I have received this afternoon (too late to copy and translate for the
mail which carries this) an additional note from Mr. Saavedra,
indicating that this government has made a new proposition to the French
Government, and to that of England withal. I
understand from this last note that this new proposition is, in the
opinion of this government, of a character to prevent an immediate
rupture with the French Government.
I bespeak for the accompanying copy of note from Mr. Saavedra an
attentive examination; and if, in the light of the intelligence the
Department may have at and after the time of receiving this dispatch,
there should be any danger of a rupture between the Governments of
France and Venezuela, I respectfully recommend that the Government of
the United States at once, and energetically, exercise its good offices,
to the end of preserving good relations between these two governments,
which on all accounts is much to be desired.
[Inclosure 1 in No.
361.]
Mr. Saavedra to
Mr. Baker.
[Translation.]
Referring to Ms note No 779, of the 9th of October last, to the most
excellent minister resident of the United States of America, the
undersigned, minister of exterior relations, has the honor of
communicating to him that, by information recently arrived from the
legations of the Republic at Paris, the government has learned that
the Cabinet of the French Republic insists on its demand that the
quota of 1873 be re-established, with the pressure (apremio) of
withdrawing its chargé d’affaires from
Caracas, and suppressing the legation, if that is not acceded to.
And already the government has good reasons (fundados motivos) to
believe that the resolution has been taken which was spoken of to
the minister of this republic in France.
The undersigned has no need to repeat the exposition of the case
which was made on that occasion; but it appears to him necessary to
add some words concerning the debt which is treated of.
There was agreed to here on the 6th of February, 1864, in anticipated
and provisional recognition, the sum of two million dollars (pesos)
in favor of French subjects for damages and injuries proceeding from
the five years war of the Federation, as a means of calming the
stringent (tirante) attitude with which the chargé
d’affaires of France demanded that measure, and with the
rational expectation of diminishing the burden to where it should be
just, when the documents (expedientes) should be examined in
Paris.
But such expectation remained frustrated. The Venezuelan
plenipotentiary charged with the study of the matters in Paris was
put in the alternative of charging the treasury with the two
millions, or of signing definitively a convention in which the debt
is reduced to a million and a half dollars (pesos), but in the
conception that it should be paid in the term of five years,
delivering immediately three hundred thousand dollars (pesos).
Other three hundred thousand pesos were paid afterwards here in two
parts. But it could not be done.
Then the executive agreed for itself alone, without the intervention
of Congress, to deliver weekly to the legation the product of the 17
per cent, of the custom-house duties of La Guayra and Puerto
Cabello, with interest of 5 per cent, for the delay, and the
assignation of three hundred dollars (pesos) monthly” for expenses
of collection. The legislature has never approved this new
regulation posteriorly, and by force of the necessity of attending
to the claims of Spain, Great Britain, the United States, Holland,
and Germany, a monthly quota was assigned, which all the creditors
agreed to receive (se prestaron á recibir).
On the 17th of May, 1880, the pro rata was
changed, solely to adjust it to equality between the parties
interested, and to quiet the complaints of those who saw themselves
disfavored by the provisional distribution of 1873.
[Page 1204]
It is proper to recall that the plenipotentiary of Venezuela at
Paris, in acceding to the exigency of the minister, M. Drouyn de
Lhuys, protested against the moral coercion which was exercised, and
bore in mind that, on account of the rebellion of the pretended
confederates of the South Europe above all France, believed the
occasion proper to influence the destiny of America, as it did by
favoring the establishment of the empire in Mexico, whereunto,
precisely in those circumstances, it dispatched the armed expedition
which attained that object.
Compound interest, and the said three hundred dollars (pesos) monthly
figuring in the account of France, the debt is almost in nothing
amortized, and will continue a perpetual burden for Venezuela,
supposing that things continue thus.
And it is to be considered that yet, to-day, it is not known who have
claimed, nor the justice with which their demands may have been
acceded to, nor the foundations of them. Although a convention was
celebrated which constitutes for France the title of her credit, and
by which same she should deliver the documents, bills, and public
debt, shares of the bank of Venezuela, and other values, for whose
extinction that international obligation was contracted, and which
belong to the treasury of Venezuela to redeem (?) (inutilizar) and
preserve as proofs of the respective expenditures, unheard of as it
appears, it is certain that the strenuous (encarecidos) and constant
efforts of the executive to obtain from the French Government all
those papers, have been till now completely useless.
There is no exaggeration in affirming that the major part of such
claims are illegitimate, of the nature of that of Jecker and others
of those which served as pretexts for said intervention in Mexico,
and which now have been discarded as a step previous to the
re-establishment of friendship with France, which was effected at
the end of 1880.
The Government of Venezuela, with the object of preventing
difficulties, addressed to that of the United States, in October of
last year, the proposition that it lend itself to receive and
deliver to the diplomatic creditors of this country the sums of
money which the treasury delivers monthly to the legations.
Now, in view of the actual situation, it abounds in confidence that
the Cabinet of Washington, natural ally of the other republics of
America, and which has done so much for them from the epoch of the
Spanish-American war of independence, will, on this occasion,
exercise its good offices in favor of Venezuela, impeding the
misunderstanding from taking greater proportions.
To this intent instructions are given to the chargé d’affaires, Señor
Camacho, and it is hoped that Mr. Baker will communicate the
contents of this note, with his favorable personal appreciations, to
the most excellent Secretary of State of the United States.
The undersigned remains, &c.,