Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/663

Rh during the rainy season into an immense swamp. Notwithstanding these obstacles, Paez resolved upon an aggressive war, and, leaving the non-com- batants in charge of a troop of cavalry, defeated Lopez at Yagual, and on 13 Oct. occupied Achaguas. Meanwhile Gen. Pablo Morillo {q. v.) sent Latorre with 3.000 infantry and 1,700 cavalry against Paez, whose force had increased to 1,100. The two armies met at Mucuritas, 28 Jan., 1817, and Latorre's cavalry was dispersed and nearly destroyed at the first charge. When the infantry formed squares for the defence, the high grass surrounding them was lighted, and they were forced to beat a retreat, during which they were charged on all sides by the llaneros. whose horses were accustomed to prairie fires. Toward the close of 1817 Paez recognized the authority of Bolivar as supreme chief of Vene- zuela, and the latter promoted Paez major-general in January, 1819. After the armistice of Trujillo, Paez continued to organize the army, and his vic- tory over Latorre at Carabobo, 24 June, 1821, where he was raised by Bolivar to the rank of general-in- chief, and his surprise and capture of Puerto Ca- bello, in the night of 7 Nov., 1823, finally secured the independence of Colombia. On the formation of the new government. Paez was appointed com- mander-general of the department of Venezuela ; but his strict execution of an order from Bogota, requiring the enlistment of all citizens between the ages of sixteen and fifty years, gave offence. Hear- ing that he was to be impeached, he resigned in March, 1825; but his resignation was not accepted. In the next year, however, the impeachment was presented by instigation of the vice-president, San- tander, who had opposed Paez ever since he was superseded by the latter in 1816, and Paez gave up the command on 29 April ; but the people mutinied on the next day, and on 11 May the municipality of Valencia proclaimed him supreme civil and military chief of Venezuela. Bolivar returned from Peru, and by decree of 1 Jan., 1827, confirmed Paez in his rank. When the convention of Ocana in 1828 declared against the federal system and Boli- var was proclaimed dictator of Colombia, the opposition in Venezuela to becoming a dependency of New Granada was extreme, and on 26 Nov., 1829. the secession of Venezuela was proclaimed. Paez was appointed provisional president by the constit- uent congress of 1830, and constitutional president by congress on 18 March, 1831. In the latter year Gen. Jose Tadeo Monagas {q. v.) revolted, but soon submitted to the government, and Paez was pre- sented by congress with a golden sword and the title of " illustrious citizen." From 1839 till 1843 he was again president, and during his tei'm the remains of Bolivar were by his order removed with great solemnity, in 1842. from Santa Marta to Caracas. When Gen. Monagas, in January, 1848, attempted to usurp supreme power, Paez rose in arms, but after an unfortunate campaign capitu- lated, 15 Aug., 1849, at Macapo-Abajo. He went to Valencia, but on 18 Aug., in violation of the capitulation, was arrested by order of Monagas, who imprisoned him at Fort San Antonio in Cu- mana until 24 May, 1850, when he was released by order of congress. From Cumana he went to New York, where he was publicly received by the authori- ties, and resided there till after the overthrow of Monagas. In November, 1858, he went to Vene- zuela by special invitation of the government of that country, and was escorted thither by two U. S. vessels. Gen. Castro, then in command at Cara- cas, seemed to be jealous of Paez's presence, and the latter returned to New York. After Castro's fall he was accredited in 1860 as minister to the United States, but resigned in 1861. After the in- vasion of Venezuela by Gen. Falcon, Paez was again called to his country, and invested with supreme authority; but failing in his efforts, and wishing to a^'oid further bloodshed, he resigned by the treaty of Coche, 22 May. 1863, and returned to New York. He afterward lived for some time in the Argentine Republic, Peru, and Ecuador, receiv- ing large pensions from those countries and the present republic of Colombia, and he was also the recipient of several testimonials of respect from European monarchs. He finally retired to the United States to end his days. His remains were deposited in the Marble cemetery in Second ave- nue. New York city. In 1888 the Venezuelan gov- ernment decided to transport them to his native country, and bury them with military honors, and a comnussion was sent to the United &"tates to make the arrangements. He wrote " Autobiografia del General Jose Antonio Paez " (New York, 1867).

PAGE, Charles Grafton, physicist, b. in Salem, Mass., 25 Jan.. 1812 ; d. in Washington, D. C, 5 May, 1868. He was graduated at Harvard in 1832, and then studied medicine in Boston. In 1838 he settled in Virginia and there followed his profession for two years, when he was called to the chair of chemistry in Columbian university, Washington, D. C. He was made examiner in the patent-office in 1840. when there were but two examiners in that oifice, and continued in that place until his death. As a boy he showed great fondness for scientific studies, and at the age of ten years built an electric machine. He continued his studies in that branch of science throughout his life, and was an accepted authority on the subject. He had for years been engaged in perfecting machinery for the effective and economical use of electro-magnetism as a motive power, and at the time of his death had so far succeeded as to be able to use it for the propul- sion of machinery, and to some extent as a loco- motive force. Among other things the original discovery of the Ruhmkorff coil is claimed for him. Dr. Page was a frequent contributor to various lit- erary and scientific periodicals, particularly to the " American Journal of Science," and was the author of " Psychomancy, Spirit-Rappings, and Table-Tiji- pings Exposed " (New York, 1853).

PAGE, David Perkins, educator, b. in Epping. N. H., 4 July, 1810 ; d. in Albany, N. Y., 1 Jan., 1848. He was brought up on a farm, and with difficulty persuaded his father to allow him to attend Hampton academy in order to fit himself for the profession of teaching. At the age of eighteen he opened a private school in Newbury, and three years later he was made principal of the English department in Newburyport high-school. When the New York legislature decided on establishing a state normal school at Albany in 1844, Mr. Page was chosen, on the recommendation of Horace Mann, to be its first principal. A school for the training of teachers was then regarded in New York as a doubtful experiment, but under his management it was successful from the l)eginning. He was a frequent speaker at teachers' institutes, and did much to spread professional enthusiasm and a knowledge of the higher principles of pedagogics. He expounded his views in a volume entitled " Theorv and Practice of Teaching, or the Motives of Good School-Keeping" (New York. 1847), which has remained an authoritative treatise on the sul)ject. A new edition (1886), edited by William H. Payne, professor of the science and art of teaching in Michigan university, contains a biographical preface. Mr. Page was the author also of an " Elementary Chart of Vocal Sounds " (1847).