France – The Pull Of The Land

Which is it?

February 10, 2021February 10, 2021 Richard Barnes

The Indian worker is poor, but he is free. His condition is preferable to that of the peasant in great parts of northern Europe …. — Alexander von Humboldt, circa 1800

… y el pobre en su choza, libertad pidió [And the poor man in his hovel, for freedom implored.]. — Venezuelan National Anthem, 1810

Well, which is it?

This blog has often referred to Humboldt (see Monster Aguirre and The Invention of Nature for but two allusions; the search bar will direct you to more). Humboldt was no royalist; he did not even pause for an irony alert to ponder that “modern”, progressive France denied him permits to travel for scientific inquiry, whereas obscurantist Spain did.

Nevertheless, he recognized that the poor in pre-revolutionary Spanish America were free and many were prosperous. He wrote that a Mexican peasant under the Spaniards earned five (5) times more than a peasant in India under the English. He further discovered that Nueva España (Mexico) provided twice more to Spain’s treasury than India, with 5-times the population, did to England’s. During his visit to Spanish America, Venezuelans consumed 189 pounds of meat per capita, compared to 163 pounds by Parisians. Mexicans consumed 363 pounds of bread per capita compared to 377 by Parisians. Miners earned 25 to 30 francs per week compared to 4 to 5 francs by Saxons.

Esquivel Obregón, a Mexican, wrote that a wage earner in his country could buy 38 hectoliters (a hectoliter is 100 liters) of corn and 2,300 kilograms of flour in 1800, but only 24 and 525, respectively, in 1908, after “independence.” These are not isolated figures, but they do signal the catastrophic decline of Spanish America’s standard of living and reflect the desolation caused by the “chimera of liberty”.

But no need to rely on a Humboldt or an Obregón. What did Simón Bolívar himself write in 1829, a year before he died?

“From one end to the other, the New World is an abyss of abomination; there is no good faith in [Spanish] America; treaties are mere paper; constitutions, books; elections, combat; liberty, anarchy; life, a torment. We’ve never been so disgraced as we are now. Before, we enjoyed good things; illusion is fed by chimera … we are tormented by bitter realities.”

So one must wrestle with the fact that “the poor man in his hovel” most certainly was not imploring for freedom. He was free and prosperous.

Much, much more was going on at the time, but the overarching canopy was the French Revolution and its atheistic concepts which sought to disparage all that went before, including one’s own history. A 19th century Colombian diplomat wrote perceptively,

“In the codices [Spain was notorious for documenting everything. These codices are treasure troves for those willing and able to research largely unread tomes waiting to be rediscovered] known by me, the history of the Conquest and of the vice-royalty was recorded…. Three centuries of a patriarchal empire whose glories were echoed in palaces, pulpits, taverns, Indian colloquiums, and in royal audiences…. Then the violent winds blew and our ship ran aground on the Oedipus reefs where the desire to assassinate the fathers, to destroy the moorings of common ethics and religion which bound diverse cultures and civilizations to one tongue, one culture, and one loyalty to common principles, exalted the passions and drove men to madness.”

That diplomat went on to say, “…the degree of destruction and depopulation experienced in these lands compares with my vehement desire that someone, one day will love the Truth enough to divulge what I have observed and written.”

Readers of this blog know that I love Venezuela, the land of my birth. It is a land of heartbreaking beauty and one that has absorbed many rivers of blood since the early 19th century and is even now suffering greatly. The way back to sanity, prosperity, liberty, and peace begins with the Truth.

Readers should also see significant parallels to current events in the United States. George Washington, in his Farewell Address, addressed similar matters as were addressed by that Colombian diplomat, including the need for a common religion and common culture to bind together diverse peoples. The current, unbridled rush to deny anything good in our founding, and especially to denigrate our common religion, is very similar to the temper which became prevalent in Spanish American elite circles in the early 1800’s.

In both, Truth is the first casualty and all else follows, beginning with ordered liberty.

To restore and preserve our ordered liberty, we must recover and speak the Truth. Pilate tarried not for an answer when he asked, “What is truth?”, but turned away from Truth Personified, Who stood before him.

Unlike Pilate who inquired and did not await for a reply, we must do differently.

And the Truth will set us free.

17th century Spanish American art from Peru

“Are They Natural?” — Charles Lindbergh in Venezuela

August 6, 2020August 6, 2020 Richard Barnes

On May 21, 1927, not far from Paris, France, the first modern traffic jam developed.

Colonel Charles Lindbergh, having flown for 33 hours and 30 minutes, and not having slept for 55 hours, touched down and was instantly swarmed by tens of thousands (some estimates range up to a million) of men, women, and children, all seeking to see, touch, embrace, and take mementos from the man and his plane. Incredibly, only 10 people were hospitalized. Parisians feted Mr. Lindbergh like no one else before. By the end of the week, millions (no debate on this estimate) had seen or greeted him as he was driven from ceremonies, to banquets, to historical sites, such as the Champs-Élysées. Throughout, the twenty-five-year-old pilot behaved with modest aplomb and his speeches were gems of diplomacy.

