The Past is like the Future. International trade in the nineteenth century was often disrupted by war on land and at sea, by revolution, piracy and pestilence. Merchants trading out of coastal ports were obliged to keep themselves informed of political happenings not only close to their base but far away. The writer of the letter transcribed below was a leading – perhaps the leading – merchant in the Venezuelan port of Maracaibo to whom the arrival from New York of a batch of American newspapers is clearly of some importance. He reciprocates by sending his correspondent a remarkably detailed review of what is now known to be the failed attempt by General Juan Jose Flores, starting out from a base in Peru, to overthrow the republican government of Ecuador (led by Jose Maria Urbana) and install a monarchy which might then seek to expand its territory or at least its influence northwards into Colombia. Maracaibo in north western Venezuela is close to the border with Colombia but a long way from Ecuador; nonetheless this was a conflict which had the potential to spread and the writer of this letter appears to welcome it though in the context of what precedes it, possibly ironically.
Frederic Harris (1799-1875) was born and grew up in England which explains his use of a now completely obsolete derogatory term for the French, “Johnny Crapeau” also encountered as the identically pronounced “Johnny Crapaud” which appears to date from the period of the Napoleonic Wars. "Crapaud" is French for "toad" but the expression also incorporates the English derogatory "crap". Harris died in Maracaibo.
Purely commercial matters relating to tea merit no more than a line in this letter addressed to David T Lanman (1802-65) who operated as a wholesale druggist on Water Street New York and was probably a friend as well as business associate: the letter opens, “My dear Lanman” not “Dear Sir”. The Lanman company expanded in later years and some of its paperwork is held in a Delaware museum.
Transcription
Addressed
to: David T Lanman Esqr Water
Street New York
Datelined:
Maracaibo 16 May 1852
Docketing
note: Frederic Harris Maracaibo Letter
May 16th 1852 Answrd
June 11/52
No
postal markings; faded Forwarding Agent cachets of Matheson and Company [the
letter would have been carried aboard ship and passed on arrival to this New
York Agent for delivery]
My
dear Lanman
The
Alexander Mitchell arrived here on the 8th instant & I received
one [?] bundle of Newspapers directed to me by your well known hand but your letter of the 10 ulto. was
detained in the post office until the 13th.
We
are always kept in a state of excitement by some political affair – the Governments
of Venezuela, New Granada [Colombia] and Equador [sic] are
in a state of trepidation, in consequence of the Expedition of General Flores,
the first asked permission of Congress to raise 5000 Men the 2nd to
raise Mas 9e [?] 20,000 & moreover has degraded himself &
Country by stating in his message that he had every reliance on receiving
assistance from the illustrious & liberal Govt of the United Sates of
America. I am inclined to think that Flores must be very popular to occasion so
great an alarm to 3 Govts his reported force was only 1 Steamer 1 Bark 1 Brig,
9 Gun boats, 3382 Soldiers & 1200 Sailors, his actual force in all
probability is less as you well know how prone these Caballeros are to exaggerate.
I recollect old Jolly saying on one occasion during the last Revolution when we
attacked him for having published a bouncer [idiomatic?] that in War the
pen was frequently more destructive than the Sword – the Spanish race has
certainly the advantage of expressing their ideas with great facility & if they had the tact of wielding their
Swords as effectively as they do their pens they would be irristible. I trust
Flores may carry all before him, the
friends of order look to him as the only person who can release them from their
present ignominious state – do not fail to send me all the papers that are published
reporting his movements.
I
wish you would send me by the return of the Alexander Mitchell a similar
quantity of Tea as formerly but if possible of a better quality.
Our
trade continues in a most ruinous state. My regards to Mrs Lanman & Believe
me
Yours
truly
Frederic
Harris
What
is your opinion of the Prince President [Louis Napoleon Bonaparte]
perhaps Johnny Crapeau may come to his senses one of these days & think
that he is very dear in his Charges & send him about his business as they
did Luis Felipe [Louis Philippe, King of France abdicated 1848] who had
more talent & was not so handsomely paid.
It
is already reported that General Paez [Jose Antonio Paez, Venezuelan general living
in exile in the USA] has left the States
that he is in league with Flores & may attempt an Invasion
References
Wikipedia:
Juan Jose Flores
Wikipedia: José Antonio Páez
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL13848713W/La_familia_Harris_de_Maracaibo
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/28101402_MARACAIBO_Y_SU_CIRCUITO_AGROEXPORTADOR_EN_EL_SIGLO_XIX
[contains a description of Frederic Harris’s business]
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