No. 637.
Mr. Bayard
to Mr. Thompson.
Washington , June 21, 1888.
Sir: I have received your Nos. 181, 185, and 186 (Dip. series), of the 26th ultimo and 6th and 11th instant, in which you narrate the circumstances which led you to telegraph to the Department on the 24th ultimo, your fear that a revolution in Hayti was imminent, and which thus caused the prompt dispatch of the U. S. S. Yantic to Port au Prince.
The difficulties to which you advert appear to have grown out of the opposing candidacy of Senator Légitime and Deputy Manigat, supposed aspirants for the presidency; but these gentlemen having voluntarily quitted the island, as reported in your dispatch No. 185, quiet would seem to be assured for the present.
It is observed that in the interview held by yourself and certain of your diplomatic colleagues with President Salomon you report as follows:
We then proposed to accompany him [Senator Légitime] there [to the palace] and act as bondsmen of his word of honor if he declared that he would not by any method employ means of a revolutionary character or otherwise, to upset, interfere with, or embitter the Government of President Salomon.
While it is always gratifying to see the good offices of representatives of the United States enlisted in behalf of preserving public tranquillity the means thus suggested may perhaps be open to question.
The nature and responsibility of the very comprehensive guaranty offered are not apparent. It is not understood how the diplomatic agent of the United States in Hayti could “act as bondsman “of the word of honor of a native Haytian charged with being concerned in movements to “upset, interfere with, or embitter” the titular Government, or where accountability would have lain had the sweeping terms [Page 896] of such a guaranty been evaded or not complied with. No responsibility in that case could even remotely have attached to this Government.
But speculation on this point is fortunately set aside by the fact that the offered guaranty was apparently not accepted, being replaced by President Salomon’s personal engagement to insure Senator Légitime’s safety on his visiting the palace.
I am, etc.,