No. 745.
Señor Camacho to Mr. Blaine .

[Translation.]

Excellency: I had the honor, in due time, to receive your excellency’s polite note, dated the 3d instant, wherein, referring to the fears entertained by certain Venezuelans of an armed demonstration shortly to be made by France and the forcible occupation of some of their ports in compensation for what Venezuela owes to French citizens, your excellency [Page 1220] is pleased to say to me that you are not disposed to believe in such an intention on the part of the French Government, or that there is just foundation for the fears in question. Your excellency, nevertheless, by reason of the interest which this government feels toward a sister republic, in view of what I have set forth, has directed that Mr. Barthelemy St. Hilaire be informed that the President is in favor of a general accord between the creditor nations and the conclusion of a contention, whereby the United States shall place an agent at Caracas to receive the monthly payments, to distribute the same pro rata, and, in case of default in payment, to take from the custom-houses of La Guayra and Puerto Cabello the sum necessary for the payment, plus 10 per cent.

In view of the reference you are pleased to make to me, I take the liberty of explaining that in the conferences which I have had the honor to hold with your excellency, it was always said that the default of payment should be for three months, in order to authorize the agent of the United States to receive payment directly from the custom-houses; and, if my memory does not deceive me, in the interview so important for me, of the 22d of July last, wherein your excellency vouchsafed to read to me the draft of the instruction to your minister at Paris, it seems to me that I heard that condition in the terms I have explained, and, consequently, I infer that it may not have been deemed necessary in the summary of that instruction with which you have honored me in the note to which I now reply.

I sent your note to Caracas on the 6th instant, and it is therefore still on the way thither, while I received by the steamer, which arrived on the 10th, a dispatch from my government wherein, as I trust, your excellency will recognize the good will with which it is disposed to give absolute assurance of the strict punctuality of the payments, being, however, careful that nothing therein shall tend in any way to wound the dignity of the government or of the republic. And such assurance is conceived by it to be given by the pledge that the consuls of the United States of America shall be authorized by the convention between the two governments to receive, directly and without any intermediation, from the custom-house at their place of residence in our ports open to commerce, the 13 per cent, of the forty unities” not applied to the public service, to the end of holding it subject to the order of the minister of the Government of Washington at Caracas, or to be disposed of in such manner as that government* may see fit to order. The custom-houses of Venezuela will receive orders to strictly accomplish the liquidation, and to deliver the 13 per cent, to the consul of the United States at the moment of its collection from the importer.

The citizen president deems that in this manner will be assured, as far as is desirable, the punctual fulfillment of the compact, leaving to the conference of the diplomatic representatives the ascertainment of the amounts due and the distribution of the funds.

It seems to me, Mr. Secretary, that the Government of Venezuela, directly treating with your excellency’s government and highly appreciating the friendly offer of its best offices to curb the violent action of France, has, in formulating the assurance which your excellency would require, gone in a direction more comprehensive and effective than that which you were so good as to explain to me verbally on the 22d of July, and which you confirmed to me in writing (with the slight alteration [Page 1221] which I have noted) in your esteemed note of the 3d instant. The President of Venezuela does not wish to leave to future contingencies (especially as in his time it can never occur), the lapse of three months without payment, but he desires and promises that at the time of each liquidation there shall be paid to the consul at each of the custom-house ports the 13 per cent, for the payment of the diplomatic claims.

I venture to hope that your excellency will give to this manifestation of good faith and of resolution to render it effective all the force which I attach to it. It is still practicable to replace the arrangement offered to France by the more effective one suggested by my government.

I am highly satisfied that your excellency does not believe that the French Government entertains designs of force against Venezuela. Your excellency has the means of knowing this, and although I am not textually acquainted with the response of Mr. Barthelemy St. Hilaire to the plenipotentiary of the United States at Paris, through other channels I have been informed that the French minister was thankful for, but did not accept, the friendly interposition of your excellency, besides which I have never hesitated to assert to your excellency that the present course of the French cabinet is inspired by far more transcendental designs than that of a difference in the quantum of a monthly pro rata. It is to me incredible, and I think it must be so to your excellency like wise, that a difference of francs merely, the insignificant sum of three thousand and odd dollars, should precipitate France into hostilities here in America, when every hostile act must cost her much more than the monthly quota in dispute. It is incredible to me that there should be in this century a nation ready to wage war for questions of money, and this unsustainable idea is still further removed from my thoughts when I view the recent policy which seems to inspire the French Government to demonstrations of its power in Terranova (Newfoundland?), in New Caledonia Tahiti, in Tunis and in Madagascar, with a resoluteness of movement which assumes a truly novel character.

The belief which your excellency is pleased to communicate to me is certainly reassuring; but your excellency will permit me to say that the situation cannot be entirely satisfactory to all parties so long as the French Cabinet gives no proofs of justly conforming to a convention guarded by all the usual formulas.

I have, &c.

SIMON CAMACHO.
  1. Spanish text reads este gobierno, literally this government; hut the sense seems to be “this last-mentioned government.” The phrase seems to me a little ambiguous. “This government where I now am” is another sense.—Translator.