I can think of would have been too severe for the men who did the deed.
As for the emigrants, they were indignant at the treatment they had received, and having nobody else at hand to vent their grievances upon, fell to blaming the United States consul and the Venezuelan authorities. They would not acknowledge the consul, and some of them abused him in the grossest manner. This made him powerless to act for them. I interested myself as much as I could in behalf of such as were disposed to be tractable, and succeeded, through the consul's influence, in procuring passage back to the United States for several of the unfortunates. The rest scattered over the country; some of them died, some found precarious employment of one kind or another, and some tried to make their way home again.
I advise my Friends in the United States to remain at Home.
After the arrival of Price's expedition, I considered it my duty to communicate with my friends in New Orleans, without more delay, for the purpose of warning them, and all others who were disposed to emigrate, not to think of doing anything of the kind. I accordingly wrote a letter advising those who thought of emigrating to Venezuela, to let it alone, and denouncing Johnston and Price for holding out inducements to poor and ignorant people which they had no assurance what ever would be realized. I said that it would be useless for any persons from the States to come to Venezuela without plenty of capital to carry on any such operations as they might engage in, and that if they did come they would have to submit to the laws of the country, and take their chances with its citizens. One great objection to any emigration schemes, however, was the instability of the government, and the fact that Venezuela had no national credit. The Governor of Bolivar said that Venezuela would be glad to have industrious people come to it from the United States, or any other country, and that facilities would be afforded for them to take up lands at low rates, but he had no supplies to give half-starved men and women who might be landed within his jurisdiction, and was anxious that no one should come under any misapprehensions as to what reception they would be likely to have on their arrival.
I stated the facts within my knowledge plainly, and reviewed
