No. 344.

Mr. Frelinghuysen to Mr. Langston.

No. 321.]

Sir: I have to acknowledge, with approval, the receipt of your No. 692 of the 4th ultimo in regard to the imprisonment of Mr. C. A. Van Bokkelen, at Port-au-Prince, for debt, and to say that a copy of your dispatch has been transmitted to his father, Mr. W. K. Van Bokkelen, at New York, in response to his letter of the 25th ultimo, a copy of which, as a matter of record, I herewith inclose.

You will continue to exert every proper effort in Mr. Van Bokkelen’s behalf to secure his early release.

I am, &c.,

FRED’K T. FRELINGHUYSEN.
[Inclosure in No. 321.]

Mr. W. K. Van Bokkelen to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Mr. Secretary: I again call your serious attention to the case of my son, Mr. C. A. Van Bokkelen. I have dates from Port-au-Prince up to the 9th instant. I cannot too strongly praise the energy shown by Mr. J. Mercer Langston, our minister resident, in the case.

On the 3d he went with my son’s lawyer before the court, and his presence made the judges say that in a week or two they would act; of course you know what this means.

[Page 482]

On the 5th our minister made an official demand for my son’s release, and received a reply stating that the matter had been referred to minister of justice (same old story). Is it usual for your Department to refer foreign ministers to our Attorney-General? To this reference, as before, no reply had been received.

If I am correctly informed as to steps taken and demands made by our minister in this matter, I do not hesitate to say that in the case of my son all civilized rules have been violated, treaty obligations thrown aside, and a determination shown upon the part of the Haytian Government to do as they please, and to sustain to the extreme the first gross violation of law in my son’s case.

I now ask that at once my son’s case receive, not in words, but by force, the assistance of his Government, and that the steps taken will let the bigoted, uncivilized Haytians know that passion shall not rule.

Thanking you for what has been done, I pray the administration will not allow this case to pass over to the incoming one.

I am, &c.,

W. K. VAN BOKKELEN.
[Indorsement.]

Mr. Niles to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Dear Sir: The strength of this case is its merits. From what I know of it, I cannot too strongly urge upon the Department positive and prompt steps to obtain at once Mr. Van Bokkelen’s release and indemnity for damages.

I am, &c.,

NATHANIEL NILES.