AVES ISLAND. 35^ 



nullify the contract. Lest we may possibly err as to the extent of 

 your requisition^ we are constrained by a regard for truth and candor 

 to concede that we do not believe we can comply with such requisition. 

 Unless, as heretofore hinted, the character and terms of the alleged 

 agreement, per illud, afford such presumption, we are at present 

 unaware of any testimony tending to the establishment of a dui^ess of 

 which such personal panic was an element. We are confident, how- 

 ever, that, as to both papers, without recourse to such defense, there 

 is amply sufficient in the circumstances under which Captain Gribbs 

 tooh the one or (if his signature is not similated, which we do not at 

 present charge) signed the other, and in the character of the alleged 

 concessions, acknowledgments deduced from either, to render both 

 documents, or any others Venezuela may bring forth, worse than 

 worthless in defense or justification or palliation of her conduct. And 

 there is nothing in them which should impair our claims or affect our 

 rights or the rights of the United States, or that should cause any 

 abatement of vigilance and firmness in the prosecution of the de- 

 mand on that government for prompt atonement and indemnification. 

 An imputation of cowardice against our fellow citizens who were at 

 Shelton's Isle would be a calumny that we scorn to intimate in any 

 mode or for any object. We know* your feelings of patriotic pride 

 would revolt at the idea of presenting such ground to the Venezuelan 

 officials. Why, sir, we reiterate that there was not, at any time 

 during the fortnight our employes were on the isle with Dias and his 

 soldiers, either before or after his reinforcements, that Gibbs and Lang 

 and their comptanions, if they had not been peaceful and forbearing, 

 could not have tied the representatives of the " supreme government" 

 of the republic, and every one of his half starved ragamuffin corps, 

 hand and foot, and pitched them heels over head into the Caribbean 

 sea, and if they had dared to attempt resistance, extet^minated them 

 on the rock, and this too without any serious peril to themselves. 

 The example given by the military bungling of Bias's soldiers in blow- 

 ing out the brains of one of themselves whilst attempting to salute 

 their flag, shows that little danger was to be apprehended from them. 

 It is probable Dias would not, on the 13th December, been able to 

 land on the isle but for the assistance of some of the Bostonians there, 

 who in charity loaned him boats and volunteered to aid his lubbers to 

 manage them. After they had thus got on the rock, commiseration 

 for their miserable condition "constrained" our people to provide 

 them with food and water and to share our shelters with them. No 

 forcible resistance was made to their hoisting the Venezuelan flag on the 

 isle, nor to their demands made after they had landed, because they 

 came there under the authority and orders of their government, but we 

 feel bound to repel any supposition that craven fear of personal harm or 

 other unhappy personal consequences resulting from a hostile conflict 

 with the Venezuelan legion could have restrained our agents and em- 

 ployes from opposing them to all extremities, or constrained them or 

 influenced their course in any respect. In fine, sir, we insist that the 

 documents manufactured by Dias add to the enormity of the outrage 

 upon the American settlers at Shelton's Isle by Venezuela, and to the 

 unjustifiable character of her spoliation of our property, and they also 



