not for
long. The seeds Of liberty which George
Washington had raised to full growth
in the mind Of Miranda had been passed
on by him, and from George Washing
ton came the inspiration which, in a
few years, shook the grip Of Spain en-
ttrely on
For among those young students Don
Miranda had gathered about him In his
London days had been Simon Bolivar,
libe' or Of the northern states Of
So n America; San Martin, liberator
OF Argentina, and O'Higgins, liberator
! Of Chile