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    Frederick Douglass and Haiti's Mole St. NicolasAuthor(s): Myra HimelhochSource: The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Jul., 1971), pp. 161-180Published by: Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2716270.

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    THE

    JOURNAL

    OF

    NEGRO HISTORY

    VOLUME

    LVI,

    No. 3

    JULY,

    1971

    FREDERICK

    DOUGLASS

    AND HAITI'S

    MOLE

    ST.

    NICOLAS

    by

    Myra

    Himelhoch

    Myra

    Himelhoch

    s

    a doctoral

    student,

    with

    nterests

    n

    American

    iplomatic

    history,

    t

    Washington

    niversity,

    t.

    Louis,

    Missouri.

    The

    United

    States was

    in the

    market

    or

    naval

    base

    in the

    Caribbean

    n

    1889.

    The searchfor

    uch

    a

    base

    was

    an

    old

    story,

    ut

    n

    1889

    there

    was

    a new

    aggressiveness

    n

    U.S.

    policy.

    This was

    the

    year

    n

    which

    the construction

    f

    a

    Nicaraguan

    anal

    was

    authorized

    o

    compete

    with

    the

    French

    Panama

    canal,

    n

    defiance

    of

    treaty

    bligations

    o Great

    Britain.

    As

    the

    big

    powers

    maneuver

    forcontrol f a transisthmianoute t was natural hatHaiti,one of a chainof

    islands

    commanding

    he sea

    approaches

    from

    the

    east,

    should

    increase

    in

    attractiveness

    o all

    of

    them.

    From

    a naval

    point

    of

    view,

    Haiti's

    chief

    trateg

    asset was

    Mole St.

    Nicolas,

    an

    elevated

    imestone

    peninsula

    bout

    threemile

    long,

    forming

    harbor

    t the northern

    ntrance o the Windward

    assage.

    n

    th

    19th

    century

    he Mole's

    outer harbor

    was

    thought

    o

    be

    capacious

    enough

    to

    hold

    all

    the

    fleets

    f

    the

    world

    besides

    being

    perfectly

    nassailable. But th

    Mole

    had

    always

    been

    a mixed

    blessing

    o

    Haiti,

    offering

    constant

    emptatio

    to

    weak

    governments

    r

    revolutionary

    roups

    to

    bargain

    t

    away

    for

    foreig

    protection.Over heyearsHaitianshad cometo believe hat heir utonomywa

    almost

    mystically

    ound

    up

    with

    retaining

    ontrol f the

    Mole.1

    After

    he fall

    of a

    Haitian

    dictator

    n

    the summer

    f

    1888,

    two

    genera

    struggled

    ver the

    presidential

    uccession,

    ach

    desperate

    for

    foreign

    id.

    To

    England,

    France

    and the

    United

    States Haiti's

    distresswas

    less

    a

    signal

    for

    help

    than

    a

    spur

    to

    renewed

    rivalry mong

    themselves.

    rance,

    historically

    h

    dominant

    foreign

    ower

    in

    Haiti,

    gave

    aid and

    comfort o

    General

    Legitim

    permitting

    im to

    take

    over the

    reinsof

    government

    hat

    he

    deposed

    Presiden

    Salomon had

    just

    put

    down.

    England,

    content

    with

    this

    arrangement,

    ecame

    thesilentpartner f France. But theUnitedStates,whichcamein a poorthir

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    162

    JOURNAL

    OF

    NEGRO HISTORY

    in

    the

    race

    for nfluence

    n

    Haiti,

    was

    not content.

    Withher

    new stake

    n

    the

    Nicaragua

    canal the

    United States

    would

    have

    preferred

    o see

    Genera

    Hyppolite,who wasnot the client fFrance, n thepresidentialhair.2

    As

    they

    watched

    Legitime's

    egime

    athering

    trength,

    resident

    levelan

    and

    his

    policymakers

    worried

    hat the

    Mole

    St.

    Nicolas,

    and

    possibly

    othe

    important

    oncessions,

    would

    fall

    nto

    the hands of the

    French.

    How

    could

    the

    United

    States

    preserve

    ts traditional

    nentanglement

    nd at the same time

    block

    French

    expansion

    n

    this

    sland

    republic?

    Secretary

    f

    State

    Bayard,

    who

    has

    been

    creditedwith

    more

    political

    realism

    hanhis

    chief,

    nvented

    policy

    for

    the

    occasion. His

    policy,

    which

    et the

    United

    States

    part

    frommost

    European

    and

    Latin American

    ations,

    was

    the denial

    of

    recognition

    o

    Legitime's

    e

    facto

    government. resident Clevelandgave the rationale for this policy, which

    outlasted

    his

    administration,

    n

    his ast

    annual

    message

    o

    Congress:

    The

    tenureof

    power

    has been

    so unstable mid

    the

    war

    of

    factions

    that has ensued since the

    expulsion

    of

    President

    alomon

    that

    no

    government

    onstituted

    y

    the

    will

    of the

    Haytian

    people

    has been

    recognized

    s

    administering

    esponsibly

    he

    affairs

    f that

    country.3

    It

    followed

    from American

    nonrecognition

    f

    Legitime

    that Genera

    Hyppoliteand the northernnsurgentsould reduce and perhapsovercom

    Legitime's

    nitial

    military dvantages.

    n

    New York and

    Boston

    Hyppolite

    ound

    merchants

    nd

    shippers

    ager

    to sell him war

    materiel,

    nd

    to

    deliver

    t

    at the

    risk

    of

    runningLegitime's

    blockade

    of

    the

    northern

    ports.

    When

    one of

    Legitime's

    gunboats

    captured

    the

    Haytian

    Republic,

    a

    Boston-owne

    blockade-runner,

    ashington

    ispatched

    ome

    naval

    vessels

    o

    protect

    he

    trade

    of

    innocent

    merchantmen.

    he

    effect f

    American

    naval

    protection

    was

    to

    increase

    he flow

    of

    contraband

    o

    Hyppolite,

    nd

    to

    weaken

    Legitime's

    lready

    faltering

    lockade. All

    of

    this

    Secretary

    ayard

    was able

    to

    do without

    iolatin

    the etter,fnotthespirit, fUnitedStatesneutralityaws.Although ispolicy

    seems

    to

    have

    brought

    he

    United

    States

    o the brink f a selfish

    ntervention,

    t

    stopped

    hort

    f

    take-off.4

    With

    the return f

    Republican

    rule

    under

    Harrison,

    he

    impulse

    toward

    expansion

    n

    the

    Caribbean

    uickened.

    The

    President

    romised

    bigger

    avy,

    n

    interoceanic anal

    free of

    European

    domination,

    nd

    a

    federally

    ubsidized

    merchant

    marine. You

    know

    I

    am

    not much

    of an

    annexationist,

    e wrote

    o

    Secretary

    f

    State

    Blaine,

    though

    do

    feel that

    n

    some

    directions,

    s to naval

    stations

    nd

    points

    of

    influence,

    we

    must

    ook

    forward

    o a

    departure

    rom he

    2.

    This

    comes from the standard

    sources

    on

    U. S.-Haitian

    relations, Rayford

    W.

    Logan,

    The

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    FREDERICK

    DOUGLASS

    AND HAITI'S MOLE

    163

    too conservative

    pinions

    which

    have

    been held

    heretofore.

    JamesG. Blaine

    had

    long

    favored bold

    commercial

    policy

    toward Latin America

    and the

    acquisition fnaval bases in theCaribbean.BoththePresidentndhisSecretar

    of

    State

    represented

    hebusiness

    nterests

    n the

    United

    States

    hat

    had

    themost

    to

    gain

    from conomic

    mperialism.

    lthough

    hey

    differed

    n

    domestic

    ssues

    and

    in

    personal

    tyle,

    he two

    statesmen

    tood

    together

    n

    their

    dvocacy

    f

    a

    spirited

    oreign

    olicy. 5

    The first

    ign

    of

    Blaine's

    spirited

    Haitian

    policy

    came two

    months

    fter

    e

    took

    office. t

    was

    announced

    n

    May,

    1889,

    that

    special

    commission,

    made

    up

    of

    two

    or

    three

    Envoys

    Extraordinary,

    ould

    visit the

    headquarters

    f

    both

    Legitime

    nd

    Hyppolite.

    The

    State

    Department

    either

    onfirmed or denied

    rumors hatbeganto circulate bout thepurpose fthecommission.Would he

    special

    envoys

    be mediators

    n the

    conflict?Were

    hey

    being

    ent

    to ascertai

    which

    Haitian

    eader

    represented

    the willof the

    Haytian

    people?

