Mr. Seward to Mr. Pruyn.
Sir: I acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of the 8th of July, No. 7, together with certain papers thereunto annexed. Those papers are, first, a copy of a circular letter, which was addressed and transmitted to you on the 29th of June by Señor G. Paez, in which circular it is set forth that, the administration of General Bruzual having been forcibly dispossessed of Caracas, the capital of the United States of Venezuela, that government had removed itself to Puerto Cabello, and established itself there; and also that Señor Paez was acting in the capacity of minister for the departments of the interior and of justice. Second, a decree, made the 29th of June by General Bruzual as President of the United States of Venezuela, declaring Puerto Cabello should be held and occupied provisionally as the capital of the republic. Third, a similar decree of General Bruzual, appointing heads of departments for the government of Venezuela at Puerto Cabello. Fourth, a similar decree of General Bruzual, appointing generals to command the armies of Venezuela. Fifth, a similar decree of General Bruzual, declaring a naval blockade of so much of the Port La Guayra as extends on the seacoast from Cape Cordera to Port Colombia.
The military occupation of Caracas by a de facto government, antagonistic and hostile to the government of General Bruzual, excuses you from formally acknowledging the reception of the papers thus enumerated; nevertheless, if occasion shall seem to require, it will then not be improper for you to let it be known in an unofficial and informal way that those papers were received by you, and transmitted to this department.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Erastus C. Pruyn, Esq., &c., &c., &c.