No. 222.
Mr. Langston to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Port au Prince, Hayti, July 18, 1884. (Received Aug. 6.)
Sir: I have the honor to transmit, as herewith inclosed, a copy of the exposé or message of President Salomon, presented to the National Assembly on the 7th of last month, as published in the official part of “Le Moniteur,” the organ of the Government, on the 14th, 19th, 21st, 26th, and 28th ultimo.
In that part of the exposé which concerns foreign relations, the President alludes first of all to the unfortunate insurrectionary events which occurred in Port au Prince on the 22d and 23d days of September, 1883. He claims that such events, in view of the revolutionary condition of the country at the time, the attempts which were made by the insurgents of the capital, calculated to arouse, exasperate, and madden the people of such city loyal to the Government, were natural enough, even when carried to the extent of unhappy popular outbursts, not easily controlled, and a sad strife illuminated by the flames of conflagration. But in the midst of this condition of popular fury and destruction of property he claims that the agents of the Government were seen on every hand exhorting the people to return to order, to become composed, and suspend those reprisals, dictated evidently by a blind but very excusable spirit of retaliation.
He refers, then, to the ultumatum which was presented to him on the evening of the 23d of September by certain representatives of foreign powers, when, as he claims, the Government had the upper hand, and order was being restored. He asserts that the enemies of the Government, quick to take advantage of everything, were pleased to declare that it was foreign pressure which had put an end to the disorders in the streets. But this was untrue.
Perfectly advised as to the views of the enemies of his Government, who understood that, left to their forces alone, they would certainly succumb, the President declares that he was occupied during the ten months of the insurrection in striving to prevent the addition of the danger of an international conflict to the embarrassments of civil war. He nevertheless avows that he ought to have protested against the ultumatum in question.
But, appealing to the senators and deputies as regards this subject, he calls them to judge whether this ultimatum has, in anything, lowered him in public esteem and consideration, who, in 1879, was, upon their free suffrages, elected to the chief magistracy of the state.
Thereupon, after stating that the shocks so violent in the capital of the Republic did not fail to wound every interest there concentered, the President announces that, having put aside the universally-admitted principle that, in the case of a riot or of civil troubles in a state, the interest of foreigners cannot have larger privilege than those of the citizens, he did not await, before making up his mind, the production of foreign reclamations. He claims, then, to have advised the diplomatic corps that he admitted the principle thereof, in settling, apart from the examination to which attention was about to be given, all the anterior acts which had taken place in other localities, and in circumscribing [Page 310] thereto only, the occurrences which had taken place in Port au Prince the 22d and 23d of September.
“You will comprehend,” he adds, addressing the members of the national assembly, “for what purpose I have taken the initiative of such proposition.”
He continues, in explanation of his purpose:
Besides the desire which animates me, of which it is necessary to take account in the occurrence, that of tightening more and more the bonds which bind us to the great powers of the globe, I wish in acting so to cut short interventions whose design is disclosed more and more under the impulse of certain enmities. More, I conform myself in this to a recent usage adopted by different nations who have accorded similar indemnities under the name of succor.
I have therefore restricted the application to the limits demanded by equity and national interest. No necessary precautions have been neglected to restrain the abuses of which the history of our settlements furnishes such unfortunate precedents, and in this I have been strongly sustained by the excellent spirit of the foreign legations.
A commission composed of citizens possessing special fitness as well as exalted honesty, designated naturally according to my choice, has been formed, and my secretary of state has fortified it with precise instructions, which ought to guide it in its labors. England, France, and Germany have named also their commissioners, and already they are at work. The United States, I love to believe, will join soon in this mode of settlement, and we will be able to say then that every subject of conflict had been avoided and that the difficulties approach a favorable solution
In the course of this session my secretary of state will furnish you a complete book as to this question of indemnities, in which will be found put together the instructions given to our commissioners, judging without appeal and in the last resort the progress of their labors, their decisions, and all the documents which pertain thereto.
