THE APPEAL TO FOECE. that debt were to set in
;
how
341
easily creditors,
and especially
foreign creditors, incHne to evade their liabilities,
when they
are apjjrised by example that there is no restraint
upon
inclinations but that of moral principle
and then
;
let
then*
them
decide whether they will submit to injuries and indignities,
which Venezuela would not venture to of France or of the United States.
repudiation
inflict
The
altogether an exceptionall}^ strong one, and
is
requkes exceptionally strong measures flagrant, that
should
inconsistent to
At
occasion.
on the subjects
case of Venezuelan
it
be passed over,
;
and it
it is
a case so
would be utterly
have recom-se to coercion on any future
the same time, there are man}' steps to be
taken short of war.
There
the breaking
is
ofl^
of dij)lomatic
embargo, and blockade
relations, there are rej)risals,
—mea-
sures which throw the responsibility of declaring war on the
wrongdoer, where
Having
it
said thus
ought to
much
rest.
of the coercive steps which might
be taken, and rightly taken as regards international law, it
remains to appeal, in the interests of peace, and for their
own
best interests, to the justice and good feehng of the
Venezuelan nation.
It is undeniable that
Venezuela has
derived nothing but advantage from her intercourse with
England.
It
has been shown how British
trooj)s
took a
prominent part in winning the independence of Venezuela
and how, in
all
;
the most critical emergencies, England was
ever ready to supply funds, by the aid of which Venezuela
recovered from exhaustion.
And
if
such has been the past,
may be expected to be like it, if Venezuela, the of so many favours, will but reciprocate friendship
the futm"e recipient
and maintam her engagements.
Now, strong evidence has been brought forward
to
show