The adulation and joy followed Mr. Lindbergh to Brussels and London, where the behavior and lionization exhibited by the phlegmatic British could not be distinguished from that of the exuberant French.

By mid-June, Charles Lindbergh was back in his own country, where New York City feted him with a ticker tape parade in which several millions joined in the celebration.

President Coolidge, whose July 4th, 1926 speech on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (see here) evinced a disquietude with the spiritual reality of the country, and who urged a return to eternal verities, apparently saw in the young pilot something of a personification of what he had in mind. Below is the transcript of President Coolidge’s welcome and Charles Lindbergh’s response before a large crowd in Washington, D.C.:

Calvin Coolidge: On behalf of his own people, who have a deep affection for him, and have been thrilled by his splendid achievements, and as President of the United States, I bestow the distinguished Flying Cross, as a symbol of appreciation for what he is and what he has done, upon Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh.

[Applause]

Intelligent, industrious, energetic, dependable, purposeful, alert, quick of reaction, serious, deliberate, stable, efficient, kind, modest, congenial, a man of good moral habits and regular in his business transactions.

[Applause]

Charles Lindbergh: When I landed at le Bourget, a few weeks ago, I landed with the expectancy, and the hope, of being able to see Europe. [Laughter and applause]. It was the first time I had ever been abroad [Laughter], and I wasn’t in any hurry to get back [Laughter and applause]. And I was informed, that while it wasn’t an order to come back home [laughter], that there’d be a battleship waiting for me next week. [Laughter and applause].

President Coolidge requested Lindbergh, who the world saw as an embodiment of America, to fly to South America as a goodwill ambassador for the United States. Lindbergh did so, taking off on December 1, 1927, on the famed Spirit of St. Louis, the same plane he flew across the Atlantic Ocean. His itinerary took him to Mexico City, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Tegucigalpa, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Cartagena, Bogota, and Maracay (Venezuela), where he touched ground on January 29, 1928.

Although Caracas was the capital of Venezuela, the president, General Juan Vicente Gómez (see here and here) had made his home in Maracay, about 75 miles west. And that is where Lindbergh landed and where he was met by Gómez. But, first, he had flown over the capital city where enormous crowds had gathered in plazas, streets, and balconies, cheering loudly and waving frantically. In this, Venezuelans behaved like Parisians, Londoners, and New Yorkers.

Along with the crowds from Maracay and multitudes from Valencia, Puerto Cabello, and Caracas, innumerable automobiles invaded the roads converging towards the airport, creating Venezuela’s first massive traffic jam, immovable since the early afternoon. Many of the cars’ hoods displayed the national colors of Venezuela and the United States. By the time the plane landed, the airport was encircled by vast and loud multitudes, who gave the Águila Solitaria (Lone Eagle) an apotheotic reception.

The president himself walked to the hangars urging the crowds to give distance to the plane. Colonel Lindbergh had stayed a few minutes in the hangar, checking his plane’s fuselage and engine. The president’s entourage, seeking favor (a common phenomenon in all countries), expressed “concern” to the chief of staff that the American was being rude. But the chief brushed them aside, reminding them that President Gómez respected a man who “first took care of his horse”. This was true of Gómez. He was known to enjoy and to converse and seek good counsel on ranching and cattle breeding.

Two of Gómez’s daughters came forward and handed a magnificent bouquet of tropical flowers to the the famous aviator. “Are they natural?”, he asked. The president replied, “Yes, they are, but they are recognized and come from good families.”

This anecdote quickly made the rounds throughout the country, as the president had 74 children from numerous concubines. Lindbergh was referring to the flowers; however, depending on context, natural also refers to the status of children, in which case the word alludes to offspring of an unmarried couple. These become “legitimate” once the couple marries. It was in this sense that Gómez had understood the question, and he wanted to make clear that he “recognized” his daughters, having given them his name. But Gómez genuinely liked Lindbergh and no offense was taken, as none was intended.

The next day had been declared a national holiday, with Lindbergh being feted and honored in Maracay and Caracas, where he laid flowers adorned with Venezuelan and US flags at Simon Bolivar’s grave. Upon exiting the National Pantheon, he was instantly greeted with deafening ovations by the thousands who had gathered to see the American hero. The festivities culminated in a sumptuous banquet and dance in Caracas. Lindbergh did not dance, but, as in Paris and London, he was a gracious guest.

On January 31, 1928, the third day after having arrived, he took flight again and, after visits to St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Port-au-Prince, Havana, he flew back to St. Louis.

Upon Lindbergh’s departure, Presidents Coolidge and Gómez exchanged warm greetings by diplomatic cable and Lindbergh himself wrote the following farewell:

I wish to give my thanks to President Gómez, to the officials of the army, to the functionaries of the government, and to the people of Venezuela, for the heartfelt reception they have so graciously given me during my visit and I also wish to express my gratitude to the press for their cooperation.

