VENEZUELA. 54 United States Congressional documents for 18iU-U<J. Internally the close of 1897 witnessed the be- ginning of a period of political turmoil in Ven- ezuela. In September of that year General Ignacio Andrade was chosen President, to be in- augurated in the following Februarj-, and im- mediately after the election a plot against him, engineered by Sefior Hernandez, was discovered. A revolt followed, but it was crushed. In the summer of 1899 General Cipriano Castro led a revolt, defeated the Government troops in a series of sharp engagements, and in October entered Caracas at the head of an army and proclaimed himself provisional President. Andrade fled and the revolutionary Government was securely estab- lished, but hostilities were continued throughout 1900. In March, 1901, Castro was elected Presi- dent by the Venezuelan Congress to fill out An- drade's unexpired term. With the renewal of the Liberal revolt in Colombia, in the success of which Castro was interested, disturbances in- creased in Western Venezuela and there was more or less actual fighting between Venezuela and Colombian troops, although war was not officially declared. In Venezuela itself innumerable in- surrections, directed by the Conservative leader, Matos, from his retreat in Trinidad, occurred in every part of the country, and it was probably only these troubles at home that deterred Castro from declaring war on Colombia. During the first ten months of 1902 the rebels fought on with varying success. In September the Castro CJovernment appeared to be on the point of fall- ing, but after a three days' battle near Victoria on October I3th the revolutionists were signally defeated and their army dispersed. Almost im- mediately the international complications which had been threatening for several years reached a crisis. For some time France, Germany, CJreat Britain, and other countries had been pressing for the satisfaction of certain claims, resulting from a great variety of causes, including losses to the property of foreign residents throvigh the successive revolutions, and the non-payment of principal and interest on debts contracted for pul)lic works. In the latter category German capitalists were the chief losers. During the summer a settlement was arranged with France. But the British and German governments be- came more importunate in their demands, and reached an agreement to act together, and to take means to collect their debts forcibly if they were not at once satisfied. By December 7th plans for a joint naval demonstration had been per- fected and the British and German ministers filed the ultimatums of their governments and left Carflcas. On December 0th the allied naval forces seized a number of Venezuelan gunboats, and on the following day the allies instituted what they termed a 'peaceful blockade' of the Venezu(dan ports. On December 11th Italy became a party to the blockade. On Dcccmlier l-'idi (lie allies bombarded Puerto Cabello, and Castro, con- vinced of the linpclcssness of resistance, re- quested Herbert W, Bowen, the .American Min- ister, to begin negotiations for a settlement. On December 17tb Mr. Balfour, the British Premier, declared himself in agreement with the contention of the United States that there could be no such thing as a 'peaceful blockade.' and that a state of war therefore actuall}' existed. Three days VENIAL SIN. later an effective blockade was proclaimed. Ger- many, Great Britain, and Italy tlicn joined in a request that President Roosevelt act as arbitra- tor. This he declined^ with a counter-proposition that the dispute be submitted to the Internation- al Court of Arbitration at The Hague. Tliis proposal was finally acceded to, Castro signifying his assent on the last day of 1902. Subsequent negotiations at Washington perfected the details of the arrangement. Bii!i,io(:K.riiy. Bates, Central and South America (London, 1882) ; Barrj", Venezuela (ib., 1880) ; Karsten, Geologic dc I'anrioinc Colombie holii^arienne Venezuela (Berlin, 1880) ; Landaeta Rosales, Oran recopilacion (jeogrufiea estadisti- ca e historica de Venezuela (Carflcas, 1889); Child, The Spanish Ameriran I'rpuhlics (New York, 1891) ; Vizcarrondo Rojas, Itesci'ia geogrd- fica de Venezuela (Caracas, 1895); Bureau of American Republics, Venezuela (Washington, 1892, 1895) ; Curtis, Venezuela (New York, 1890) ; Scruggs, The Colombian and Venezuelan Republics (Boston, 1900) ; Sievers, Venezuela und die deutschen Interessen (Halle, 1903) ; British Foreign Office Diplomatic and Consular Reports (London) ; Biggs, History of Miranda's Revolution (ib., 1809); Ducondray Holstein, Memoirs of Bolivar (ib.. 1830) ; Flinter, Revolu- tion of Carucas (ib., 1829) ; Report of the IViic- zuclan Boundary Commission (Washington, 1897). VENEZUELA, Gulf of, or Gulf of Mara- CAIBO. An inlet of the Caribbean Sea in the northwestern part of Venezuela ( ilap : Venezue- la, C 1 ) . It is confined betwees the peninsulas of Goajira and Paraguana, which a|ipniacli so as to leave an opening 50 miles w'ide. Within this the gulf has a length of 105 miles from east to west, and a width of 50 miles. In the south it connnunicates by a narrow passage with the Lake of Maracaibo, which occupies a portion of the same lacustrine basin, the two sheets of water being separated by very low peninsulas. VENGEANCE, vaN'zhilNs', Le. A French frigate of .■)4 guns, disabled by the Constitution under Commodore Truxtun in 1800. VENIAL SIN (OF. venial. Ft. reniel. from Lat. vcnialis, pardonable, from vcnia, pardon). A term denoting, in Roman Catholic theology, the less heinous class of offenses against the law of God, as distinguished from those which are called mortal. (See JIoRT.L SiN.) Venial sins only weaken and diminish, but do not utterly ex- tinguish sanctifying grace in the soul. Sins may be venial either objectively or .subjectively: ob- jectively, when the 'object' of the law, or what is Icchnicallv called the 'matter' of the sin, is light or trivial, as in the case of a pett,v theft, a slight departure from trutli, or a passing el)nllition of impatience or anger; subjectively, when, even though the 'matter' or 'object' is grave, there is liut imperfect advertence, or not full consent, on the part of the subject or agent, as in the case even of a grievous injury done without full knowledge or intention on the part of the agent, or without full and deliberate consent. It is held that venial sins, on repentance, may be re- mitted by prayer or b.v the use of sacranientals (q.v.), without recourse to the sacrament of penance, which is ordinarily necessary in the case of mortal sin. Catholics hold that persons
