VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCV, Issue 10920, 31 March 1896, Page 2

VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT.

A SKETCH OP THE CAREER OF • • JOAQUIN CRESPO. ■ (Detroit 4Ve» Press.) GENERAL, CRESPO has held high civic positions by the suffrage of his country, and in every instance has home himself equal to every occasion. Two qualities have illustrated his remarkable career. He has been modest, and he hae been loyal to every cause and to his friends, and grateful to his benefactors. He has been public-spirited, too, and very progressive, furthering everything for the good of his country. His social, family and domestic life has been elevated and sincere. With his bold, positive character, he blends a cheerful geniality. "He draws the attachment and respect of those associated with him.

. President Crespo was born August 22, ■1.841, and is, therefore, fifty-four years old, and in the very prime of a vigorous middleaged manhood. Crespo’s early days were all spent where he was born, in Parapara, Guarico State, Venezuela, with i RUDIMENTARY EDUCATION INSTILLED INTO HIM. ' But in 1858, though only seventeen years old, young Crespo had his first war experience, fighting in the revolution of that year, and in the campaign of the Federation, under General Ezequiel Zamora, in 1859, in Guarico Uraqua, and the expedition to Carabobo, Cojedes, Portuguesa and Barenas. This campaign continued five years, and was marked by over twenty-five bloody engagements, in which Crespo participated, and was both captured and wounded ; but, in the words of his biographist, he rose grade by grade from a common soldier to full colonel by his services, his valour, his subordination and his loyalty. , ■ In 1864 the Federation was established with a free constitution, and Mariscal Falcon came into power, and Crespo, at twenty-three, became brigadier-general of the army of the republic, and chief of trOops in Guarico, and'deputy in the legislature to 1867, and one of the,'defenders of order. In 1867 there was a revolt of many Liberals against Mariscal Falcon under the blue banner, they joining - with the defeated centralists of 1863, who were pardoned, and many battles were fought, in all of which General Crespo served brilliantly, and at the end he was made major-general and deputy in Congress from Guarico State. General Monagas, elected president, died, and much anarchy ensued, in which the

old centralist controlled, and General Crespo gave evidence of his loyalty to his Liberal convictions by resigning his place in Congress when he found himself unable to cure the ills of the time, and retired to private life. In 1869 General Crespo RAISED THE STANDARD OF LIBERAL REVOLT in Guarico, and in the three years to the first part of 1872 he was chief of the army of Guarico, and civil and military chief of the State, fighting a dozen battles and making campaigns into the east and west, and co-operating with General Guzman t Blanco, provisional president of the Federation and general-in-chief of its armies. This was a most brilliant struggle against heavy odds and fine generals. Honours and evidences of appreciation poured upon Crespo. Ho organised the states of Guarico and Apuro. He was , given the sword of Zamora, a State capital was named for him, a medal voted him by the Legislature, and his name presented by.tnat body for the presidency of Venezuela.at the age of thirty-one years. He was first returned to Congress in 1873, and then elected president of, Guarico State. The governors of States are called presidents in.,Venezuela. A characteristic example of his self-abne-gation and patriotism was made by him. The Constitution was changed, making future terms of State Presidents tivo instead of four years. Though elected for four years. President Crespo sent a message to the Legislature renouncing two years of his term. And at the end of two years he retired to his farm, and devoted himself to successfully breaking up A BAND OF BANDITS CALLED “ ENCARBONADOS.” In October, 1874, General Leon Colina organised a large revolution in the city of Coro, proclaimed the old Constitution of

1864, and declared the deposition of President Blanco. General Crespo was named chief of the fifth corps of the army to , resist this revolution, and raised 3000 troops, opening the campaign, captured Cumarebo in February, 1875, and drove the matter to a conclusion. For this he was made senator in the national Congress. In August, 1876, Crespo was made Minister of War and Marino, and in the council of ministers he was chosen to act as president in the abence of President Blanco. And in that year the people of Guanca gave him their vote for President of Venezuela' spontaneously. His term as minister ended in 1877.

The new president. General F. L. Alcantara, that year honoured Crespo with the same appointment. But this executive began to immediately reverse the liberal , policy of Blanco, and arranged a con- j vention to restore the old constitu- ; tion, and made himself hostile to Crespo, attacking him in the Press. : Crespo was true and local to his old ■ friend Blanco and to the new constitution, i and he resigned, and issued two strong | pamphlets, and went to the English island j of Trinidad where with the Liberal leaders the Revolution Eeivindicadora was organ- i ised in 1878. President Alcantara sud- ! dently died and his natural brother, \ General J. G. Valera, took charge of the 1 Government. General Crespo hurried i home and with his foi’ces of Guarico, j cleared the situation, opening the ports of ' the republic in February, 1879, to the • Reivindicador army. General Guzman | Blanco arrived, and assumed the command j as , j SUPREME DIRECTOR of the National Reivindication, and General I Crespo was appointed civil and military | chief of the federal territory of Maracay and military delegate of the centre. Dr ; D. B. Urbaneja, minister of foreign rei a- j tions, was left by Blanco in charge, who j appointed Crespo war minister, which was i refused because Crespo in his fidelity to Blanco, would not leave the duty assigned him of preserving the peace in Maracay. Blanco returned in November, 1879. i In January, 1880, General Jose Pio Revollo, chief of the national forcrcs in Ciudad Bolivar, began a revolution against Blanco. Crespo raised 3500 troops 'in five days and put down the revolt, and Itevolla was degraded, and given ten years of suspension. For this service Congress, voted Crespo a medal with this inscription, “Fidelity, Valour and Loyalty.” In August, 1880; Crespo suppressed another revolutionary proceeding in Choroni. General Crespo put down still another trouble of this kind in Orituco. He seemed invincible in his work of subduing- these intestinal commotions, never failing of success. The constitution of 1881 w;as finally settled and, the State organized definitely under it, and General Crespo retired to private life. In 1881 General Crespo was elected deputy of the legislative House of the State Guzman Blanco, and tJien elected president of the State, and cm me thereby to exercise the presidency of hhe republic, and as such. President of th o Council of Administration. Thus autho rised, he put down two revolutionary move aients, one of General E. Urdaneta, in Aragua and Boliva, and one of Gene ral Juan A. Machada, in Guarico; in a ddition he attended to the centenary ex; Position of the Libertador Bolivar. He ref used in 1883 to let his name be used for Prc eident of Venezuela. That year, in Deer ember, his term closed, and the State Legisl jature placed his portrait in the saloon of ithe House. He was in January, 1884, aph jointed Minister of War and Marine, but i after five days’ service, was elected senat or in the National Congress. Congress oi i April 7, 1884, elected him member of tl ae Federal Council and then president of th a republic. crespo’s admiis istration

