Mr. Powell to Mr. Hay.
Port au Prince, July 19, 1902.
Sir: I have the honor to inform the Department of the condition of affairs in this Republic up to the present time. In my last dispatch, No. 1111, of July 7, I gave to the Department the facts that had reached the legation concerning events that had occurred at Cape Haïtien. Since then more detailed information has reached us. It was stated in our dispatch that the foreign consuls had gone to Mr. Firmin’s house and had conducted him, under their respective flags, to the Haitian gunboat. This statement was an injustice to the consular corps. From subsequent information received it appears that Admiral Killick landed his sailors and four small guns, the detachment being in charge of one of his officers, who was directed to proceed to Mr. Firmin’s house. Shortly after their arrival this party assumed the aggressive, killing one or two persons, one of whom, I believe, was an officer of the commune. A part of this force was sent to the chief of the arrondissement, who is a brother-in-law of Mr. Firmin. General Nord attacked the part of the force stationed at the house of Mr. Firmin, compelling them to retreat in haste to their boats. It was at this time that the foreign consuls entered upon the scene. While the firing was going on the consuls had assembled at the American consulate (Mr. Livingston’s), which is between Mr. Firmin’s house and the city wharf. While there they heard the running of the people as they passed the house and the rapid firing of guns. In order to prevent a further effusion of blood, they resolved to go under their flags in a body to both parties. By this time Killick’s force had reached the wharf and the firing had partly ceased. In his retreat two of his guns had to be abandoned, as well as a part of his force. Mr. Firmin had reached the wharf a few minutes before, disguised as a sailor. Killick in the meanwhile had brought the Crête nearer to the town and had trained his large guns so as to sweep the wharf as soon as his men had gained their boats. Mr. Firmin was the first to embark. When the foreign consuls appeared, firing ceased by common consent.
Mr. Firmin, I am informed, was somewhat indignant at the nonappearance of the consuls earlier in the day, and treated them at this [Page 612] time with scant courtesy. After Killick’s force had regained their vessel, quiet was partly restored. Killick shortly afterwards left, first for Cape Caracol, and from there to Gonaives, where he is at this writing. After the departure of the Crête-à-Pierrot the partisans of General Nord pillaged the house of Mr. Firmin. Everything there was destroyed. Some of the costly furniture was sold openly in the streets by the pillagers. His handsome library, the finest in the Republic, containing rare books of a priceless value, was destroyed. Some very valuable works of which he was the author, particularly a work he was preparing for the press and near completion, styled The History of the Republic of Haiti, from the Settlement by the French to the Administration of General Sam, representing the work of twenty years, were given to the flames. Other works almost as valuable were torn into small fragments. After completing this work of vandalism, the mob proceeded to the houses of Firmin’s friends, where the same scenes were reenacted, the inmates fleeing to the consulates for asylum. Mr. Firmin’s personal loss is estimated to be nearly $40,000. Those who have gone to the consulate have been compelled to leave the country, or, rather, forced into exile. Others of his friends left with him on the Crête.
At present this vessel is at Gonaives, where she is awaiting a supply of coal. Where she will go from there, no one knows but Killick. The Provisional Government has dismissed him and has directed the next in command to take charge of the vessel and bring it to this port. Killick has defied the Government, has refused to accept his dismissal, and has sent word to the Government that as soon as he gets coal (which is on the way to him from New York) he will bombard Gonaives, return to the Cape, destroy that, and will proceed from there to Port au Prince, and there finish the work of destruction. He has further stated that before he will surrender the vessel he will blow her up with all on board. No fear is felt here of his coming as long as the French naval vessel is in the harbor, which is being held here by the French minister for the protection of foreign interests, and also to prevent Killick from carrying into execution his plan. This threat of Killick is not an idle one. Those who know his past know that he belongs to that reckless class of men. He is also a “fatalist,” and aside from that is a very heavy drinker.
The Government on its part is powerless to prevent him from carrying into execution his threats. They have requested the French minister to send the D’Assas to Gonaives and bring Killick here, citing as a precedent that a similar request was once made by one of the South American Republics to a friendly power who had one of its naval vessels in port at the time, and that such request was granted. The French minister declined to assume the responsibility of such a step. The President (General Canal) sent to see if we would order the Marietta to bring the Crête here. We have replied to him declining to interfere, stating we could not take any part in this affair; that the Marietta was in these waters simply for the protection of foreign interests, and to save life.
In the meanwhile Killick, through an English firm, is to receive coal from New York. This vessel (Valencia) will reach Killick to-morrow. The Government on its part has been making strenuous efforts for the past week to prevent this coal reaching Killick. It has appealed to the German minister (Count Hacke) to direct the agent of the line to [Page 613] dispatch the vessel to this port, and has offered to buy the coal at an advanced price above what Killick is to pay for it, but the German minister can not see how he can prevent the coal from being landed. The Government has also requested the English charge, Mr. Cohen, to instruct Killick’s first and second officers, who are Englishmen and under contract to the Haitian Government, to refuse to receive orders from Killick, and bring the vessel here. The British charge has declined to interfere.
This incident only shows how weak the present Government is, and to make matters worse three members of the cabinet are friends of Mr. Firmin, informing him of all the movements of the Government. Those communes or localities that desire to obey its mandates do so; those that do not take no notice of them.
The whole situation could not be much worse than it is at this writing.
I have, etc.,