    Or were

    they

    afterconcessions

    from

    ne

    leader

    or the

    other? t

    was

    a

    tightly uarded

    ecre

    that

    Blaine,

    ever since

    he

    took

    office,

    had

    been

    bargaining

    with

    Legitime

    representative

    n

    Washington

    or

    a

    naval base

    at the

    Mole.

    When

    these

    negotiations

    talled,

    nd

    the war

    seemed

    to be

    going

    n

    favor f

    Hyppolite,

    he

    commission

    dea

    had been

    thought

    f

    as

    an alternative.6

    Public

    interest

    n the

    EnvoysExtraordinary

    emained

    imited,however

    until President

    Harrison

    uddenly

    ancelledthe

    appointment

    f one of them

    The

    rejected

    nominee was Colonel

    Beverly

    Tucker

    of

    West

    Virginia,

    protectionist

    emocrat

    who

    s

    said

    to

    have

    shared business

    nterest

    ithBlaine

    in

    the

    West

    Virginia

    Central

    Railroad. At

    the eleventh our

    the

    Presidentwas

    advised

    so

    he

    told

    reporters)

    hat

    Tucker's

    war

    recordmade him

    neligible

    or

    the

    commission.

    ucker,

    t

    appeared,

    had been

    associated

    with

    a

    Confederat

    spy ring

    n

    Canada

    during

    he Civil

    War,

    nd had been

    tried or

    onspiracy

    n

    the

    assassination

    f

    President

    incoln.

    Although

    branded

    as a

    Southern

    ire-eate

    Tuckerhad been cleared fthegraverhargewhich, wenty-fourears ater,

    ad

    been

    forgotten

    by

    most

    people.

    After

    the

    presidential

    veto,

    however

    Republicanshappily

    unearthed

    very

    detail

    of Tucker's

    ensational

    ast,

    while

    Democrats had

    just

    as

    much

    fun

    pointing

    o

    Republican

    blunders nd

    the

    strained relations

    between Harrison

    and

    his

    Secretary

    of

    State.

    In

    all the

    excitement,

    hardly

    anyone

    considered

    the

    symbolism

    of the Tucker

    appointment

    n

    terms

    f

    Blaine's

    probable

    Haitian

    policy.7

    Black office-seekers ere

    already beginning

    o fear that Blaine favored

    Southern

    policy

    that

    would

    deprive

    hemof federal

    atronage.

    his

    policy,

    5. A. T.

    Volwiler, Harrison, Blaine,

    and

    American

    Foreign

    Policy,

    1889-1893,

    American

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    164

    JOURNAL

    OF

    NEGRO

    HISTORY

    continuation f

    Republican

    efforts

    o break the

    Solid

    South,

    sought

    to

    win

    Southern

    whites

    n

    economic

    policies

    nd,

    by

    building

    white

    Republican

    arty

    in thatsection,drivetheblacks nto theDemocratic arty.PresidentHarrison

    had disavowed

    uch

    a

    policy,

    but

    the

    party

    was

    split,

    with

    Blaine

    thought

    o

    be

    in the

    anti-Negro

    amp.

    There were

    repeated

    rumors hathe would

    send

    white

    diplomats

    o

    Liberia

    and

    Haiti,

    thus

    reversing

    customthat had

    begun

    n the

    Reconstruction.

    s

    early

    as March

    one

    black

    applicant

    forthe

    Haitian

    mission

    had

    been told that

    Blaine

    wanted

    a

    white

    man

    for the

    post

    because

    of

    the

    complicated

    condition

    of

    affairs

    n that

    country.

    Another

    earned

    from

    his

    senator hat

    It is strange nd lamentable ut said to be truethattheHaitiansdo

    not

    pay

    the

    respect

    to our ministers ho

    are

    men

    of their

    wn

    race

    that

    they

    do

    to the

    white

    representatives

    f

    European

    nations,

    nd

    that

    our business

    nterests

    herehave

    suffered

    ery

    much from

    hat

    fact.8

    Amid

    mounting

    riticism

    f the

    Administration's

    ppointment olicy

    nthe

    black

    community,

    rederick

    Douglass,

    now

    72

    years

    old and

    full of

    honors

    counselled

    patience.

    The

    Republicanparty

    s

    the

    ship,

    ll else is

    the sea

    was

    one of his oft-quoted emarks.He had campaigned orHarrisonn 1888, and

    hoped

    to

    be

    rewarded

    with

    his

    old

    job

    of

    Recorder

    f

    Deeds

    in the District f

    Columbia.

    By

    June of

    1889

    he

    had

    applied

    twice

    in

    writing

    nd

    had sent

    a

    delegation

    f

    his

    friends

    o the White

    House

    on

    behalf

    f his

    candidacy

    or

    hat

    position.

    When

    he learned

    that the President

    was

    considering

    im

    for a

    diplomatic

    post,

    he asked

    to

    be

    sent

    to

    Cairo,

    Egypt;

    nevertheless,

    e did

    not

    decline he

    humbler

    Haitian

    missionwhen

    t

    was

    offered o

    him.9

    The announcement

    f

    his commission

    s

    Minister

    Resident

    nd Consul

    General

    o

    Haiti

    drew

    mixed

    ditorial

    eactions.

    Many

    white

    ditors

    aid

    tribut

    to hisachievementsnd distinction,raisedhis courage n accepting difficul

    job,

    and

    predicted

    uccess

    forhim

    n his new

    diplomatic

    areer.

    But

    there

    were

    some sournotes. The

    appointment

    f

    Frederick

    ouglass

    s

    Minister

    o

    Hayti

    s

    very

    creditable

    o

    the

    Administration,

    aid

    a sarcastic

    Midwestern

    ditorwith

    Southern

    principles.

    It sends

    a

    professional

    African

    o

    represent

    imself

    n a

    country

    wherehe

    willbe

    in

    harmony

    with

    he

    prevailing

    etish. '1

    The

    Afro-American

    ress,

    which

    t

    that

    ime ncluded

    nly

    two

    dailies

    nd

    about

    150

    weeklies,

    was

    far

    fromunanimous

    n

    its

    praise

    of the

    appointment

    Editors

    who

    disagreed

    with

    Douglass

    on

    political uestions,

    r

    disapproved

    f his

    8.

    Vincent P.

    De

    Santis,

    Benjamin

    Harrison

    nd the

    Republican

    Party

    n

    the

    South,

    1889-1893,

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    FREDERICK

    DOUGLASS

    AND HAITI'S

    MOLE

    165

    white

    wife,

    grumbled

    hatsomeothercandidateor a

    younger

    man shouldhav

    been

    chosen.

    Many

    black editorswho

    were

    friendly

    o

    Douglass

    objected

    tha

    the Haitian mission was not good enough for him. Calling it a fifth-r

    ministership,

    he ndiana

    Freeman

    omplained:

    In

    making

    he

    appointment

    h

    administration

    laces

    a

    very

    ow

    estimate

    n

    the

    Negro

    nd

    in

    accepting

    t

    Mr

    Douglass

    has

    belittled

    himself

    n

    the

    eyes

    of

    many

    of his

    friends

    and

    admirers. l

    1

    Confident hat

    the office

    was

    an

    important

    ne,

    Douglass gnored

    most

    of

    this criticism.

    ut

    he was

    stung

    by

    the

    charge,

    ppearing

    lmost

    wholly

    n

    th

    white

    press

    of

    the

    Northeast,

    hat

    he

    would

    be

    personally

    unacceptable

    to

    Haitians.

    This

    was

    argued

    on the

    ground

    that

    Haiti

    preferred

    whiteman

    as

    minister,nd a manwhohad not been dentifiedas Douglasshad) withGrant

    annexationist

    olicy

    toward

    Santo

    Domingo. Blaming

    New York

    businessmen

    with

    a

    commercial

    motive

    for

    nspiring

    his

    argument, ouglass

    laterrecalle

    bitterly:

    They

    took

    no

    note that

    at the

    time

    favored

    he annexation

    f

    Santo

    Domingo

    t

    was

    only

    because

    the

    country

    was

    supposed

    to desire

    t.

    They

    could not

    see

    that

    being

    herself

    retty eeply

    colored and

    her

    citizens

    onsiderably

    nder

    the ban

    on account of

    color,

    specially

    n

    theUnitedStates,Haitiwouldnaturally e pleasedto see one ofher

    own

    complexion

    honored

    by

    the

    appointment

    to the Haitian

    mission.1

    There

    was

    plenty

    of

    time

    during

    he summer

    months

    for

    Douglass

    to

    answer

    the accusations hat

    had been

    made

    against

    him,

    and to elucidate his

    views on

    Haiti.

