No. 743.
Señor Camacho to Mr. Blaine.
Sir: By the steamer that arrived last Friday from La Guayra I received positive orders from my government to beg from that of your excellency an explicit promise to prevent a blockade or any other violent action on the part of France against Venezuela, for inasmuch as France had closed her relations and withdrawn her minister from Caracas, she might proceed further in her aggressive course without notifying any one.
I understand the same petition has been communicated to Mr. Baker, in order that he may lay it before your government.
The Government of Venezuela is justly alarmed by advices received from France that a blockade is threatened, as also that the proposal of a friendly intervention on the part of the United States has been rejected.
Moreover, my government knows that the insinuations of Great Britain for an equitable adjustment of their claims with those of France against Venezuela, by means of a conference, were also disregarded, and the question is deemed all the more serious since France seems disposed to proceed á parti pris.
After the generous offers, with so much good will, made to me by your excellency, it is painful to me to be compelled to communicate what I have written, and herein alone must be sought an explanation of the orders that I have received.
I have paused a moment before obeying them, in view of the alarming condition of the President, but as now it seems that the Almighty responds to the prayers of the many millions of voices that are supplicating for his life, in the dire extreme presented by my government I submit to your excellency the petition with which this letter opens.
As it is your excellency who receives this, it were idle to urge or offer any pleadings to make you comprehend that dire extreme, for you know it too well, and I therefore content myself by begging for a reply, [Page 1219] which, oh, that I might send it by telegraph, or at latest by the steamer, whose mail bags will close at this post-office on Friday night, the 5th instant.
I avail, &c.