I am very impressed with the efficient manner in which the Corps of Venezuelan Aviation prepared the landing field and for the warm manners and gracious behavior of the people of Venezuela towards me.

Colonel Lindbergh returned to Venezuela in September of 1929, inaugurating the first experimental flight of Pan American Airways on a Sikorsky S-38.

The Spirit of St. Louis was donated by Charles Lindbergh and is displayed in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The aluminum exterior of the plane reflects the national ensigns of all the countries visited by the young man. Among those ensigns is the flag of Venezuela.

With the President of Venezuela, General Juan Vicente Gómez, January 29, 1928

Charles A. Lindbergh posing with the *Spirit of St. Louis*

Madrina

March 29, 2019April 20, 2019 Richard Barnes

In today’s quick-paced Western world, hand-written letters are a lost art. Why would anyone write a letter when email…no, wait! That’s just as anachronistic. Texting is more efficient. And, for good measure, be sure to use acronyms AMAP!*

Over a recent weekend as I was going through some old documents searching for Bethlehem Steel correspondence, I found a less ancient recent letter that I had inadvertently filed among them.

The letter is dated March 21, 1995, but was actually completed about two weeks later, as it was written over a space of over ten days. It was from my godmother, known as madrina in Spanish, who wrote me after she had received our 1994 Christmas letter and photo. She lived in the interior of Venezuela and passed away a few years ago; an event which saddened me deeply.

The letter is written over eight pages in beautiful, flowing longhand script. It is thoughtful, funny, sincere, and, most importantly, loving. The letter writer had schooling: three grades. Plus six months’ secretarial school. I mean no offense or disrespect to my fellow college-educated friends but she was more educated — truly educated — than most of us.

Her nephew was one of my best early childhood friends. Whenever I think of him, I think of the classic carousel humming top. He and I would dedicate much time of play spinning that thing. We each had one and “competed”. Not sure on what basis we kept score. But we did.

As a child, I addressed her as “Tía C__L__”. And I addressed her thusly the very last time I visited with her in 2005, when her mind had begun to noticeably fail. She lived another nine years after that, passing away in 2014.

The perceptive reader will note how loving and also how prescient she was.

Here are some excerpts:

“My dear nephew….

“I pray to the Lord that you are well and in union with your family and I also ask God that He might bless you with good health, peace, and wellbeing in this new year that began not too long ago. Amen…..

I’ll tell you that I received your letter in mid-February and it was stamped in Texas in December, 1994. Almost two months to arrive in my hands. This happens all-too-frequently in our country; mail arrives in Venezuela quickly, but there is far too much neglect….”

“Ricky, my dear son, this aunt of yours would so much like to … and know all that happens in your family. The mischiefs, anecdotes, and the rest of the acts of the “gang’ and in general of every one of you all.”

“I believe my memory is beginning to fail me. I think I’ll have to consult with a doctor to see if he can help me with a given medication. Sometimes I have difficulties maintaining a conversation because I forget a word or two or the name of a person or thing. This worries me and makes me feel bad. But I am fully conscious that this is the work of the ‘almanac’ which promotes havoc as time goes by.”….

“Ah! Lillian, a little birdie told me that, soon, God willing, another baby will arrive. Is it true? If so, may it please the Lord God that all goes well and that a little sister may arrive to accompany Elizabeth… [to Elizabeth’s dismay, it turned out to be another boy, Nathan. But the next birth was indeed a sister, Esther — RMB].”

“The truth, daughter, is that children are a blessing from God and are the joy of life for loving couples. That’s how I see it.”….

“Today, the third of April, I have heard on the noon news that a major embezzlement was discovered in SIDOR [the large steel works operation in Guayana, Venezuela’s interior. Refer to post, Guayana The Reverse Miracle — RMB]. I will be following this event. Our country fell into disgrace ever since the [mining industry was expropriated] during the time that Colombian [his opponents denied he was born in Venezuela — RMB], Carlos Andrés Pérez ruled, and the fanaticism of the political masses re-elected him [twenty years later] so he could finish the job of destruction. Now the people … expect the new administration to perform miracles in little time.”

[She, like many Venezuelans, was very frank in her assessments of all political leaders and parties — RMB]….

“Please forgive me for commenting on all this…. It hurts me that my country, so beautiful and with so much treasure in its soil, a country which should be at the top of the list of the world’s industrialized and developed countries is in such a disastrous condition. How far from today’s conscience are the writings of our Libertador, Simón Bolivar. No one even considers him or hearkens to him…. Unfortunately, in my thinking, none of those who have governed Venezuela have loved her in truth.”

In my godmother you can see and hear “the Spain” in the people of Venezuela — the courtesy, the simple erudition, the warmth, the transparency — and, in her regard for Bolivar, you can also sense “the France”. Finally, in her recognition of the corruption of her country’s leaders — “none … have loved her in truth” — you can see the inchoate recognition that something was wrong and had been wrong for a long time. These thoughts will be developed as we continue posting over the coming months.

I miss you, dear Tía.

*As much as possible.