    He

    attempted

    o correct he

    impression

    hat Haiti's

    frequen

    revolutions

    ad

    any

    relevance

    o the real or

    supposed ncapacity

    f

    Negroes

    or

    self-government,

    r

    that

    they

    ndicated

    decay

    or

    retrogression.

    xplaining

    hat

    Haiti was in a state of

    political

    volution,

    ike theSouthAmerican

    epublics,

    e

    noted that Haiti's

    people,

    though

    black,

    were

    politically

    more

    akin

    to

    white

    Frenchmen

    han

    to

    black

    Americans.At

    times

    he

    sounded

    almostmessianic n

    his

    vision of

    what

    he

    could

    accomplish

    n

    Haiti:

    I

    shall

    go

    to that

    country

    o

    represent

    he interests

    f the

    United

    States,

    nd

    also with viewto

    advance

    he

    interests f

    the

    people

    likely

    o

    be benefited

    y

    the

    wise,

    peaceful,

    nd

    orderly

    government

    f

    what

    s

    called

    the

    Black

    Republic'

    ..

    I know of

    no

    place

    on the

    globe

    where

    could

    be more

    usefully

    mployed

    . . 13

    As the summerdrew to a close, so did the Haitianmilitary truggl

    Beginning

    n

    May

    the tide had

    turned

    gainst

    Legitime.

    The State

    and

    Navy

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    JOURNAL

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    NEGRO HISTORY

    Departments

    n

    the

    United

    States,

    keeping

    n

    close

    touch with

    development

    placed great

    confidence

    n

    the

    reports

    of Rear

    Admiral

    Bancroft

    Gherard

    Commander-in-chieff the North Atlantic fleet in Haitian waters since

    February,

    Gherardi

    ad been

    a keen observer f the

    conflict s well as a

    stron

    protector

    f

    Americanmerchants

    oing

    business

    with

    Hyppolite.

    When

    Blaine

    was informed hat

    Gherardi

    was

    giving

    aval

    protection

    o

    Hyppolite's

    unboat

    as

    well

    as

    to

    American

    merchant

    hips,

    he

    dismissed

    he

    charge

    s

    absurd

    and

    baseless.

    Whether he

    allegation

    was

    true or

    not,

    Gherardi's

    artisanship

    or

    Hyppolite

    -

    and Blaine's

    uncritical

    dmiration

    or

    Gherardi

    continued

    o

    figure

    n

    U.

    S.

    policyduring

    nd after he

    Haitian

    ivil

    war.14

    On

    August

    24,

    1889

    the

    Admiral

    abled from

    Haiti

    that

    Legitime

    ad

    fled

    and Hyppolitewas occupying hecapital.After escribing is part nguardin

    the

    city

    against

    iot,

    Gherardi

    dded,

    It

    is

    very

    mportant

    hat

    he

    new

    ministe

    should

    be

    sent

    immediately.

    At

    his summer

    uarters

    n

    Bar

    Harbor,

    Maine

    Secretary

    f

    State Blaine decided not

    to

    send the

    new minister

    mmediately

    Instead

    he

    arranged

    or

    Douglass

    to have

    eave

    of

    absence

    until

    October,

    nd for

    Admiral Gherardi

    to

    assume

    temporary

    diplomatic

    powers

    in

    Haiti

    if

    the

    incumbent

    minister,

    Cleveland

    ppointee,

    was

    not safe. 15

    The

    news

    that

    Douglass

    was

    being

    detained

    produced speculation,

    nd a

    revival

    f

    some of the

    hostile comments

    hat

    had

    appeared

    earlier.

    t

    became

    necessaryforAssistantSecretary f State Wharton o deny that Douglass's

    commission

    was

    about

    to

    be

    revoked.

    Acknowledging

    commercial

    motive,

    n

    article

    n

    an

    Indiana

    newspaper

    evealed hat

    opposition

    to

    Douglass

    was not

    confined

    o

    the

    anti-Administration

    ress,

    r

    to

    New York.

    The

    time eems

    o

    be

    propitious

    or

    n

    American

    minister

    n

    Hayti

    to render

    ery

    seful ervice

    n

    restoring

    he

    foundations

    f

    good government,

    aid the

    Indiana

    Journal.

    A

    measure

    f

    great

    mportance

    would be

    the

    repeal

    of the constitutional

    rovisio

    prohibiting

    hite

    men from

    wning

    eal estate

    on

    the island.

    Referring

    o an

    opportunity

    here

    for minister

    ho

    knowshow

    to

    use

    it,

    the

    Journal

    ave

    ts

    opinion

    that Mr.

    Douglass

    is too old

    to

    be

    expected

    to

    embrace such an

    opportunity

    with

    avidity,

    f

    ndeed

    he

    recognizes

    it

    at all

    . .

    .16

    Toward

    the end

    of

    September

    Douglass

    prepared

    to

    leave for

    Port

    au

    Prince.

    t

    had

    been

    decided

    that

    this rrival houldcoincide

    pproximately

    ith

    the

    presidential

    lection

    n

    early

    October.

    The

    first

    lan

    was

    for

    Douglass

    o sail

    from

    Norfolk,

    irginia.

    When

    he informed he State

    Department

    hathe

    could

    14. Bancroft

    Gherardi

    was the

    nephew

    of

    the

    historian

    nd former

    ecretary

    f the

    Navy,

    George

    Bancroft.He joined thenavy t theageof 14, in 1846, androsesteadilyn the service xceptforone lapse.

    In

    May,

    1876

    a

    Naval-General

    ourt-martial

    onvictedhim

    of

    causingpunishment

    orbidden

    y

    law to

    be

    inflicted

    n

    n

    the

    Navy.

    Details

    of

    the

    court-martialre n the

    New

    York

    Times,

    August

    20, 1876,

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    FREDERICK

    DOUGLASS

    AND

    HAITI'S MOLE

    167

    not

    get

    first

    class

    accommodations

    on

    any

    train

    or steamer

    going

    from

    Washington,

    .C.

    to

    Norfolk,

    t was

    arranged

    or

    him

    and

    his

    party

    o

    travel

    y

    naval vessels. To their embarrassment,he heads of the State and Navy

    Departments

    hen

    discovered

    hat

    Douglass

    was

    ust

    as

    determined

    ot

    to

    bow

    to

    Jim

    Crow

    in

    the

    navy.

    Rumors

    flew

    as

    one

    commander

    esigned,

    nothe

    declared

    his

    ship

    unfit

    for

    service,

    and

    a

    third

    was

    transferred

    o

    a

    new

    command.

    Government

    fficials

    either remained

    ilent,

    or

    denied

    that race

    prejudice

    was

    involved.

    While

    t seems

    to

    be

    true hat

    none

    of

    the navalofficer

    refused

    o

    carry

    the

    American

    minister

    o

    Haiti,

    as some

    newspapers

    alsel

    asserted,

    he fact

    remains

    hat

    ll of the commanders rew he color

    ine when

    t

    came

    to

    sharing

    he

    captain's

    table

    with

    a black

    diplomat.

    Throughout

    hese

    proceedings,he executivebranch f thegovernmentlayed conciliatoryole

    mediating

    etween

    he

    ust

    demands

    f ts

    representative

    nd

    the

    realities

    f

    the

    caste

    system

    n the

    Navy. Although

    here

    was

    some

    talk

    of

    disciplinary

    ction

    against

    he

    disobedient

    ommanders,

    one

    was

    ever aken.1

    Owing

    o a

    defect

    n his

    credentials,

    he

    new

    minister's irstmonth t

    the

    American

    egation

    n

    Port

    au

    Prince

    was

    an

    uneasy

    one.

    Having

    eft

    Washingto

    before

    Hyppolite's

    election

    to the

    presidency,

    Douglass

    carried

    with

    him

    accreditation

    nly

    to

    the de

    facto

    and

    not to the

    permanent

    overnment

    f

    Haiti. This put himon a parwithhis Democraticpredecessor, r. Thompson

    who

    lingered

    n

    the

    capital

    claiming

    o be the

    rightful

    epresentative

    f

    the

    government.

    echnically,

    hompson

    was within

    is

    rights,

    ut

    to

    Douglass

    the

    situationwas

    ntolerable,

    specially

    when

    his detractorst home

    spread

    he

    word

    that he was

    being

    snubbed

    by

    the

    Haitian

    government.

    he

    clouds

    lifted

    however,

    fterBlaine sent

    his letter f

    credence,

    nd with

    t

    Thompson's

    ette

    of

    recall.

