| Show SIMON LIFE it was tom ochiltree the witty texan I 1 think who once said to his friends that he preferred more taffy while he lived and less epitaphs when he diel died if the long list of venezuelan leaders could have heard this remark they would have applauded it vociferously for very few of them have been permitted to live or die in peace or arf t v among their people while the capital of their country is decorated 3 with their monuments the public bato buildings have been embellished i with their careers most moat of them have died in exile or in prison cells mirandas last days were passed i in the prison on the island of centa spain bolivard Bo livars in a lonel lonely y cabin at santa marts marta colombia in banishment at new york mona gass gaa sinthe in the dungeon at maracaibo falcons at martinique and others that might be mentioned have died without mourners and been buried by the hands of aliens yet posterity has embalmed embalm ed their memories and done honor to their dust REVERENCE FOR FOB SIMON of all the men who have been conspicuous in venezuelan history simon bolivar stands first in the reverence of the people arid and j justly so for he was not only the liberator of his native land but of the four neighbouring neighbour ing republics of colombia ecuador peru and bolivia which was christened in his honor they have raised statues to him iu in mil the principal cities they have called statues and cities and provinces by his name and the standard coll coin of venezuela equal in value to td the french franc is called a boliver bolier pronounced bo lee ver the public veneration for his memory to ia even greater than that for washington and lincoln in the united states and the common people regard him as the peasants of russia regard peter the great in the museum at caracas is a room set apart like the holiest hollest of holies for the preservation and exhibition hibi tion of his relies relics collep twi at great gnat at expense in all parts of the world his correspondence has has been gathered the originals when possible and many codies from colombia ecuador peru bolivia the united states and the countries of europe and has been published at government expense in a series of volumes like the records of the war of the rebellion in the ahe united states every scrap of paper bearing his autograph all the orders he issued when in command of the armies of the struggling young republic every letter he wrote in his romantic and stormy life have been religiously preserved for the inspection of the people and a n d to inspire them with the patriotic sentiments he cherished the clothing he wore the dishes and pla plate te he used his camp sheet and writing desk his swords and revolvers his saddle and sash and boots his books 1 and papers pape rs even his coffin and the 1 pall that covered his remains when they were last laid to rest he was originally buried at santa marta where he died twelve years later the body was token to caracas with great ceremony and deposited in a chapel of the cathedral hut but his heart was first removed in an urn in the old church at santa marta where masses were first sung for the soul THE BODY IN THE then when guzman blanco erected a pantheon for the burial of the distinguished dead and sent agena i of the government to bring t 13 the bones of the patriots who had died in exile the remains of bolivar were for a second time removed and placed in a magnificent and impressive marble sepu sepulcher leher upon it is a statue of the hero represented as standing stan dinc in fia a listening attitude with a military cloak hanging from his bb shoulders and his hand band upon the hilt of his sword on one side is ie a statue of plenty scattering corn from a tray on the other one of juluce while in bas relief is a procession ot of female figures representing the arts and sciences the inscription tion upon the monument is SIMON BOLIVAR caneris hie condit honorat grata girata et demor patria 1852 there is another an equestrian statue to bolivar in the principal plaza of the city which ch is surrounded by the presidents president residence the cathedral the municipal buildings the foreign relations office and the ost office department this is a splendid splendid figure mounted upon a rearing horse like that of andrew jackson in lafayette square at washington and nearly every town of size in the country has done similar honor to the liberator in that mat branch of the museum which is devoted to his relies relics are two models tor monuments which were submitted several years ago when the government of colombia intended to erect one by the side of that of columbus upon the isthmus of panama there are also numerous portraits straits scattered through the pub ce he buildings some of them painted from life and others postmortem his bust in marble bronze and pter plaster is seen upon every hand and prints of his head are hung in almost every shop and residence thus as his face appears also upon all the paper money of the country and upon all the coins it is very MINIATURE OF washington one of the most highly valued pieces in the bolivar collection is a miniature of washington an original orinal nal painted on ivory by some ar asb whose name I 1 do not recall in an antique velvet case it t was wa I 1 presented to Boli