I shall continue to insist that some statement be made on the point of lack
of courtesy.
[Inclosure 1 in No.
142.—Translation.]
Mr. Lespinasse to
Mr. Durham.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Port au Prince, January 5,
1893.
The secretary of state of foreign relations has the honor to give the
following résumé of the communication which was addressed to his
excellency the President of Haiti and to himself at the National Palace,
on the 4th instant, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, by the Hon. John S.
Durham, minister resident of the United States of America at Port au
Prince, who was accompanied by the vice-consul-general and by a clerk of
his legation.
The minister resident of the United States of America stated that Mr.
Frederick Mevs, an American citizen, and a merchant in this city, had
been arrested on a charge of smuggling; that he had not been allowed,
during the two days of his incarceration, to offer any evidence in
rebuttal of the charges made against him, but that, after having been
imprisoned for nine days, he had been acquitted by the correctional [Page 366] court of Port au Prince, at
the instance of the Government attorney; that the vice-consul-general of
the United States of America, who, at the time of the arrest of Mr.
Frederick Mevs, was in charge of the legation of the United States of
America at Port au Prince, having addressed a communication on that
subject to the minister of foreign relations, had received no reply
until three days after his letter had been sent, and that, in that
reply, the secretary of state of foreign relations had contented himself
with informing him that he was going to request the department of
justice to report on the subject; that the Government of the United
States of America, considering these acts as acts of great gravity, had
instructed him to demand, laying diplomatic forms aside, and allowing no
discussion of the facts, reparation from the Haitian Government, without
specifying the nature of such reparation.
The Hon. John S. Durham, speaking in the name of his Government,
requested his excellency the President of Haiti and the secretary of
state of foreign relations to lay his demand before the Haitian cabinet,
whose reply he would await, and he ended his official declaration by
expressing the hope that the reparation which he asked for would be
worthy both of the Government of the United States of America and of
that of Haiti.
The secretary of state of foreign relations, before making the
communications which he thinks proper to the council of the secretaries
of state, would be glad to be informed by the minister resident of the
United States of America whether the foregoing statement of his
declarations is, in all respects, in harmony with what he really said;
if the memory of the secretary of state of foreign relations has been
treacherous on any point, he begs the minister resident of the United
States of America to point out such corrections as may be necessary, and
he avails himself, etc.
[Inclosure 2, in No. 141.]
Mr. Durham to Mr.
Lespinasse.
Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, January 5,
1893.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of a memorandum concerning the outrage perpetrated on Mr.
Frederick Mevs, over your signature, bearing even date, which you ask me
to verify.
I beg leave to remark that there seems to have escaped your attention my
express statement that my instructions do not permit me to make any
written communication to your Government at this stage.
You will, I am sure, Mr. Minister, accept this violation of my
instructions as a demonstration of the high consideration with which I
continue to be your humble and obedient servant,