In concert with his colleague of finance he will also submit for your approval a project of law intended to indemnify the righful holders thereof.
As it will be easy for you to attest from this brief preamble, and as you will see from the exposé of facts which follow, the difficulties created by the insurrection which oppressed the country for ten months, and of which the departments of war and the interior will have to make long communication to you, have been numerous; and nevertheless it can be said that in the course of every negotiation undertaken and followed the ensemble of our relations with the foreign powers has not been subjected to serious breach.
The spirit of equity of the generality of the members of the diplomatic and consular corps, the prudence and wisdom of my Government, have prevented all occasions for conflict which our enemies counted upon already as one of the chances of their success. The reserve which is imposed upon me prevents my indicating to you those of the representatives of friendly powers whose sympathy for the country and loyalty in the exercise of their delicate functions have never belied themselves.
It is thus that I would be silent as to the negotiations in progress, the favorable issue which we, of right, await depends upon the secret to observe, the tact of our negotiators, and the justice of our friends.
And why doubt with regard thereto when it is their own cause that we plead, when we ask them to investigate the truth with relation to suspicions which have arisen, when we support them by the evident manifestation of certain intrigues from that of interested supports which have no reason to be.
Comment upon this branch of the President’s exposé is only necessary so far as to state that, as concerns the attitude and power of the Government in connection with the insurrectionary movements occurring in this city on the days named; the responsibility of the Government for property destroyed, certainly that of foreign residents even to the full measure of its value, under the circumstances, and the mode proposed for investigation and determining such value, and providing for its settlement upon some indefinite legislative project hereafter to be proposed, and upon some plan merely of succor, as he suggests; and as regards the apparent indisposition on the part of the Government to assume frankly, and without reserve, its responsibility in the premises with relation to all property destroyed in all parts of the country, the result of revolutionary movements, such as the ones described as taking [Page 311] place at Port au Prince at the time named, there exists on the part of well informed persons, friends even of his administration, representatives of foreign friendly powers, opinions and judgments entirely at disagreement with the views here expressed by him. But the future will develop such opinions and judgments in their power and truth, for these matters will hereafter be made subjects of serious, sober, wise investigation and decision.
The President, in passing, mentions next, with satisfaction, the fact that the interest on the double debt of France has been paid up to April 30, 1884; that such debt, now over a half century old, will soon be paid in full, but promises that before that is done the figures thereof shall be carefully examined according to the agreement of 1870.
He regrets, on the other hand, that satisfaction has not been given to the holders of the obligations of the loan of 1875, and promises, with regard thereto, that the secretary of state of finances will make provision in which the interests of those concerned shall be duly cared for.
Then follow, as translated, certain statements in which we have special interest. He says:
Thanks to the activity of our minister plenipotentiary at Washington, to that of our consuls of New York and Philadelphia, and of our eminent judicial advisors, the different processes brought before the Federal courts, on the occasion of armaments made by the insurgents, have terminated to our advantage and to our satisfaction. The ships Tropic, Mary N. Hogan, and Irvin, seized by us, were found culpable, and their owners and crews, convicted of the violation of the laws of neutrality, have been condemned to the pains and penalties provided in such regard.
In that which concerns the affairs of Pelletier and Lazare, the loyalty of the American Government, in which we have always had confidence, has contributed with our good disposition with regard to a new examination of such questions to lead to an understanding between the two Governments. These affairs will be settled by arbitration. The arbitrator is a learned and impartial citizen of the United States, and we are able to entertain happy hopes upon the result of such questions, which will not probably be delayed.
The affair of Potter has been settled.
* * * * * * *
But the president seizes the opportunity offered in this connection to refer to the claim of Hayti as to the Island of Navassa, employing these words.
Events have forcibly diverted my attention from the question of Navassa. But the principle of arbitration admitted for the settlement of the affairs of Pelletier and Lazare offers as the occasion of extending the benefit thereof to this question, so important, of the possession of the territory of one of our adjacent islands.
* * * * * * *
I am, &c.,