the hispanic nations of the new world-第22章

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　Once　in　power；　they　hunted　their　enemies　down　until　order　under　a　dictator　could　be　restored。　The　military　President　who　assumed　power　in　1876　was　too　radical　to　suit　the　clericals　and　too　clerical　to　suit　the　radicals。　Accordingly　his　opponents　decided　to　make　the　contest　three…cornered　by　fighting　the　dictator　and　one　another。　When　the　President　had　been　forced　out；　a　conservative　took　charge　until　parties　of　bushwhackers　and　mutinous　soldiers　were　able　to　install　a　military　leader；　whose　retention　of　power　was　brief。　In　1888　another　conservative；　who　had　been　absent　from　the　country　when　elected　and　who　was　an　adept　in　law　and　diplomacy；　managed　to　win　sufficient　support　from　all　three　factions　to　retain　office　for　the　constitutional　period。

In　Colombia　a　financial　crisis　had　been　approaching　ever　since　the　price　of　coffee；　cocoa；　and　other　Colombian　products　had　fallen　in　the　European　markets。　This　decrease　had　caused　a　serious　diminution　in　the　export　trade　and　had　forced　gold　and　silver　practically　out　of　circulation。　At　the　same　time　the　various　〃states〃　were　increasing　their　powers　at　the　expense　of　the　federal　Government；　and　the　country　was　rent　by　factions。　In　order　to　give　the　republic　a　thoroughly　centralized　administration　which　would　restore　financial　confidence　and　bring　back　the　influence　of　the　Church　as　a　social　and　political　factor；　a　genuine　revolution；　which　was　started　in　1876；　eventually　put　an　end　to　both　radicalism　and　states'　rights。　At　the　outset　Rafael　Nunez；　the　unitary　and　clerical　candidate　and　a　lawyer　by　profession；　was　beaten　on　the　field；　but　at　a　subsequent　election　he　obtained　the　requisite　number　of　votes　and；　in　1880；　assumed　the　presidency。　That　the　loser　in　war　should　become　the　victor　in　peace　showed　the　futility　of　bloodshed　in　such　revolutions。

Not　until　Nunez　came　into　office　again　did　he　feel　himself　strong　enough　to　uproot　altogether　the　radicalism　and　disunion　which　had　flourished　since　1860。　Ignoring　the　national　Legislature；　he　called　a　Congress　of　his　own；　which　in　1886　framed　a　constitution　that　converted　the　〃sovereign　states〃　into　〃departments；〃　or　mere　administrative　districts；　to　be　ruled　as　the　national　Government　saw　fit。　Further；　the　presidential　term　was　lengthened　from　two　years　to　six；　and　the　name　of　the　country　was　changed；　finally；　to　〃Republic　of　Colombia。〃　Two　years　later　the　power　of　the　Church　was　strengthened　by　a　concordat　with　the　Pope。

Venezuela　on　its　part　had　undergone　changes　no　less　marked。　A　liberal　constitution　promulgated　in　1864　had　provided　for　the　reorganization　of　the　country　on　a　federal　basis。　The　name　chosen　for　the　republic　was　〃United　States　of　Venezuela。〃　More　than　that；　it　had　anticipated　Mexico　and　Guatemala　in　being　the　first　of　the　Hispanic　nations　to　witness　the　establishment　of　a　presidential　autocracy　of　the　continuous　and　enlightened　type。

Antonio　Guzman　Blanco　was　the　man　who　imposed　upon　Venezuela　for　about　nineteen　years　a　regime　of　obedience　to　law；　and；　to　some　extent；　of　modern　ideas　of　administration　such　as　the　country　had　never　known　before。　A　person　of　much　versatility；　he　had　studied　medicine　and　law　before　he　became　a　soldier　and　a　politician。　Later　he　displayed　another　kind　of　versatility　by　letting　henchmen　hold　the　presidential　office　while　he　remained　the　power　behind　the　throne。　Endowed　with　a　masterful　will　and　a　pronounced　taste　for　minute　supervision；　he　had　exactly　the　ability　necessary　to　rule　Venezuela　wisely　and　well。

Amid　considerable　opposition　he　began；　in　1870；　the　first　of　his　three　periods　of　administrationthe　Septennium；　as　it　was　termed。　The　〃sovereign〃　states　he　governed　through　〃sovereign〃　officials　of　his　own　selection。　He　stopped　the　plundering　of　farms　and　the　dragging　of　laborers　off　to　military　service。　He　established　in　Venezuela　an　excellent　monetary　system。　Great　sums　were　expended　in　the　erection　of　public　and　private　buildings　and　in　the　embellishment　of　Caracas。　European　capital　and　immigration　were　encouraged　to　venture　into　a　country　hitherto　so　torn　by　chronic　disorder　as　to　deprive　both　labor　and　property　of　all　guarantees。　Roads；　railways；　and　telegraph　lines　were　constructed。　The　ministers　of　the　Church　were　rendered　submissive　to　the　civil　power。　Primary　education　became　alike　free　and　compulsory。　As　the　phrase　went；　Guzman　Blanco　〃taught　Venezuela　to　read。〃　At　the　end　of　his　term　of　office　he　went　into　voluntary　retirement。

