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General Monágas having been deposed in March, 1858, repeated invitations were dispatched, by the Provisional Government, to Paez, entreating his return; and, after much cautious hesitation, he resolved, in the following September, to comply with the request. Subsequent events belong rather to the chronology of the day than to the page of history we have thrown open here.
During the time we sat at table, I heard anecdotes of most of the chief leaders of the patriot as also of the Royalist forces. Of the former the two principal men were, Don Simon Bolivar, a man of good birth and education; and Jose Paez, who, belonging to the humblest rank of life, had been brought up among the hardy llaneros of the Apure.
Our treaty with Venezuela is faithfully carried into execution, and that country, in the enjoyment of tranquillity, is gradually advancing in prosperity under the guidance of its present distinguished President, General Paez. With Ecuador a liberal commercial convention has lately been concluded, which will be transmitted to the Senate at an early day.
Only partially disturbed by a military insurrection, headed by the turbulent General José T. Monágas, which was soon suppressed, the administration of Paez was such as surprised all lookers-on in America and Europe. He displayed administrative talents of a high order, with all the firmness and resolution of a soldier, yet with all the business capacity and peaceful proclivities of a civilian.
As the major, however, had defended himself bravely, Paez gave him quarter, a favour neither he nor his llaneros were in the habit of granting to their foes. On another occasion, one of his men brought in as prisoner a Spanish hussar of the regiment of Fernando the Seventh, who, in order to appear more terrific, wore long beards. "Why did you grant him quarter?" inquired Paez.
Come along. You are a foreigner, and any kind of good Mexican ghost won't like you." Whether she herself did so or not, she led the way, and no lamp was as yet needed, although the day was nearly over and the shadows were coming. Up-stairs they went and through a short passageway in the second story of the Paez mansion, and they were almost in the dark when she said to him: "Here we are.
He was thus doubly beloved of his troops, since it was these qualities, of course, which appealed to them more than the military strategy of which he gave such marked evidence. On one occasion, when accompanied by very few of his own troops, Paez rode up to a powerful body of Royalist cavalry.
"I know enough to see that it isn't a good thing for Señora Paez to have me in the house. She has troubles enough of her own. So has Señora Tassara. If an enemy of theirs found that they had a gringo here, it would make things worse for them. They've been real good to me, but I want to go with you." "Right!" said the general.
Thus started the endless chain of civil revolutions in independent Latin America. Santander wrote to the Libertador asking him to help save the country from revolution. Paez also sent a communication to him, in which he complained against vice-president Santander. Bolivar decided to return at once to his country, but he met with strong opposition on the part of the Peruvian authorities and people.
On one occasion he overtook in a skirmish a Spanish major of cavalry, who defended himself bravely; but when Paez was in the act of running his lance through him, he exclaimed, "O general! had you not been better mounted than I am, I should have overmatched you." "If you think so," exclaimed the gallant Paez, "we will exchange horses, and renew the fight."
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