I inclose herewith a copy of the message of General Guzman Blanco, as
Provisional President, to this Congress, as the same appears in Gaceta
Oficial of the 8th instant, together with a translation thereof. * * *
As tending to affect foreign commerce with this country, I draw your special
attention to that part of the message which contingently recommends the
closure of the ports of Maracaibo, Coro, and Ciudad Bolivar; substituting
for the first two the port of Puerto Cabello, and for the last the port of
Carúpano—or, the establishment of differential duties, as stated in the
message. The closure of the port of Ciudad Bolivar, with substitution of
Carúpano, would virtually be, as I apprehend it, the closure of the Orinoco
against foreign trade, which would certainly be a strange recompense for the
patriotism with which the same message credits the State of Guayana.
I have to add that according to the Opinion Nacional of the 13th instant, the
houses of Congress on that day scrutinized the elections for President of
the republic, with the announcement of the result that the twenty States of
the union had voted for General Guzman Blanco 5 and that, according to the
same paper of the 17th instant, General Guzman Blanco on that day qualified
as President.
[Inclosure in No. 210.—Translation from
“Gaceta Oficial” of March 8, 1880.]
Message of General Guzman Blanco, Illustrious
American, Pacificator, Regenerator, and Provisional President of the
United States of Venezuela, &c., &c.,
&c., to the Constitutional Congress of
1880.
Citizen Senators, Citizen Deputies: Your
installation in Congress is a cause for national rejoicing, upon which I
felicitate you and felicitate myself.
You come to seal that which the States of the union, represented in the
Congress of plenipotentiaries, left established as the base of the
Venezuelan federation. A great task, but one to which your patriotism
and loyalty will correspond; yielding a fundamental compact which
guarantees liberty and secures order, both producing the stability of
the republic.
The Congress of plenipotentiaries of the States decided and fixed the two
capital points which interpenetrate the constitutional reform. With full
powers it has established the reduction of the present 20 States to the
7 great States of the future, and the formation of an absolutely
impersonal executive power, with a federative council composed of two
deputies for each one of the representations of the popular majorities,
and one senator for each one of the seven autonomies, this body having
the power to designate every two years who of its number may have to
exercise the Presidency of the union, subject to the deliberative vote
of the council in all that may not be purely administrative.
According to the compact of the Congress of the plenipotentiaries, the
seven great States will be composed of groupings of the former twenty,
except Guayana and Zulia, which will preserve their present status. The
sections which enter into the formation of each great State must retain
their proper interior autonomy, and elect their governors and the
members for the legislature of the great State; and in its turn, each
district of those which form the section will elect its prefect or civil
chief, and its municipality. Thus the federative principle, combined
with the popular vote, will extend to the municipality, which is base
and point of departure in political organization according to the
federal doctrine.
The States being organized in the course of the present year, in the next
the first constitutional elections will take place in each locality,
together with the national elections which the Chambers of 188I have to
decree, conformably to the new compact; so that in 1882 the Congress may
elect the federal council, representative of the popular majorities and
of the autonomy of the States—a council which will then designate who of
its number may have to exercise the functions of President.
On the 12th of May last year I charged myself with the provisional
Presidency, conformably to the election of the congress of
plenipotentiaries; I convoked the people to elections, and proceeded to
reorganize the public administration, after which I absented myself from
the country, using the permission which I solicited and which was
accorded to me, in order to conduct abroad negotiations of transcendent
interest for the future of the republic, of which the minister of state
will give you an account, and, above all, in order not to influence
directly or indirectly the elections which took place from August to
October last.
On my return I found the republic in the best conditions of stability, so
that the recent disturbance hardly lasted fifteen days, although it had
commenced by a garrison mutiny in a distant part of the republic;
although the government had just retired all the army, and reduced the
permanent force of the whole union to only 2,100 men. The news of the
occurrence at Ciudad Bolivar had hardly become known when all the
population of the east, of their own will, repaired to the great town to
ask arms of the authorities; and when the national delegate arrived with
arms and supplies at Barcelona, he only had to organize the bodies, arm
them, and put them on the road.