of the Venezuelan Pres.’ (deucy from 1884 to 1886 was a remarkable < one in every respect. The plague, fever pestilences and war occurred. But he pres sed the country forward, improved its r ailways, increased its telegraph lines and tf jlephones, bettered its postal service, bn?' .It improvements of common utility of f jvery kind, augmented schools, helped the universities, protected every interest, swe ,]led the public credit, paid public _ debts promptly, maintained the public dignity abroad, paid honours to foreign guests of [ distinction, and had young Venezuela ms educated in other countries in arts and industries. He also put down the revc dution of General Pulgar. Citizen Pedro Obregon Silva, of the Venezuelan press i, attacked Guzman Blanco, who was absent. General Crespo warmly defended his fri* end ; and he urged his election as preside? it, and Blanco was elected in 1886, while away, and elected through Crespo.

Here begun the events that led up to the revolution in* which General Crespo overthrew the Bb mco Government and became President luu iself. It is a story of dismal ingratitude c t Blanco to Crespo. As soon as Blanco arriv fid and took the reins he began to antagonij e and depreciate Crespo, treating him ip ith duplicity and treachery. Blanco had, been charged to be concerned in great aj , propriation of public funds. A conspiracy was formed against Crespo, whose her .esty.stood in the way. Blanco was said to have made millions out of certain U uited States concessionaries, some of the la? ‘ td granted being in the disputed territory embraced in the British-Vene-zuelan I. oundary issue. Senators were deceived. The public was deluded. It was claimec ! i that Dr Rojas Paul was chosen preside fit under circumstances of GREAT FRAUD AND WRONG. Gen oral Crespo spent some time abroad, retur? jing in 1889. In that year Miranda State elected him Senator in the national Cong yess, but he did not accept. The

Federal Council that elected Blanco President conferred on Crespo the title of “ Heroe del Deber.” The Congress of 1890 practically nullified the honour. Though Crespo was so popular with the masses and was the stand-by in the many revolutions, the centralistic leaders fought his liberal record and the issue became a death struggle between liberalism and centralistic usurpation.

Dr Raimundo Andueza Palacio was elected President by the Centralists' in 1890, and began work to overthrow the Liberal Constitution of 1891. General Crespo, in February, 1892, began his fight by publishing a notable document, attacking the policy of usurpation and Palacio, who, with a minority of thirty-six senators and deputies, promulgated the constitutional charges against the protest of a majority of forty-six representatives in Congress, who declared Andueza a traitor to the country and retired from the capital. This majority chose Crespo as Senator and named him as supreme chief of the national armies, in vindication of the sacred rights of the people invaded by THE AMBITIOUS USURPER. Andueza had a force of 12,000 soldiers, and 500 arrests were made. Crespo and his friends began their movements in the south of Guarico. General Tirado led Andueza’s forces. The Legislatures of the States of Los Andes and Zamora had refused to join in Andueza’s movement, and Crespo organised large forces in those and other States.

Crespo waged a vigorous campaign, surpassing the Andueza troops in strategy and fighting, and outgeneraled them. His army constantly grew in numbers. He got into rapport with leaders in every State. His plans were consummately conceived and executed. The war was vigorously waged on both sides. On August 9, 1892, Crespo attacked the enemy near Ciudad de Cura, and conquered in a very bloody battle. He captured then Valencia, the chief interior city, and immediately after the seaport of Puerto Cabello.

It is not necessary to follow the details of this revolution, or more properly this successful armed resistance to an attempted revolutionary political usurpation. On Oct. 6, 1892, General Pulido, commanding the Andueza forces, sent to Crespo a commission of peace to arrange a capitulation, and on Oct. 7 Crespo, the conqueror, entered and took possession of the capital, Caracas. Assuming command of the republic, he had the whole republic in peaceful quiet b_v Nov. 1. In the struggle 5000 were killed and 6000 wounded. CRESPO’S TRIUMPH was a remarkable achievement of militai’y skill. With an organised force of the Republic, the authority of the Government against him, and the Presidents of seven States in union with the usurping President, he had to create, organise, arm, equip, maintain and direct the successful army. His work of reorganising the civil government has been no less remarkable.

The National Constitutional Assembly of May 4, 1894, approved all of Crespo’s war acts, and voted him a sword of honour. To his successful civil and military career he adds as successful a business life. He is a man of wealth, amassed by judicious investment and the exercise of business sense and energy. He is a devoted husband and father, and a loyal friend." He is a very brave, a very able, and a very honest man, and can be depended upon to act wisely in the great matter now taking public thought.