No. 653.
Mr. Thompson to Mr. Bayard.
Port au Prince Hayti , August 25, 1888. (Received September 20.)
Sir: General Séide Thélémaque, commander-in chief of the army of the revolution, arrived here the morning of the 23d instant at the head of soldiers from the north to the number of seven or eight thousand. Arriving at Gonaïves the French minister sent word that the “corps diplomatique” wished to confer with the general. An hour was arranged and General Thélémaque with many generals awaited, expecting to receive some important favorable news from such a quarter, probably that he had been proclaimed President. He was astonished to see but one man arrive, who, introducing himself, requested a private interview. This being accorded, he said he had come with a verbal message from Boisrond Canal to advise him (Thélémaque) not to march to this city with his army. He asked, “Why?” “Because a part of the city being burned down, there was no place to lodge the troops, and so many men in the city might lead to sickness.” It is said that General Thélémaque expressed his surprise at a foreign representative so interesting himself in Haytian politics. On inquiry he was told there were about five thousand soldiers here; he ended by saying, “Since you came to me with a verbal message from General Boisrond Canal I return by you a verbal reply: tell General Boisrond as there are five thousand soldiers at Port au Prince, I should go there with ten thousand—I will bring my entire army.”
Later letters were sent to General Thélémaque by some of his partisans, saying, If you do not come with your army you bad better return to the cape.”
A fact that must not be lost sight of is, that there has never been a feeling between the cities of the north and those of the south concerning political honors, and it was the belief here that although General Thélémaque took up arms against the Government, those revolutionists here, since through their action Salomon abdicated, felt themselves the masters of the situation, and proposed rushing their candidate into the executive seat. Thélémaque, quietly waiting until he could consolidate his army and march into the city, frustrated their plans on that score.
Yesterday a provisional government was formed, composed of the following members: Messrs. Boisrond Canal, Séide Thélémaque, Légi-time, [Page 917] St.Aruiand, Hyppolite, E. Claude and C. Archin. The first act of such provisional government was to proclaim the dissolution of the chamber of deputies and the senate. Now the intriguing will commence, and even at this writing dissatisfaction is being openly expressed against some of the members chosen. Your dispatch No. 120 has been received this morning, and the information that the Galena is on her way to Haytian waters is highly appreciated by this legation.
I have, sir, etc.,