A strong squadron was got ready for sea in ten days, and proceeded to the
Orinoco; but patriotism and public opinion in the State of Guayana are
such that I have had to countermand the orders to both the army and the
squadron, because the State has sufficed in itself, has armed 2,000 men
in number, equipped a squadron, and by the river and by land fallen on
the rebels and made them prisoners. Order and law have been
re-established since the 18th ultimo in Guayana.
The scandalous occurrence at Ciudad Bolivar produced four guerrilla
bodies in the State of Bolivar, as many others in Guzman Blanco, and two
in Carabobo. In thirty-six hours the government had 3,000 volunteers in
the State of Bolivar pursuing the disturbers, and 3,500 in the State of
Guzman Blanco, and about 1,000 in Carabobo, notwithstanding that the
insensate gang was there insignificant in the extreme.
From Curacao there came some of these disreputable men, who, instead of
being in their homes enjoying the peace, the liberty, and the progress
of their country, prefer to live in expectancy of any kind of agitation;
and as they have not up to the present time approached any point of the
coast, it is now probable that they may have to return for asylum to the
same or to some other West Indian island.
Also from Trinidad went out another group of ringleaders, principal
factors of the movement at Ciudad Bolivar, who had to return as
fugitives, covered with ridicule
[Page 1036]
and shame; for notwithstanding their
precipitation, and the possession of a steamer, they found the Orinoco
intercepted by the loyal and patriotic Guayanians.
As you see, our civil war once more owes its origin to the insidious
asylums which, with satanic impassibility, the inhabitants of the
islands of Curacao and Trinidad accord to the enemies of the peace of
Venezuela; and it is my duty, my imperative duty, to advise the Congress
of the republic of such persevering and systematic hostility on the part
of both neighboring Antilles, and to ask one of two measures as a
remedy: to close the ports of Maracaibo, Coro, and Ciudad Bolivar,
merging the two first in that of Puerto Cabello, and the second in that
of Carupano, or to establish differential duties, which may burden the
importation of the Antilles and protect the direct commerce of Europe
and the United States.
Thus may be met the contingency of the claims which the government
substantiates, in order to bring them to the consideration of the
government of both these islands, not being heeded, as they should be
for the efficacious guarantee of our permanent tranquility.
This melancholy revolutionary craze, although lamentable on other
accounts, will result very favorably for the solid stability of the
future. In the general and sudden uprising of the national will—the
people revindicating their sovereignty—the interests of the clubs and
leaders of the two years’ government were swept away; and as events have
run their course in a manner entirely national, these persons and these
clubs appealed to arms, believing that they could impose themselves on
the republic by violence; but being so few, and being so discredited,
they have succumbed wherever they have appeared before the patriotic and
energetic resolution and unanimity of the people.
In this process of purification of the popular cause, the few bad designs
which menaced it have been eliminated; and it finds itself, after all,
much grander, stronger, and more secure of the future of the country for
which it can now answer.
Very painful have been these events, more than all for the reason that
two millions of bolivars, which had already accumulated for roads,
schools, and immigration, I have seen myself obliged to employ on
soldiers for the defense of that peace which is the starting-point of
all progress and of all possible development, all of which at the same
time serves to show that we shall lose a half year more before we can
again be in a condition to devote the energies of the administration
with sufficient revenue to the progress of the republic.
On the other hand, I foresee spacious horizons of peace, of liberty, of
order, and progress; for, these pernicious elements being now
annihilated, the republic must remain so perfectly consolidated that the
new constitution will go into effect without a single obstacle, and the
future will be perfectly stable, the logical effect of the conciliation
of liberty and order, sustained by the patriotism of all
Venezuelans.
Caracas, March 7,
1880.
GUZMAN BLANCO.