In　1879　Guzman　Blanco　put　himself　at　the　head　of　a　movement　which　he　called　a　〃revolution　of　replevin〃which　meant；　presumably；　that　he　was　opposed　to　presidential　〃continuism；〃　and　in　favor　of　republican　institutions！　Although　a　constitution　promulgated　in　1881　fixed　the　chief　magistrate's　term　of　office　at　two　years；　the　success　which　Guzman　Blanco　had　attained　enabled　him　to　control　affairs　for　five　yearsthe　Quinquennium；　as　it　was　called。　Thereupon　he　procured　his　appointment　to　a　diplomatic　post　in　Europe；　but　the　popular　demand　for　his　presence　was　too　strong　for　him　to　remain　away。　In　1886　he　was　elected　by　acclamation。　He　held　office　two　years　more　and　then；　finding　that　his　influence　had　waned；　he　left　Venezuela　for　good。　Whatever　his　faults　in　other　respects；　Guzman　Blancobe　it　said　to　his　credit　tried　to　destroy　the　pest　of　periodical　revolutions　in　his　country。　Thanks　to　his　vigorous　suppression　of　these　uprisings；　some　years　of　at　least　comparative　security　were　made　possible。　More　than　any　other　President　the　nation　had　ever　had；　he　was　entitled　to　the　distinction　of　having　been　a　benefactor；　if　not　altogether　a　regenerator；　of　his　native　land。



CHAPTER　VIII。　〃ON　THE　MARGIN　OF　INTERNATIONAL　LIFE〃

During　the　period　from　1889　to　1907　two　incidents　revealed　the　standing　that　the　republics　of　Hispanic　America　had　now　acquired　in　the　world　at　large。　In　1889　at　Washington；　and　later　in　their　own　capital　cities；　they　met　with　the　United　States　in　council。　In　1899；　and　again　in　1907；　they　joined　their　great　northern　neighbor　and　the　nations　of　Europe　and　Asia　at　The　Hague　for　deliberation　on　mutual　concerns；　and　they　were　admitted　to　an　international　fellowship　and　cooperation　far　beyond　a　mere　recognition　of　their　independence　and　a　formal　interchange　of　diplomats　and　consuls。

Since　attempts　of　the　Hispanic　countries　themselves　to　realize　the　aims　of　Bolivar　in　calling　the　Congress　at　Panama　had　failed；　the　United　States　now　undertook　to　call　into　existence　a　sort　of　inter…American　Congress。　Instead　of　being　merely　a　supporter；　the　great　republic　of　the　north　had　resolved　to　become　the　director　of　the　movement　for　greater　solidarity　in　thought　and　action。　By　linking　up　the　concerns　of　the　Hispanic　nations　with　its　own　destinies　it　would　assert　not　so　much　its　position　as　guardian　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine　as　its　headship；　if　not　its　actual　dominance；　in　the　New　World；　and　would　so　widen　the　bounds　of　its　political　and　commercial　influence　…　a　tendency　known　as　〃imperialism。〃　Such　was　the　way；　at　least；　in　which　the　Hispanic　republics　came　to　view　the　action　of　the　〃Colossus　of　the　North〃　in　inviting　them　to　participate　in　an　assemblage　meeting　more　or　less　periodically　and　termed　officially　the　〃International　Conference　of　American　States；〃　and　popularly　the　〃Pan…American　Conference。〃

Whether　the　mistrust　the　smaller　countries　felt　at　the　outset　was　lessened　in　any　degree　by　the　attendance　of　their　delegates　at　the　sessions　of　this　conference　remains　open　to　question。　Although　these　representatives；　in　common　with　their　colleagues　from　the　United　States；　assented　to　a　variety　of　conventions　and　passed　a　much　larger　number　of　resolutions；　their　acquiescence　seemed　due　to　a　desire　to　gratify　their　powerful　associate；　rather　than　to　a　belief　in　the　possible　utility　of　such　measures。　The　experience　of　the　earlier　gatherings　had　demonstrated　that　political　issues　would　have　to　be　excluded　from　consideration。　Propositions；　for　example；　such　as　that　to　extend　the　basic　idea　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine　into　a　sort　of　self…denying　ordinance；　under　which　all　the　nations　of　America　should　agree　to　abstain　thereafter　from　acquiring　any　part　of　one　another's　territory　by　conquest；　and　to　adopt；　also；　the　principle　of　compulsory　arbitration；　proved