Mr. Douglass to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Port-au-Prince, June 13, 1890.
(Received June 28.)
No. 77.]
Sir: I have the honor to invite your attention to
the accompanying copies of correspondence which I have recently exchanged
with the minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Firmin, in reference to the
alleged presence, in March last, of two American schooners, the Baltic and the Rising Sun, in
the Haitian port of Grand-Gosier, which is known not to be open to foreign
commerce.
It will be seen from Mr. Firmin’s note of the 7th instant (see inclosure No.
1), that he complains that; according to a report made to His Excellency
President Hyppolite by the commander in chief of the Haitian navy, the two
schooners were found anchored in an unopen port of the Republic, and prays
me to take measures which will “prevent the renewal in the waters of the
territory of Haiti of the acts of the two vessels in question.” It will be
seen, further, from the note that the only explanation which the masters of
the schooners are represented to have made of their presence at Grand-Gosier
was that they had for some time been engaged in the whale fishery in that
vicinity.
They seem to have been treated by the Haitian officers with all the courtesy
which they could, perhaps, have expected under the circumstances. At all
events, no complaint or other representation has come to me from any person
claiming ownership or interest in the two vessels, the only information that
I have of the incident under consideration being that which is conveyed to
me in Mr. Firmin’s note.
In my response (see inclosure No. 2), made on the 10th instant to Mr. Firmin,
I thought it prudent to intimate to him that there might be instances in
which American vessels could properly cast anchor in an unopen port of
Haiti, but at the same time to express my disapproval of the presence as
described of the two schooners at Grand-Gosier, and to say to him that I
will endeavor to prevent the recurrence of any incident of a similar
character.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
77.—Translation.]
Mr. Firmin to Mr.
Douglass.
Bureau
of Foreign Affairs,
Port-au-Prince, June 7,
1890.
Mr. Minister: I have the honor to inform you
that, according to a report made to His Excellency the President of the
Republic by Mr. H. Killick, the commander in chief of the Haitian navy,
the American schooners Baltic, Capt. S. Emmonds
Byr, and Rising Sun, Capt. C. A. Stevenson, were
found anchored in the port of Grand-Gosier, about the end of the month
of March last. Commandant Killick, surprised to see these vessels in a
port not open to foreign commerce, wished to take knowledge of their
papers and to inquire as to the cause of their presence in those waters.
To this end he called the two captains on board the corvette Defense and questioned them. They declared that
they had for some time been engaged in the whale fishery in the vicinity
where they were.
On this declaration Commandant Killick, who was assisted during the
occurrence by the commanders of the Defense and
of the gunboat Jacmel, made known to these
captains the dispositions of the Haitian law relative to navigation on
the coasts of the country, and invited them to leave the port of
Grand-Gosier and to go to one of our ports open to foreign commerce, in
order to revictual according to need.
[Page 529]
In hastening, on the invitation of the President of the Republic, to give
yon knowledge of this affair, I pray you, Mr. Minister, to be pleased to
take such measures as you shall judge necessary to prevent the renewal,
in the waters of the territory of Haiti, of the acts of the two American
vessels in question.
Accept, etc.,
A. Firmin,
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 77.]
Mr. Douglass to Mr.
Firmin.
Legation of the United States,
Port-au-Prince, June 10,
1890.
Sir: In the note which you addressed to me on
the 7th instant, and which I had the honor to receive on the 9th
instant, you are pleased to inform me that, according to a report made
to His Excellency the President of Haiti by Mr. H. Killick, the
commander in chief of the Haitian navy, two American schooners, the Baltic, Capt. S. Emmonds Byr, and the Rising Sun, Capt. C. A. Stevenson, were, near the
end of March last, found anchored in the port of Grand-Gosier, which is
notofen to foreign commerce; that Mr. Killick, surprised to see them
there and wishing to take knowledge of their papers and to make inquiry
as to the cause of their presence in those waters, called the two
captains on board the Haitian corvette Defense
and questioned them; that they declared that they had for some time been
engaged in the whale fishery in that vicinity; and that thereupon Mr.
Killick, who was assisted in this occurrence by the commanders of the
Haitian war vessels Defense and Jacmel, made known to the captains of the schooners the law of
Haiti relative to navigation on the coasts of the country, and invited
them to leave the port of Grand-Gosier and go to one of theofen ports of
the Republic, where they could revictual according to need.
Of the occurrences thus outlined I have no other knowledge than that with
which you favor me. But, inasmuch as it does not appear from your
statements that the schooners referred to were “forced to seek refuge or
asylum” in Grand-Gosier “through stress of weather, pursuit of pirates
or enemies, or want of provisions or water,” or that they had been
“wrecked, stranded, or otherwise damaged on the coasts” of Haiti, or
that they were in any condition that would entitle them to “the same
assistance which would be due to the inhabitants of the country where”
they were, their presence, as described, in a port of the Republic known
not to beofen to foreign commerce does not seem to be justifiable, and I
shall endeavor to take such measures as may be deemed necessary and
expedient to prevent a recurrence of any similar incident.
Be pleased to accept, etc.,