    At

    the

    presentation

    eremony,

    which

    made the

    United

    States

    he

    firs

    big

    power

    to

    recognizeHyppolite's

    government,

    he

    Haitian

    presidentavishl

    praised

    the

    United

    States,

    and endorsed

    Douglass

    in

    these and

    other

    fulsom

    phrases: Mr. Minister, ourreputations known n twohemispheres.ou are

    the ncarnation

    f

    the

    idea

    which

    Haiti

    s

    following

    the moral

    nd

    intellectua

    development

    of men

    of the

    African

    race

    by

    personal

    effort nd menta

    culture. 1

    Although

    is

    relationswith

    the

    Haitian

    authorities ere

    cordial

    from hen

    on,

    Douglass's

    popularity

    with

    fellow

    Port

    au

    Princians

    aried

    with

    he

    politica

    climate.

    As

    the

    former

    tronghold

    f

    the

    Legitimists,

    he

    capital

    still

    contained

    17.

    Philip

    S.

    Foner,

    in

    Frederick

    ouglass

    (New

    York

    1964),

    353,

    gives

    part

    of

    the

    story.

    One

    of

    the

    commanders,

    obley

    D.

    Evans,

    exonerates

    himself

    n

    A Sailor's

    Log

    (New

    York

    1902),

    241.

    But

    for

    ome

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    JOURNAL OF NEGRO

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    elements

    that

    were hostile

    to

    Hyppolite

    and

    his

    American

    supporter

    Anti-Americanism,

    ouglass

    soon

    learned,

    was an

    important ngredient

    f

    Haitiandomestic olitics.1

    Possibly

    a

    long

    career as a reformers

    not

    the

    best

    preparation

    or the

    diplomatic

    ervice.

    However

    he

    case

    may

    be,

    soon

    after

    aking

    p

    his

    duties t

    Port

    au

    Prince,

    Douglass

    committed serious blunder.

    His

    nemesis

    was

    one

    Captain

    E.

    C.

    Reed

    of

    South

    Carolina,

    gent

    for he

    Clyde

    Steamship

    ine. Reed

    was

    in

    Haiti

    soon after

    Hyppolite's

    nauguration,eeking government

    ubsidy

    forhis

    employer's

    teamship

    ervice.

    This

    was

    understood o be

    Clyde's

    rewar

    for

    massive

    military

    id

    to

    Hyppolite

    uring

    he

    war.

    Douglass

    favored he

    Clyde

    concession,

    elieving

    hat

    regular ransportation

    etween

    he

    United

    States

    nd

    Haiti would benefitboth countries. ut when Reed looked at Haiti's

    depleted

    treasury

    nd asked

    Douglass

    to

    push

    the

    Clyde

    concession

    exclusively

    by

    withholding

    ther American

    laims

    -

    Douglass

    recoiled

    n

    horror. It sounded

    like Satan

    on the mountain to

    the

    reformer-turned-diplomat,

    nd

    he

    put

    the

    Captain

    down

    accordingly.

    ven

    granting

    hat

    Reed was dictatorial

    nd

    that

    his

    proposal

    was

    shocking,

    Douglass

    could have reactedwith

    more

    diplomati

    aplomb.2

    0

    Had

    he

    known that

    Reed's

    employer

    was

    in

    a

    position

    to

    hurt him

    personally,

    t is

    doubtful hathe

    would

    have

    behaved

    ny differently.man ofinfluencen

    New

    York

    Republican

    ircles,

    lyde

    had

    gained

    ccess to thecenter

    of

    power

    when

    the

    Brooklyn awyer,

    Benjamin

    Tracy,

    became

    Harrison

    Secretary

    f

    the

    Navy. Through

    Tracy,

    who was

    his

    protege,

    Clyde

    reached

    Blaine and

    Harrison,

    nd

    they

    istened o

    him,

    especially

    n

    making

    iplomati

    appointments

    o

    Caribbean

    ountrieswithwhich

    he

    did business.A

    prospectiv

    consul

    to

    one

    of

    these

    ountries,

    ven

    f

    he

    were

    cceptable

    o the

    President

    nd

    Secretary

    f

    State,

    could

    hardly

    survive he

    emphatic

    pposition

    of

    William

    Pancoast

    Clyde.

    After

    Captain

    Reed

    reported

    o

    him

    that

    Douglass

    was

    morea

    Haitian than an American, Clyde used his influence o have the ministe

    removed.21

    Though

    he

    failed

    to

    depose

    Douglass,

    the

    President

    f

    Clyde's

    Coastwise

    and

    West

    ndia Steam

    Lines

    succeeded

    brilliantly

    n his

    larger

    im.

    He

    managed

    to

    persuade

    Tracy

    and Blaine

    that

    they

    could

    gain

    leverage

    for

    governmen

    objectives

    by

    throwing

    ull

    support

    to

    his claim.

    Under

    cover of the

    Clyde

    contract,

    hey

    believed,

    he

    government

    ight

    ain

    a

    foothold;

    t was a

    trick o

    fool the

    Haitians

    nto

    granting

    ndirectly

    hat

    hey

    would

    not be

    likely

    o

    gran

    directly.

    Having

    full confidence

    n

    AdmiralGherardi's

    nowledge

    f

    American

    19.

    Douglass

    to

    Blaine,

    December

    9,

    1889,

    Despatches,

    Haiti,

    vol.

    24.

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    DOUGLASS AND

    HAITI'S

    MOLE

    169

    objectives

    n

    Haiti,

    both

    public

    and

    private, hey

    dispatched

    him

    thither

    with

    three

    battleships,

    eaving

    he

    details

    f the

    strategyargely

    o his discretion.

    nd

    Blaine neglectedto informMinisterDouglass that he was to be virtuall

    bypassed

    n

    this

    mportant

    ransaction.22

    The

    winter

    f

    1890

    was

    a tense

    one for

    Douglass

    s

    it

    was

    for

    Haiti.

    Though

    he never

    doubted

    that

    the

    Hyppolitegovernment

    ould

    survive,

    is

    dispatche

    did not minimize the serious

    political

    and

    economic

    problems

    facing

    the

    country.

    He was

    obviously

    pleased

    to

    report

    hat

    the

    Congressional

    lections

    though

    conducted

    under

    military

    upervision,

    were

    fair. There had

    been no

    intimidation. eitherwas

    the

    government

    ttempting

    o

    muzzle

    the

    press,

    or

    ll

    winter

    ong

    t

    raised

    a

    clamor

    gainst

    Gherardi nd his

    squadron

    f battle

    hips

    In MarchDouglassventured o ask PrimeMinister irminwhetherhesevessel

    were a

    source

    of

    weakness

    or otherwise

    o the

    present

    dministration

    f the

    Haytiangovernment.

    irmin

    eplied

    guardedly

    hat

    the

    occasional

    presence

    f

    these

    warships

    was

    agreeable

    o

    his

    government.2

    Meanwhile,

    AdmiralGherardi

    pent

    the

    winter

    ultivating

    ood

    relation

    with

    Haitian

    officials.

    oon

    afterhis

    arrival,

    French

    war

    scare

    gave

    him

    an

    opportunity

    o

    suggest

    o

    Hyppolite

    hat

    t

    was a

    fitting

    ime o draw

    closer he

    commercial nterests

    f their

    wo

    countries.

    ike

    Douglass,

    Gherardi

    watched

    theHaitiangeneral lectionwitha degree f apprehension,ut hisconcernwas

    strictly

    elated

    to

    whether

    pro-American

    r

    pro-Fench

    candidateswould

    e

    elected.

    Aware

    that

    popular

    suspicion

    f

    American

    esigns

    was

    damaging

    o his

    negotiations,

    e advised

    Washington

    o make

    clear to Haitians

    hat the United

    States would not

    annex their

    ountry,

    r

    allow

    any

    other

    power

    to

    do

    so.

    The

    Mole,

    he

    believed,

    ould

    not be

    obtained

    for

    the time

    being.Consequently,

    he

    contract

    e

    put through

    or

    Clyde

    contained

    no

    mention

    f

    coaling

    tations

    r

    the

    Mole.

    It

    gave

    to

    Clyde

    a

    subsidy

    f

    some

    $290,000

    over

    a

    five-year

    eriod

    and

    provided

    certain exclusive

    privileges

    or

    his

    Line.

    The termswere

    less

    favorable hanwhat the Admiralhad hoped for,butitwas probably hebest

    deal

    he

    could make

    with

    he

    shaky

    Hyppolite

    overnment

    t that

    ime.24

    In the

    United

    States,

    official ources

    were

    very

    uiet

    about

    the

    Gherard

    mission

    during

    he winter

    f

    1890.

    The few

    editors

    who carriedHaitian

    news

    mingled

    heir

    uesses

    long

    with

    he

    facts,

    rompting ouglass

    to

    remark

    hat

    he

    saw

    lots

    of

    erroneous

    tatements

    oncerning

    me

    in

    the

    papers

    which

    must

    leave it to

    time

    to

    correct

    . .

    One

    of these erroneous

    statements

    was

    made

    by

    T.

    Thomas

    Fortune,

    ditor

    of the

    independent

    New York

    Age.

