The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-09-16

and embrace whatever regions may be
suggested to her by her Unsuitable
thirst for conquest She even goes
SO far as to deny the validity
of railway grants comprised within
territory where not even the widest
of fancy had ever conceived that the
day would come when Venezuela's
rights thereto could be disputed The
fact is, that until now England has re-
lied upon impunity. She holds us a
weak and friendly nation, and seeks TO
make the Venezuelan coast and terri
tories the base Of conquest which, il
circumstances are not altered, will have
no other bounds than the dictates of
her own WILL
Returning to, his post Of duty at
Washington, Mr.. olivarria again adj
dressed Mr.. Bayard, February 20, 1888,
as follows: Disastrous and fatal con-
sequences would ensue for the indie
pendence of South America If, under
the pretext of question of boundaries,
Great Britain should succeed in con-
summating the usurpation of third Of
our territory and Herewith
river as important as the Orinoco.
Under the pretext of a mere ques-
tion of boundaries, begun on the
banks of the Essequibo, we now
find ourselves on the verge of loss in
regions lying more than five degrees
away from the river, and under the
same pretext a raid has been made
from Cape Nassau for the survey of the
island Barima, at the mouth of the
Orinoco.
'I greatly rely on the friendly and
disinterested Offices Of the government
of the United States; but In the sup
position that the British government
will continue to regard the case as a
simple question of frontiers, and viii
keep on protesting that she is opera
ting in her own territory, it occurs to
me to respectfully suggest to your ex-
cellency that the opportunity has come
for the government of the United
States, in view of the recent occur
rences, to regard the question under a
different aspect and to consider the
means of it's effective intervention"
This different aspect" appears now
to be taken by our government, and
| Admiral Walker has been charged with
the mission of bringing about the 'ef-
fective intervention"
4 The progressive character of British
claims in Venezuela is shown by a dis
patch received from our minister, Mr..
| Scruggs, dated Caracas, April IS, 1890,
| in VIII ich he says: "The recent
occupation by a British police
force of a large area of territory
south and west of the limits hitherto
claimed by England rs the boundary
| ~ ho,- x@1eeoro;crr Sc o,oo 49,, 70
grave apprehension here. 1t viii be
remembered that Venezuela has stead
| lily maintained, since 1886, that the
Z ssequibo river is the limit of British
possessions. 1t will be remembered
that in the EARLIER stages of this con-
troversy England claimed only to the
Pumaron. subsequently she ex-
| tended her claims westward to the
gulf of Morujana and southwark to
the river Guiana. Later on,
taking advantage of the un-
settled political condition ID
| the country, she further extended her
claims, first to the river Barima then to
Braza Barima Gncluding the fertile isl
and of that name), and finally south.
ward mp the main channel of the Ori-
noco delta as far as Amacura, the start
| ing point from westward of what is
known as the 'Schomburk line.'
| Never, believe, until quite recently,
has England claimed this line as
the southern boundary of her
colonial possessions On the con-
trary, she has more than once
fexplicitly disclaimed any such
pretensions. Yet she now not only oc-
cupies the entire territory north of this
line, but has taken possession of large
districts south of it. More than this,
she now lays claim to almost the entire
territory north of the Caroni east of the
Orinoco below the mouth of the Caroni.
This includes, of cause, the vast terri
tory of Yuruari, wherein are situated
the rich and productive gold mine OF
Caratal and Colloa. Trrtr.
''Of course the Venezuelan govern
ment is not prepared to resist these
bold encroachments; otherwise they
would hardly be attempted. The gov
ernment here has been endeavor-
ing for more than six months past to
re-establish diplomatic relations. re-
store the status quo of 1856, and have
the question of boundary referred to
arbitration. but without the slightest
prospect of success The British
government makes it condition that
Venezuela relinquish her claim to all
territory north of the 'Schomburk line
and that arbitration be limited to dis
puted territory south of that line. The
restoration of diplomatic relations be-
| tween Venezuela and Great Britain has
recently been brought about through
| the good offices of Minister Lincoln.
during the closing days of the Sails
bury government, but there the con-
cession stopped. As our minister to
Venezuela subsequently reported:
The vital point in dispute,
namely, the command of the
great moeth of the Orinoco is precisely
the one which Great Britain now re-
fuses to submit to friendly arbitation.
1t may be that with a powerful squad
ron of the United States in the harbor
of La Guyra, under command of ana ad-
miral specially instructed to aid and
assist to the full extent of his power,
Venezuela may be able to renew the
overtures for arbitration to better pur-
pose.''
Honors will be easy so far as con-
Germs the display of physical force.
Immediately after the contamination
| of the seizure of Bariula the British au-
thorities ordered three war steamers
of their Barbados squadron, the
Belleropon, the Emerald and the
| Partridge, to rendezvous in Demarara
with the supposed purpose of intimi-
dating Venezuela and securing the ac-