No. 212.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.
Port au Prince, Hayti, April 8, 1872. (Received May 6.)
Sir: Recurring to my 119 of the 25th ultimo, which relates to occurrences at Saint Marc between our consular officer and the authorities there on the 20th ultimo, and which covers sundry communications made on the subject up to that date, I have the honor to state, on information just received from our consul at Cape Haytian, that there have been, and are still, political refugees in the English vice-consulate at the Cape, supposed to have been connected with the insurgents who lately appeared there, and that the English vice-consul has, in spite of the repeated demands of the authorities for them, and in spite, too, of the very great excitement which naturally exists there in reference to them, steadily refused to deliver them up. I learn also, on authority of equal reliance, that the English vice-consul at Gonaives was reported to have refugees in his consulate, and that the authorities thereupon stationed a guard at a very respectful distance from his premises, but made no other demonstrations against them.
These facts, viewed in connection with those reported in my No. 119, might suggest the inquiry why these Haytian officials are so careful to avoid collision with the sub-consulates of some other nationalities, when, at the same time, and under the same circumstances, they have proved themselves So ready to dash upon our consular officer at Saint Marc.
In your No. 32 of February 4, 1870, you instruct me that the Department expects me “to be firm in maintaining the rights of our citizens, and the dignity of the Government of the United States.” Under this instruction, which is in perfect accord with my own settled convictions, and in the firm belief that if the unlawful proceedings against our consular officer at Saint Marc were to be allowed to go unrebuked, this [Page 271] single fact would create a greater disparity between the consideration with which these officials seem to regard us, and that with which they appear to regard some other nationalities, than the foregoing statements indicate, I took and have maintained the action reported in my No. 119.
It is due to the Haytian government, however, to observe that they seem now, under my representations, disposed to look more seriously upon the affair than at first, and that appearances indicate that they will gladly accede to the terms I named to them, as they are stated in my No. 119, though they ask for a delay of a few days until the return of the President. I have exchanged communications with the government here since the date of my No. 119. But as the packet by which I send my dispatches of this date is on the eve of departing, I cannot now, but will at the next opportunity, forward this additional correspondence to the Department.
I have, &c.,