bolivar vat in 1828 by ceorge washington parke custis of mount vernon and bears this inscription this picture of the liberator of north america is sent by his adopted son eon acquired ched equal glory in south america Bo livars birthplace is marked by a tablet of marble inscribed rs here was born SIMON BOLIVAR july the house is very near the center of the city of caracas across a narrow little plaza from the market and ad adjoins the little protestant shapel empei in its day it was one of the finest residences in the capital but it now stands in the business r bation Bc tion and like the old palace of von tte inquisition at carthagena is a tobacco factory in the collection at the museum jm bolivard Boli diplomas his commis ii Z slon sion as a lieutenant in the colonial army and the certificate of his enrollment roll ment in school in the parochial records record of the cathedral appears cism rs this quaint record of his bap cism after the fashion of those days in the city of mariana de caracas on 30 of july 1783 don juan felix jeres y elder with the permission given him by me the undersigned undersigner under signed curate of this holy cathedral baptized anointed and blessed simon jose antonio de la Sanctis sima trinidada child born on the lust legitimate son of don juan vincente bolivar and donna maria conception palacio y sojo ojo natives and citizens of this city his godfather was don fell ciano palacio y sojo to td whom the spiritual relationship and obligations were made known and to certify this act I 1 affix my signature date up supra manual antonio Ta jardo 11 FAMILY WERE GRANDEES Bo bolivard Boll livars vars family were rich they were among the hi dalgos t the he gran dees of the colony and came from the aristocracy of spain they owned a pretentious residence in caracas and large estates in different parts of the country one of their plantations was just outside the limits of the city an easy ride on horseback another that they owned and the most exclusive is is near victoria about half way between caracas and valencia and a third san matteo is near the latter city bolivar was received into the church when he was seven years old and the record of his confirmation is still shown he was educated in the rudimentary branches by don simon bodriguez a famous scholar of the time and a man of most eccentric habits a sort of local diogenes afterward he had several other tutors among them a capuchin monk named padre andujar who had great influence in the formation of his character his father died when he was three years old and his mother when he was fifteen don carlos Pal palacio aclo his maternal uncle became his guardian and the tru trustee of the large property which was divided between him and his two brothers when he was sixteen he was mustered in as a lieutenant of the militia and assigned to a re regiment 1 of which his father had for for many years been the commander when he was 18 years old in company with a tutor he made a voyage to cuba ibaan and mexico atthe at the latter place he lived in the house of the ma mar marqueda marquesa quesa bess uess de muada which is still standing and contains a portrait of the young traveler painted paint edat at this time and presented to his hostess as a memento it was on this voyage that the career of the liberator came very near being cut off as it was commencing the vessel upon which he sailed from vera cruz to havana was caught in a gale on the gulf and foundered but after living in peril for thirteen days its passengers and crew were rescued returning from this trip bolivar was sent to spain to complete his education and was received at court where his maternal family was in great favor there he had an adventure which in the light of events that have since transpired might be considered ominous the prince royal ferdinand and he were one day playing battle door and shuttlecock in the courtyard of the palace when they quarreled and the young republican struck the heir ap apparent rent to the throne of spain over tr the head with his bat this was a crime but the queen maria louisa who appears to have been a sensible woman insisted that he should not be punished because the prince in inviting bolivar to play had descended to his level and should take the consequences it was from ferdinand a few years after that bolivar wrested the colony of venezuela BOLIVAR IN EUROPE after spending some time at madrid bolivar made a tour of europe with his tutor and remained through the winter at paris where the great napoleon then first consul was just inaugurating the brilliant era of the restoration by reason of his wealth his social position and the letters of introduction he brought the young venezuelan secured admission to the court and attracted the notice of napoleon who several times conversed with him concerning south american affairs the youthful mind was profoundly impressed with the greatness as well as the condescension of the the little corporal and undoubtedly this incidental contact with the conqueror of europe furnished the foundation foghis for his career and awakened the ambition that was war never quelled or satisfied upon his return to madrid bolivar was married before he was 20 to the senorita teresa toro y alaiza and sailed balled for his home in caracas but ten months after his