Mr. Washburn to Señor Caminos.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of yesterday, in which you express entire dissent from the course that I had proposed to take at my departure from Paraguay. Having received my passports, I can have no further discussion on points of a diplomatic character. All the persons who left their property with me did it at their own risk and responsibility, as I told them that neither I nor my government would be responsible for anything left with me. I certainly shall not assume any such responsibility now. As people have made infamous charges against me in connection with another matter, false in every particular, the same parties, or perhaps others, may allege that they have left untold sums of money with me that I have refused to deliver; or it may, for aught I know, be weeks before the parties who have left their goods with me come to claim them. In that case am I to be detained in the country till they are all taken away? In your earlier [Page 822] note of yesterday your honor observes that numerous persons have solicited my delay, both Paraguayans and foreigners, in order to withdraw their effects previous to my departure. Why have they not, in the meanwhile, come for them? A few foreigners have done so, but not a single Paraguayan. How long am I expected to wait?
Your honor remarks that persons having their property deposited in my house solicited my detention, according to the laws of the country, till they could take it away. Had those persons been aware that a foreign minister is subject to the laws of nations only, and not to the laws of the country to which he is accredited, they would not probably have made such a request.
In regard to the money left in my hands by Charles Ulrich, I will remark that three of the rooms occupied by this legation, numbered 97, 99, and 101, were rented by me from the said Ulrich, and that he has other property in them. Desiring to meet your views as far as I can consistently with my duty, this box of money will be left by me with the other things belonging to Ulrich in these rooms, over which I shall claim no legation privileges from this time, and the keys will be delivered to your honor, or to such person as may be designated to receive them, whenever they may be called for.
I am willing to do anything in reason, Mr. Minister, to facilitate persons in obtaining possession of their property; but as I only received it as a favor to them, at their own risk, I do not consider I am under any obligations to remain here on their account. The most of my trunks are already on board of the steamer, and we are left without many things absolutely necessary for health and comfort. In your note of the 4th instant you advised me that a steamer would be ready to take me away and put me aboard the Wasp on the following day, and in your note of yesterday you say that you will order the steamer to still wait for me. I trust that the offers thus made may be so far complied with that I may be able to leave to-day.
I am sorry, Mr. Minister, to feel that I ought not to conform to your views, and I therefore ask again for the means of going on board the Wasp, that has been waiting to receive me for more than a week.
With this note I send another for Captain Kirkland, commanding the Wasp, which I beg your honor to forward to him as soon as possible,
I improve this occasion to renew assurances of high consideration.
His Honor Luis Caminos, Acting Minister of Foreign Relations.