    As

    early

    s the

    preceding

    July

    he

    thought

    e detected

    n interventionist

    lavor n some of the

    utterances f therecentlyppointedministero Haiti.WhenDouglass aidthat

    he

    wished

    to

    help

    the

    Haitians

    (to)

    compose

    their

    differences,

    ortune

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    JOURNAL OF

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    HISTORY

    sent to

    Haiti. Six

    months

    ater

    Fortune

    decided that

    U.S.

    policy

    n

    Haiti

    was

    not

    only

    interventionist

    ut immoral.

    Assuming

    that

    Douglass

    had

    been

    instructedo workwithGherardi o gettheMole,theeditor f theAgewarne

    the minister

    ot

    to

    compromise

    is

    nameand

    reputation y

    carrying

    ut

    Blaine'

    instructions,

    with the

    guns

    of

    three

    wartubs

    levelled

    at

    the

    head of

    Hyppolite. 25

    The

    hawkish

    New

    York

    Times,

    bserving

    he same

    scene,

    ame

    to differen

    conclusions. n an article

    that

    was

    inspired,

    nd

    perhaps

    ctually

    written,

    y

    Admiral

    Gherardi,

    he

    Times' Haitian

    correspondent eplored

    he

    fact

    hat,

    due

    to

    Haitian

    oversensitivity,

    he

    Mole

    was

    probably

    ost

    to

    Americans. rom

    a

    strategic

    nd commercial

    oint

    of

    view

    this

    oss

    was incalculable.He concluded

    on a

    note

    that

    undoubtedly

    epresented

    he

    Admiral's ttitude oward

    Douglass

    But

    America's

    mmediate

    weakness

    ies not in its

    naval

    but

    in

    its

    diplomati

    representative.

    minister

    with

    clearer

    nsight

    nto

    the ends

    to

    be attained

    ..

    would soon

    make clear to all concerned

    he attitudeAmericahas assumed

    n

    allowing

    no unwarranted nterference

    y

    Europeans

    in

    the

    affairsof

    this

    continent. 26

    Withthe comingof springGherardi'sfleetreturned o the States,the

    uproar

    n

    the native

    press

    ubsided,

    nd

    the

    outlook of the Americanministern

    Haiti

    brightened.

    is

    official

    ispatches

    till

    contained

    eferenceso

    rumbling

    of discontent

    gainst

    he

    government,

    ut

    he

    believed

    hat the

    worstwas

    over

    and

    that

    n

    era

    of

    peace

    and

    prosperity

    as

    at

    hand.

    n

    May

    he

    reported

    hat

    he

    newly

    organized

    Haitian

    legislature

    ad

    begun

    to

    sit,

    and thatmartial aw had

    been ifted

    t last

    n

    the

    capital.27

    Responding

    o

    these and

    otherfavorable

    igns,

    laine

    nd

    Clyde

    decided

    to

    play

    for

    bigger

    takes n Haiti.

    Probably

    they

    udged

    that the timehad come

    when Haiti

    could

    reward

    its

    American

    protectors

    more

    handsomely

    Accordingly,

    round

    June, 1890,

    Clyde

    submitted

    revised contract

    o

    the

    Hyppolite

    government,sking,

    mong

    other

    hings, subsidy

    f

    one halfmillion

    dollarsover

    a

    ten-year

    eriod

    forhis

    steamship

    ervice.

    he

    biggest

    ew

    demand

    was

    for a

    99-year

    ease

    of

    Mole St.

    Nicolas,

    stipulating

    hat

    only

    American

    warships

    e allowed

    to

    use the harbor

    uring

    he term f

    the

    ease.

    As

    inthe

    firs

    25.

    Joseph

    A.

    Borome,

    Some

    Additional

    Light

    on

    Frederick

    Douglass,

    Journal

    f Negro

    History

    38,

    (April,

    1953)

    224;

    New

    YorkAge,

    July 7,

    1889 and

    January

    ,

    1890.

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    FREDERICK

    DOUGLASS

    AND HAITI'S

    MOLE 171

    contract,

    he inducement

    o

    Haiti

    was in an

    implied

    guarantee

    f

    America

    support

    to the

    establishedHaitian

    government

    gainst

    ts

    foreign

    r

    domesti

    enemies.28

    Since

    the

    contract

    equired

    atification

    y

    the

    Haitian

    egislature,

    lyde

    did

    everything

    n

    his

    power

    to

    get

    it

    approved

    by

    that

    body

    before

    he

    legislator

    disbanded

    in

    September.

    There

    is no

    doubt that the

    good

    officesof

    the

    American

    minister

    were

    enlisted o

    expedite

    this

    result,

    nd thathe

    complied

    willingly.

    et toward

    he

    end of

    July,

    s

    Douglass

    was

    preparing

    o

    go

    home on

    a

    two-month

    eave of

    absence,

    the

    contract

    was

    still n

    the

    hands

    of

    the

    Haitian

    executive.

    Catching

    him

    as

    he

    was

    about

    to

    take formal eave of

    Hyppolite

    Clyde's

    zealous

    Haitian

    obbyist

    sked the

    minister to

    press

    anew

    the

    Clyde

    contract pon theattention f thePresident. Atthispoint,Douglassdeclined

    Although

    he knew that he

    would

    be

    reported dversely

    o

    headquarters,

    e

    deemed that

    the

    President

    already

    knew

    well

    enough my

    sense of

    the

    importance

    o

    Haiti

    of

    thismeasure

    .

    2

    9

    The

    summer

    passed,

    bringing

    o

    Clyde

    the

    unwelcome

    news

    that

    the

    Haitian

    Chambers ad

    adjourned

    without

    onsidering

    is contract.

    his

    blow to

    their

    oint

    hopes

    led

    to

    a series f

    conferences

    etween

    Clyde,Tracy,Gherard

    and

    Blaine.

    Convinced hat

    the ndirect

    pproach

    had

    failed,

    Blainereached he

    conclusion

    hat he

    musttake

    a

    gamble

    on

    direct

    negotiation

    orthe

    Mole. His

    firstmovewas to send forHannibal

    Price,

    Hyppolite's

    minister o

    Washington

    But

    Price,

    lready

    larmed

    by

    signs

    f a

    new and

    more

    ggressive

    aitian

    policy,

    proved

    to

    be

    most

    uncooperative.

    laine

    dared

    not

    even

    mention

    his

    object

    in

    calling

    or

    the nterview.

    ll

    that

    he

    accomplished

    was

    to

    confirm he

    suspicion

    of

    the

    Haitian

    minister,

    ho then

    tipped

    offhis home

    office n time

    to

    stiffe

    Haitian

    pposition

    o

    Blaine's

    designs.30

    Of course

    the

    Plumed

    Knight

    did

    not

    know

    this,

    nd he and

    his

    adviser

    proceeded

    with

    plans

    to

    open

    negotiations

    or the

    Mole

    in

    Port au

    Prince

    through egular iplomatic hannels.Themairfuestionwas,on whatground

    could the

    United

    States

    base

    its

    claim? t

    was all

    very

    well

    to

    ask

    Hyppolite

    o

    cede

    a

    naval base out of

    gratitude

    or

    id

    during

    he

    war,

    but could

    t

    be

    proved

    that

    Hyppolite

    had ever

    ctually

    promised

    o

    do

    so?

    Clyde

    t first

    elieved

    hat

    the

    Haitian

    eader's

    only

    promises

    had

    been

    made

    orally

    o

    Admiral

    Gherardi

    But he later

    unearthed

    document

    urporting

    o

    show that

    Hyppolite

    ad

    made

    an

    earlier

    ledge,

    n

    writing,

    o

    Cleveland's

    ecretary

    f

    State.3

    28. There is

    some

    confusion n

    the

    iterature n

    the two versions

    f

    Clyde's

    contract.

    he terms

    f

    the first ersionare given n Montague,Haiti, 157-58. The secondversion s discussed n theNew York

    Times,

    June

    12, 1891,

    and

    Logan,

    Haiti,

    433-34.

    The

    New

    York

    World,

    August

    2,

    1891

    gives

    he reaction

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    172

    JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY

    The man

    who

    supposedly

    arried

    his

    proposition

    o

    Secretary

    ayard

    was

    a

    Haitian

    businessman

    amed Charles

    Frederick

    lie who arrived

    n

    New

    York

    onJanuary 7, 1889,posing s a coffeemerchant. ctually, is realbusinesswas

    to

    build

    up Hyppolite's

    navy

    and

    to

    win,

    if

    possible,

    U.S.

    recognition

    f

    Hyppolite's

    belligerency

    n

    return or commercial

    oncessions.

    lie visited

    he

    State

    Department

    n

    February

    12

    in

    the

    company

    f

    J.