arrival his wife died the shadow of this sorrow hung over his whole life and he must have loved the woman devotedly for although he be was a man of social disposition and much courted by society because cau se of his wealth his talents and his prominence he never married ag again ain and left no one to bear his name the death of his wife also had a permanent aDent influence upon his ubbe FerM ic career even more perhaps than his impression of Napo napoleon relon for in a letter to a friend he once said that had bad she lived he would doubtless have been known only as the alcalde of san matteo instead of the libera ator of half a continent acif if I 1 had not been bereaved he wrote my iny life would have been very different I 1 loved her very much and at her death I 1 took an oath never again to marry I 1 abandoned my home borne and gave a ve myself up to my ambition ce the death of my wife placed me in the road of nitice politics and caused me to follow the chariot of mars instead of the plow of aeres 11 THE LAST OF THE the only living descendant or relative of bolivar is his nephew dort don JO jose se bolivar on an aged and childless man who now resides near the united states legation at caracas with a pension from the government ern ment with his death the name of the liberator disappears although he is reputed to have left many me illegitimate children much has been written by boll boli vars carls enemies concerning his relations with women and if one quarter k of it is true he was a notorious and k conscienceless roue even his biographer admits that he be was a man of licentious habits strong passion and inordinately fond of pleasure and their is an entire volume which was printed anonymously in paris in 1858 devoted exclusively to his adventures and amours it may be found in nearly every library of note in south america and has been widely read the bookis made up almost exclusively of letters 7 written by his associates to their friends recounting incidents in his career in venezuela colombia bolivia and peru and contains some of his own amorous correspondence pon dence with his mi nil stresses the title is dec deceptive ee t ive as i it reads me moires maires y documents Docu para de la independencia cia of senior bolivar and the pseudonym of the author LJ and compiler is 11 there is no good biography of the liberator in english nor in spanish for that matter for all the books about him have been written either by his devoted friends who deify him V or by his rivals and enemies who have endeavored to disparage his ki achievements or detract from his reputation the most impartial biography was written by dr law it afable and was published by E 0 jenkins new york in 1865 but the character of the man and there have hava been few abler statesmen or more accomplished N f courtiers or men of greater militar military genius can best be studied an and judged by reading the somewhat tedious official collection of his correspondence published by the government of venezuela AT THE FRENCH COURT after the death of his wife bolivar returned at once to europe taking her body with him and remained there for some years accompanied by his brother in law don fernando toro he went to paris and witnessed the triumph of napoleon saw him seated upon the imperial Imper lai throne and crowned as emperor he spent many weeks in the court at the tuileries Tuil eries and at the palaces of versailles and followed the emperor to milan where he saw his coronation asking as king of ital italy near castiglione L he witnessed the great review and followed the train of the emperor to florence rome borne and naples then he visited egypt egypt and returning to rome borne joined joine don simon rodriguez bodriguez his former tutor at caracas under whose instruction st he remained some time la in studying ancient history and the classics among the ruins of the eternal city it ft was then and there according to his own account and the corroborating testimony mony of rodriguez bodriguez he formed the plans that he followed in his after life fife and reached a determination to 7 give his strength his talents and his fortune to the liberation of his country seated one day up dpn an mount aventino sacrum he grasped the hand of his tutor and swore by that holy and historic land to devote the rest of his life to the freedom of venezuela proceeding to paris he made the acquaintance of baron von humboldt who had just returned from his first visit to south america and accompanied him to berlin where he assisted in the compilation of that distinguished scientists notes concerning venezuela then he visited hollan 1 and sailed from hamburg for the united states he visited boston new york niagara falls philadelphia baltimore washington mount vernon richmond and Charle charleston at the latter port he found a vessel about to leave for venezuela and took passage in her for home reaching caracas during the latter days of 1806 at the tomb of washington he is said to have taken a second oath of devotion to the cause of venezuelan independence and to have male made a vow to serve his country as he upon whose grave he stood had served the colonies of north america washington had then been dead some years but his widow was still surviving and lived at mount vernon vernen with her children at |
