AVES ISLAND. 39 



and who, when he did sign, believed it was an entirely different docu- 

 ment, and utterly refused to make any acknowledgment of the title of 

 Venezuela, or to do any act compromitting our claims. We hope to 

 procure the deposition of a respectable and impartial witness, who, we 

 understand, was present when Gibbs was solicited by Dias to sign the 

 paper he did sign. We shall forward also other proofs so soon as we 

 can have them prepared in proper form. 



In the the meantime, and upon this the first opportunity we could 

 •appropriately take, since advised by you of the production by Vene- 

 zuela of this alleged ''agreement," we do most unequivocally and 

 emphatically and solemnly disavow the same, and protest against the 

 same, and all and singular the concessions, acknowledgments, or ad- 

 missions and relinquishments in general and in particular therein made, 

 as unauthorized and as untrue, and do aver that said alleged paper is a 

 ''false, foul, flagrant, and flagitious fraud," and utterly null and void 

 for the causes above suggested, and others that we shall expose in 

 another communication to you. That other communication will contain 

 citations to works on the laws of nations and on the civil law and on 

 the common law and of diplomatic history, where the principles con- 

 trolling the questions presented in this case may be at once referred to. 



The present communication, as stated in its commencement, is in- 

 tended as a defense of ourselves against the suspicion we supposed, from 

 your letter, you entertained of a want of candor and fairness in our 

 former letters. We have sought to correct the misapprehensions of 

 fact and misconstructions of those letters that gave rise to these suspi- 

 cions. We have made explanations to exonerate ourselves from censure. 

 If in performing this duty to ourselves we have appeared to be in any 

 degree hypercritical, we trust you will not attribute to us any feeling or 

 motije inconsistent with high regard for yourself and high respect 

 for the great ability you have brought to the administration of your 

 important ofiice. The only object not heretofore stated that we could 

 have in referring to any of those unavoidable omissions, inaccuracies, 

 or mistakes or errors caused by the pressure of oflicial business, and of 

 which no resonable man will complain, would be to plead them when 

 asking a liberal indulgence in respect to our own. 



We have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your obedient 

 servants and follow citizens, 



PHILO S. SHELTON, 



For self and others. 



Hon. William L. Margy, 



Secretary of State. 



Mr. French to Mr. Marcij. 



Exeter, N. H., June 22, 1855. 

 Sir: Having been employed by Lang & Delano, of Boston, as their 

 attorney in the matter of their claim for indemnity of the Venezuelan 

 government for damages in being driven from the "Aves Island," I 