    Haustedt,

    Hyppolite'

    regular gent

    for

    the

    purchase

    of

    arms

    n

    the

    United

    States.

    The two

    Haitian

    agents

    did not see

    Secretary

    ayard,

    ut

    they

    had

    a talk

    withAssistant

    ecretar

    of

    State Rives.

    A

    memorandum

    f the

    interviewndicates

    hat

    they

    had

    come

    primarily

    o

    protest

    gainst

    he

    seizure,

    y

    New

    York

    port

    uthorities,

    f vessel

    carrying

    rms

    to

    Hyppolite.Although

    he

    subject

    of

    the

    Mole

    came

    up,Elie

    and

    Haustedt

    apparently

    mentioned

    it

    only

    to

    warn

    Rives that

    Legitime

    was

    promising

    he

    harbor

    o

    France.3

    If

    Elie

    made

    a secret

    offer f a

    naval station

    o

    Rives at

    this

    time,

    t

    does

    not

    appear

    in

    the

    memorandum

    f

    the

    interview.

    evertheless,

    wo

    days

    after

    the

    interview

    and

    this

    may

    be

    sheer

    coincidence Rivessent

    for

    missin

    dispatch

    from he

    American onsul

    at

    Gonaives.This

    dispatch,

    which

    reached

    the

    State

    Department

    fter

    he

    Democratshad retired

    rom

    ffice,

    roved

    that

    Hyppolite's

    provisionalgovernment

    n

    northern

    Haiti

    had,

    on

    December

    28,

    1888, authorizedElie to offer naval base to the U.S. in return ormilitar

    protection.

    Some time

    after that

    date

    -

    it

    is not

    known

    how

    long

    after

    -

    Hyppolite

    repudiated

    these terms.

    Consul

    Goutier,

    n the

    missing

    dispatch

    claimed that

    the northern

    eader

    repudiated

    hem

    almost

    immediately.

    But

    Legitimist

    ropaganda

    n

    Port

    au

    Prince ccused

    Elie

    of

    going

    ff o

    the

    United

    States with an

    authorization

    o

    make territorial

    oncessions n his

    pocket.

    The

    only

    record

    n

    the

    State

    Department

    f

    Elie's

    commission

    f

    December 8

    is in

    Consul Goutier's

    dispatch, proclaiming

    t null

    and void. But

    copies

    were

    evidently

    made,

    for

    one

    was

    discovered,

    n

    January, 891,

    by

    the

    Secretary

    f

    theNavy.Tracysenta copy to Clydewithout ettingBlaine know wherehe

    found

    t.

    Clyde,

    n

    turn,

    assed

    t

    along

    to

    Blaine,

    nd

    persuaded

    im

    that

    t

    was

    the

    missing

    ink

    n

    the

    government

    ase

    to

    win

    the

    Mole

    from

    Hyppolite.3

    While

    the

    plot

    was

    thickening

    n

    Washington,

    ouglass,

    oblivious

    of it

    all,

    was ensconced

    n

    his

    nearby

    home

    at

    Anacostia.He

    expected

    to return

    o his

    post

    early

    n

    October

    and was

    astonished

    o

    learn,

    hortly

    efore

    he

    departur

    date,

    that he was

    to

    remain

    n

    Washington

    ntil

    further

    otice.

    No

    reason

    was

    given

    for

    he

    delay,

    nor

    was he told how

    long

    t

    might

    e. Just

    s

    it

    had

    the

    year

    before,the delay gave rise to gossip,and the gossipwas unfriendlyo the

    minister.t

    was

    asserted

    hat

    Ebenezer

    Bassett,

    ecretary

    f the

    Legation

    t

    Port

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    FREDERICK

    DOUGLASS

    AND HAITI'S

    MOLE 173

    New

    York

    Sun

    discounted the Bassett

    rumor,

    declaring

    that the

    State

    Department

    oes not

    intend

    o retain

    Minister

    ouglass

    or

    to

    appoint

    anothe

    coloredman. Unruffled,he Sage ofAnacostia devotedthe autumnmonth

    to

    writing,ecturing,

    nd

    analyzing

    he

    Republican

    defeat

    n the

    Congression

    elections.

    Whenhe

    finally

    mbarked

    or

    Haiti

    in

    the first

    week

    of

    December,

    e

    buried

    his

    doubts bout

    his

    own

    prospects,

    nd

    thoseof

    the

    Republican

    party,

    n

    a

    joke:

    I

    am

    glad

    that

    am

    returning

    o

    my

    post,

    he told

    a

    reporter,

    and

    I

    shall remain t

    Haiti

    until

    President

    Harrison

    goes

    out,

    which

    thinkwill be

    about

    six

    years

    hence. 34

    Before

    eaving

    Washington,

    ouglass

    had

    received erbal

    nstructions

    rom

    Blaine

    to

    start

    negotiating

    or

    a

    coaling

    tation

    t the

    Mole.

    His

    first hance

    to

    broachthesubjectcame whenPrimeMinister irmin aidhim NewYear's Day

    call.

    The

    Haitian

    minister

    roughtup

    the

    subject

    himself

    y referring

    o

    an

    article

    in

    the

    New

    York

    Sun

    which

    claimed as

    a

    fact

    thay

    Hyppolite

    had

    promised

    o

    cede

    the

    Mole

    to

    the

    United

    States.

    Douglass

    denied

    knowledge

    f

    any

    such

    promise,

    ut

    used

    the

    opening

    o

    suggest

    hat

    he

    United

    States

    would

    be

    very

    willing

    o

    acquire

    such

    a

    base

    by

    lease

    or other

    proper

    means.Befor

    Firmin

    ould make

    a

    reply

    hey

    were

    nterrupted

    y

    other

    allers,

    ut

    Douglas

    had seen

    enough

    to

    be

    discouraged.

    By

    his facial

    expression

    and

    uneasy

    movements he Haitiandiplomathad conveyed heimpressionhat thesubjec

    was

    dangerous round.

    Commenting pon

    the

    ncident

    n

    his

    report

    o

    Blaine

    Douglass

    promised

    to

    resumethe

    discussion

    t

    a

    later

    date,

    but warned

    that

    There is

    perhaps

    no one

    point upon

    which

    the

    people

    of

    Haiti

    are

    more

    sensitive,

    uperstitious

    nd

    united,

    han

    upon

    any

    question

    ouching

    he

    cession

    of

    any part

    of their

    erritory

    o

    any foreign owers. 3

    No one had

    prepared

    Douglass

    forhis

    demotion

    s

    chief

    U.

    S.

    diplomat

    n

    Haiti,

    and

    he

    had

    the bad

    luck

    to hear

    the news

    from

    he

    undiplomatic

    aptain

    Reed

    who

    had returned

    o the

    Haitian

    capital

    early

    n

    January

    o renew

    his suit

    forClyde's subsidy.Apparently nawarethatthe Clyde concessionwas stil

    pending, ouglass

    oon

    discovered

    hat

    Clyde's gent appeared

    to

    be

    more

    fully

    initiated

    nto the

    secrets

    of the

    State

    Department

    t

    Washington

    han was.

    Whatever

    Reed

    knew,

    or

    thought

    he

    knew,

    his

    animus

    against

    Douglass

    was

    plain.

    Among

    other

    disquieting

    umors

    hatReed

    spread

    broad,

    ccording

    o

    Douglass,

    he

    stated that

    I

    was

    discredited

    t

    Washington,

    ad,

    in

    fact,

    been

    suspended

    nd

    recalled,

    nd

    thatAdmiral

    Gherardi

    ad

    been

    duly

    commissione

    to

    take

    my

    place. 36

    Thus

    Douglass

    was

    prepared,

    fter

    fashion,

    o

    accept

    what

    he

    called a

    very

    humble,

    econdary

    nd subordinate ole in the

    diplomacy

    hatwas to

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    174

    JOURNAL

    OF

    NEGRO

    HISTORY

    follow.Admiral

    Gherardi

    eached ort

    u

    Prince

    n

    January

    5,

    1891.

    Having

    t

    once

    defined heir

    elationship

    y

    arranging

    or

    their

    meeting

    o take

    place

    on

    his flagship ather han at the Americanegation,Gherardi howedDouglas

    Blaine's

    instructions nd all

    the

    papers relating

    o

    the

    proposed

    ease

    of th

    Mole.

    He

    informed the

    minister hat he

    had

    been

    appointed

    a

    Specia

    Commissionero

    obtain

    a

    naval

    station t

    Mole St.

