208] ANNUAL REGISTER, iS12. 



against the tyranny of the ambi- 

 tious. The enemies of liberty and 

 equality will endeavour to persuade 

 you, that the noble resolution with 

 which Caraccas detests tyrants, and 

 makes war against despots, is the 

 cause of this disaster, and that only 

 by changing your sentiments, and by 

 again bending yourself to the yoke 

 which you have shaken off, you 

 will appease the anger of the Al- 

 mighty. Such will certainly be 

 the language of tlie superstitious, 

 the ill-affected, and the enemy. 

 But, citizens, a true Christian, who 

 follows the doctrine of Jesus 

 Christ, divested of trifling preju- 

 dices and partial interests, will tell 

 you, that the earthquake had the 

 same origin as the various beauties 

 and horrors which are daily expe- 

 rienced by the human race in every 

 part of the globe — the necessary 

 operation of that nature which God 

 ordered so as to excite his creatures 

 to admire his omnipotence, to adore 

 him in his works, and to acknow- 

 ledge that men were not created 

 for the apparent felicity of this 

 life." All tlie rest of this address is 

 in the same manly and enlightened 

 strain, and does honour to the 

 composer, Dr. Miguel Jose Sanz, 

 vice-president of the representative 

 body. 



The evil consequences, however, 

 which were anticipated in the pro- 

 clamation, did not fail to take 

 place. The ecclesiastics inculcat- 

 ed the notion that the earthquake 

 was a punishment inflicted by 

 heaven on account of the pro- 

 vince's renunciation of its alle- 

 giance to Ferdinand VIL, and their 

 influence over a bigoted people, 

 now depressed from the severe 

 losses they had susiained, rendered 

 such an idea deeply impressive. A 



correspodence was entered into 

 by some persons of weight, with 

 the Spaniards in Porto Rico, and 

 with the royal army at Coro, com- 

 manded by General Monteverde. 

 Tiiis leader, taking advantage of 

 the discouragement and disunion 

 prevalent among the independent 

 party, and joined by a body of 

 troops from Maracaybo, entered 

 Valencia in April, without opposi- 

 tion. General Miranda and the 

 Congress, who had retired thither 

 after the earthquake, retreating be- 

 fore him. He thence advanced to 

 Mearani, which was evacuated by 

 Miranda, who withdrew to Vit- 

 toria. Other places submitted 

 without a struggle, apparently 

 wearied with the sacrifices de- 

 manded for maintaining their new- 

 ly-acquired freedom. In this emer- 

 gency, the states of the confedera- 

 tion had recourse to the desperate 

 expedient of creating a dictator in- 

 vested with unlimited powers, 

 which office they conferred on Mi- 

 randa in the month of May. He 

 issued a proclamation on the occa- 

 sion, in which he set forth the 

 perilous circumstances of the coun- 

 try, and the evils prevailing in the 

 commonwealth, of which the most 

 urgent was the total disorder of the 

 finances. He suggested some mea- 

 sures to be employed for the me- 

 lioration of their afi'airs, and so- 

 lemnly promised never to sheath 

 the sword till he had established 

 the liberty of Venezuela, and 

 avenged her of her enemies. 



Success still attended the royal- 

 ists, who, on July 6, took by sur- 

 prise the important harbour of 

 Porto Cavello. Miranda is thea said 

 to have agreed upon an armistice 

 which terminated in a secret ca- 

 pitulation. However that might 



be. 