    Nicolas,

    and

    that

    t

    was

    th

    wish

    of

    the

    Secretary

    f

    State,

    the

    Secretary

    f

    the

    Navy,

    nd

    the

    President

    f

    the

    United

    States hat

    Douglass

    cooperate

    with

    him n thismatter.

    est

    Douglas

    failto

    perceive

    who was

    to

    be

    the

    cooperator-in-chief,

    laine

    had

    conveyed

    h

    idea in

    symbolic

    anguage:

    the

    more

    important

    etter of

    instructions

    was

    addressed

    to

    the

    Admiral;

    Douglass

    receivedhis instructions rom he

    hand

    of

    theAdmiral; t was theAdmiral, ot

    Douglass,

    who would

    give

    the matter all

    his

    energies. 37

    As

    anyone

    would,

    Douglass

    felt he affront o

    his

    honor,

    but

    when

    he sat

    down

    to

    write

    letter

    f

    resignation

    o

    Blaine,

    he

    grounds

    n

    which

    he offere

    to

    resign

    had

    nothing

    o

    do

    with

    offended

    ignity. ouglass

    never

    mailed thi

    letter f

    resignation,

    ut

    it

    is

    nontheless

    mportant

    ecause

    t shows hat

    he was

    entirely

    n

    accord with

    the

    U.

    S.

    aim

    to

    lease a

    coaling

    tation t the

    Mole.

    Wha

    he

    objected

    to

    was

    one of

    the

    conditions

    f

    the

    lease,

    which

    tipulated

    hat

    no

    foreign ower xcept

    the

    United

    tates

    could

    obtain

    similar ease or concessio

    while

    the

    U.

    S.

    occupied

    the base.Thisconditionwould n effect ave denied o

    Haiti

    sovereignty

    ver

    her

    own

    territory

    a limitationwhich

    gave

    the lie

    to

    Blaine's

    repeated

    professions

    f

    respect

    forthe Haitian onstitutionnd Haitian

    autonomy.

    I have

    the honor

    to inform

    ou

    that

    am in full

    possession

    f the order

    given

    me

    under

    your

    direction

    by

    Rear Admiral

    Gherardi

    . .

    Douglass's

    letter

    began.

    After

    tating

    hat he could

    not

    support

    he conditionmentioned

    bove,

    which

    he

    quoted

    verbatim

    romGherardi'setter f

    instructions,

    e concluded

    that I amreadyat anymoment o makea respectfulender fmy resignatio

    of

    the

    Commission

    conferred

    upon

    me

    by

    the kind

    consideration f the

    President

    f the

    United

    States. 3

    Having

    decided

    not to

    resign

    t

    this

    time,

    Douglass

    went

    ahead,

    like a

    good

    soldier,

    and made

    arrangements

    or

    the formal

    opening

    of the

    negotiations.

    On the

    afternoonof

    January

    28,

    at the

    presidential

    alace,

    Douglass,

    Gherardi,

    t.

    Huse

    (the

    Admiral's

    nterpreter),

    rimeMinister

    irmin

    and

    President

    Hyppolite

    at around a conference

    able

    forthreehours.

    During

    the

    nterview,

    he

    two

    American

    egotiators resented

    heir ase

    for he ease of

    the Mole along the lines set forth n Blaine's instructions o Gherardi.The

    Admiral,

    who was

    the first

    peaker,

    rgued

    n

    a

    masterly

    manner

    hat

    Haiti

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    FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND HAITI'S MOLE

    175

    was

    obligated

    o

    meet

    U.

    S. demands.

    He

    produced

    he

    Elie

    commission

    o

    prov

    that

    Hyppolite,

    s

    military

    eader

    of

    the northern

    arty,

    ad made

    an

    agreemen

    with theUnitedStates. The latterhad carried ut herpartof thebargain, aid

    Gherardi,

    nd

    it

    was

    now

    up

    to

    Hyppolite

    to

    carry

    out

    his.

    Minister

    irmi

    conceded

    that Elie had

    been

    authorized

    o

    make

    certain

    roposals

    o the

    United

    States,

    but

    he

    denied

    that

    the

    U.

    S.

    had

    accepted

    hem.

    He

    succeeded n

    gettin

    the

    Admiral

    o

    back down fromhis

    original

    osition

    f

    demanding

    concession

    to the more

    moderate

    ne

    of

    requesting

    t as

    a

    special

    ccommodation.

    ouglass

    when

    t

    came his turn o

    speak,

    avoided

    altogether

    he

    argument

    ased on

    the

    bargain,

    or he

    was

    aware

    that

    it

    implicated

    he

    United States

    n

    an

    unsavor

    intervention.ut he

    activelyupported

    he

    American

    oncession, sing

    historica

    arguments

    o show that Haitian

    solation,

    once essential o her

    existence,

    was

    now

    a

    hindrance

    o

    her

    progress.

    irmin

    xpressed

    fear

    hat

    his

    governmen

    would fall if

    it

    were

    to

    grant

    he

    lease,

    but he

    promised

    o

    lay

    the

    America

    proposals

    efore he

    Cabinet.39

    Continuing

    he discussion

    n

    February

    ,

    Gherardi eassured

    irmin hat

    he

    had

    nothing

    o

    fear

    by

    granting

    he

    concession.

    He

    pledged

    the

    strong

    uppor

    of

    the

    United

    States

    f

    necessary

    o

    keep

    this

    government

    eated.

    After ome

    talk of

    commercial

    oncessions

    and other

    matters,

    Gherardi

    ook

    his

    leave,

    feeling hat the chances for the success of the negotiationsweremateriall

    improved.

    Douglass,

    however,

    eft

    this

    interview

    with

    faint

    hope

    that the

    American

    oncession

    would

    be

    granted.

    wo

    weeks of

    suspense

    followed to

    the

    sound

    of

    target

    ractice

    n

    the

    bay

    by

    Gherardi's

    quadron.

    Then,

    uddenly

    the

    Haitian

    Cabinet

    raised

    objections

    bout

    the

    Admiral's

    redentials s

    Special

    Commissioner.

    herardi

    maintained,

    trenuously,

    hat his

    rank

    and

    letterof

    instructionsrom

    Blaine

    were

    ufficient,

    ut to

    no

    avail.

    The

    Haitian

    governmen

    would

    sign

    no

    treaty

    withhimunless

    he

    could

    produce

    full

    powers igned y

    the

    President

    f

    the

    United

    States.40

    This halt in the negotiations as as disconcertings it was suddento the

    American

    negotiators,

    nd their

    diplomatic

    ffensive ever

    regained

    ts

    initial

    momentum. For some

    unaccountable

    reason,

    Blaine

    held

    up

    Gherardi'

    authorization or

    two

    months.

    t was

    long enough

    for

    nerves

    o

    become

    frayed

    and

    relations to

    deteriorate

    between

    the ex-abolitionist

    nd

    the naval

    commander. A

    clever

    diplomat,

    Firmin

    may

    have

    deliberately ought

    to

    puncture

    heir

    united

    front. n the first

    nterview e

    had

    dropped

    remark hat

    he

    doubtless

    knew

    was

    dynamite.

    f

    the

    United

    States

    were

    to seize

    the

    Mole,

    he

    suggested hrewdly,

    aitianswould

    accept

    t

    as a

    fait

    accompli;

    but

    he

    did

    not

    expect heU. S. to act inso high-handedmanner. heremark ent hockwaves

    through

    he American

    lenipotentiaries,

    nd

    triggered

    quarrel.

    By

    the time he

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    but

    impossible.

    Four

    days

    later,

    with seven

    U.

    S.

    warships

    hovering

    ff th

    Haitian

    coast,

    Hyppolite's

    government olitely

    but

    firmly

    eclined o

    grant

    h

    leaseoftheMoleto theAmericans.4

    In

    the

    first

    renzy

    f

    disappointment,

    any

    eading

    American

    newspaper

    took

    out

    theirfrustrationn

    Hyppolite.

    They

    believed

    mplicitly

    hat he

    had

    broken

    his

    promise,

    nd

    was

    not

    only

    ungrateful

    ut

    guilty

    of low

    tricker

    These

    same

    journals

    asserted that

    Gherardi

    had been sent to handle th

    negotiations

    ecause

    of

    lack

    of

    confidence n

    Minister

    ouglass,

    who

    was

    a

    laggard,

    dullard,

    r even a

    traitor

    o

    the

    United

    States.

    Therewas

    talkthathe

    would

    resign

    or be

    recalled,

    and

    much

    speculation

    as to

    whether

    Harrison

    dependent

    on

    Negro

    votes,

    would

    dare

    to removehim

    or

    replace

    him

    with

    whiteman. At the end of May,an uprising gainst hegovernmentn Portau

    Prince

    was

    put

    down with

    great

    everity.

    he

    anti-Haitian merican

    ress

    then

    had an

    opportunity

    o

    denounce

    the

    Haitian

    reign

    of

    terror,

    nd

    to

    pictur

    Hyppolite

    s

    a

    bloodthirsty

    onster,

    ith

    Douglass

    -

    who

    attempted

    o

    deny

    t

    -

    as

    his

    deluded

    apologist.4

    2

    To

    a less resourceful

    man

    than

    Clyde,

    he failure f the

    U.

    S.

    concession

    n

    Haiti

    might

    have

    suggested

    he doom

    of

    his own. But

    Clyde

    did

    not

    give up

    hope.

    If

    Hyppolite's

    government

    ad

    not

    lived

    up

    to his

    expectations,

    erhap

    anotherwould. In

    January

    f

    1891

    he

    had

    proclaimed

    o

    the world

    hathe

    was

    Hyppolite's

    best

    friend,

    ut

    by

    the end of

    April

    he was

    hoping

    for revolutio

    to

    unseat

    him.

    Evidently

    n

    touch

    with

    Hyppolite's

    enemies,

    Clyde

    hinted

    broadly

    o

    Tracy:

    I

    am

    in a

    position

    o

    do

    much

    t

    either nd of the

    sland nd

    am

    ready

    s I

    always

    have been

    to

    do

    it.

    At

    the

    same

    time,

    Clyde

    was

    urging

    he

    Administration

    o

    recall

    Douglass,

    reduce

    diplomatic

    epresentation

    n

    Port

    au

    Prince

    to

    the

    level

    of

    Charge

    d'Affaires,

    nd

    appoint

    his

    man

    Reed

    to that

    position.4

    Returning

    ome

    in

    July,Douglass

    had

    already

    made

    up

    his

    mind

    o

    resign

    Untilhisresignation as accepted,on August10, he meantto avoiddiscussin

    his role in

    the Mole

    negotiations.

    But others

    defended

    him,

    especiall

    Afro-American

    ditors,

    who

    forthe first imesince

    his

    appointment

    s

    Ministe

    were now united

    in his favor.A former

    ouglass

    critic,

    Harry

    Smith

    of

    the

    Cleveland

    Gazette,

    began

    criticising

    he

    Administration

    s

    early

    as

    April

    fo

    delegating

    uthority

    o

    Gherardi

    hat

    properly

    elonged

    o

    Douglass.

    n

    May

    he

    reacted

    angrily

    o a

    statement

    n the

    New

    York

    Sun.

    Experience

    ndicates,

    said

    the

    Sun,

    that

    n

    Haiti

    the

    diplomatic

    epresentative

    f

    the

    United State

    41.

    Ibid.,

    Douglass

    to

    Blaine,

    February18,

    1891; Gherardi o Blaine,

    February

    1, 1891;

    Douglass

    to

    Blaine,

    April

    20,

    1891;

    Douglass

    to

    Blaine,

    April

    21,

    1891;

    Douglass

    to

    Blaine,

    telegram,

    pril

    23,

    1891.

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    DOUGLASS

    AND

    HAITI'S

    MOLE

    177

    should be

    a white

    man,

    not

    a

    black.

    Smith,

    ike the child

    n

    the

    fable,

    dissente

    from

    the

    conventional

    wisdom about

    the

    emperor's

    new clothes:

    Admir

    Gherardi'smiserablefailureought to be proof that none of this country

    so-called white'

    men

    are

    wanted

    n

    Hayti

    s

    representatives. 44

    Singling

    ut

    an

    outrageouslynti-Douglass

    rticle

    n

    a later ssue of

    the

    New

    York

    Sun,

    Calvin

    Chase,

    editor of the

    Washington

    ee,

    abandoned

    his

    forme

    grudge against Douglass

    and

    applied

    his

    well-known

    tinger

    o

    Douglass'

    enemies. n

    a

    similar

    bout-face,

    ditor

    Fortune f

    the

    New

    York

    Age

    prevaile

    upon

    the Afro-American

    eague,

    meeting

    n

    Knoxville

    n

    July

    14,

    to

    sponsor

    resolution

    f

    confidence

    n

    Minister

    ouglass.

    Still

    another lack

    editor

    ffere

    to Douglassthe use ofhis newspaper ora full-scale indication. ut Douglas

    replied

    that

    this

    would

    be

    unnecessary,

    ince he had

    already

    written

    n articl

    for

    the

    NorthAmerican

    Review,

    which,

    f

    published

    nmutilated,

    ill

    perhap

    be

    accepted

    as a

    truthful

    ersion of

    my

    relation

    to the

    Mole

    St. Nicola

    affair. 4

    First to

    go

    on

    record

    with

    an

    explanation

    for

    the

    American

    diplomati

    failure

    n

    Haiti was the

    Hyppolite overnment.

    n

    April

    22,

    1891 PrimeMiniste

    Firmin

    handed

    to

    the two

    American

    plenipotentiaries

    letter

    tating

    hat the

    refusal fhisgovernmentogrant heAmerican oncessionwastheconsequenc

    of a double

    political

    nd

    constitutional

    revention.

    eferring

    o the

    conditio

    under

    which

    the lease

    was

    asked,

    stipulating

    xclusiveAmerican

    ights,

    irmi

    invoked the

    Haitian

    constitution

    o

    show

    that

    the

    lease

    could not

    legally

    be

    granted.

    His second

    ground

    for refusal

    referred

    o

    the adverseeffect n his

    government

    f

    the American

    military

    resence

    nd

    the

    American

    tory

    bout

    Hyppolite's lleged

    bargain.

    For

    political

    reasons,

    Firmin

    mplied,

    he could not

    submit o

    U.

    S.

    threats

    r

    blackmail.46

    There s

    no

    comparable

    xplanation

    or he

    diplomatic

    ailure

    oming

    rom

    officialU. S. sources.ButtheNew York Tribune

    gave

    two

    important

    easons

    Because this

    newspaper

    was

    under the

    political

    domination

    of

    Blaine,

    these

    reasons

    may

    be

    considered

    as

    quasi-official.

    Ever

    since the time of his

    appointment

    s

    Minister

    o

    Haiti,

    the Tribune's attitude toward

    the

    forme

    abolitionisthad been

    ambivalent.

    When

    he

    resigned,

    he

    editorof

    this

    eading

    Republican

    ournal

    unveiled

    he

    cause of

    his

    resentment

    gainst

    Douglass

    while

    ostensibly

    raising

    him: He

    needed

    no success in

    Haiti

    to

    crown

    his

    unique

    career. We do

    not believe

    that

    his sentimental

    partiality

    for the

    Haytian

    government adehimunableto carry ut hisduty. A few entencesater, he

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    JOURNAL

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    HISTORY

    editor

    ronounced

    he

    resignation

    ise,

    uggesting

    hat

    white

    man

    -

    someon

    not

    concerned

    to vindicate

    Negro self-government

    should succeed him

    as

    Minister.Coupling this sentimentwith its failure to indict Gherardi, h

    Tribune's

    message, lthough

    onveyed

    bliquely,

    blamed

    the

    diplomatic

    ailur

    on

    the

    ncompetence

    nd divided

    oyalties

    f

    Minister

    ouglass.4

    In

    the same

    editorial,

    Blaine's

    mouthpiece

    advanced

    a second

    majo

    rationalization

    or the failure. We

    doubt that

    anyone

    could

    have

    got

    from

    Hyppolite

    by

    ethicalmethods he

    cession

    f

    the

    Mole.

    This

    was

    a variant

    f th

    popular

    myth

    hat Americans

    would never onsent o

    bulldoze

    weaker

    nation

    It

    may

    seem

    surprising

    hat Admiral

    Gherardi,

    eading

    hawk

    n

    the

    case,

    should

    have

    been the

    firstto

    call the attentionof the

    State

    Department

    o

    thi

    unhawkish ationalbelief,but hewascareful o disassociate imself rom t.His

    labors s

    Special

    Commissioner

    n

    Haiti

    had

    barely

    egun

    when

    he

    complained

    o

    Blaine that the

    chief

    obstacle

    to

    the success

    of

    the

    negotiations

    as the

    belief

    among

    Haitians,

    hat

    the

    United

    States would

    never

    use force

    o attain ts

    ends

    Possibly

    the

    projection

    of this

    national

    mage

    did

    rob

    Gherardi

    f his

    cuttin

    edge

    in

    Haiti,

    but

    it

    had

    compensating

    olitical

    value at

    home,

    enabling

    h

    editorof

    the

    Tribune

    nd

    his

    political

    mentors o turn

    diplomatic

    efeat

    nto a

    moral

    victory.4

    According

    o

    Douglass,

    whose Inside

    History

    ppeared

    n

    the

    Septembeand October ssuesof theNorth AmericanReview,no one cause could full

    explain

    the

    failureof the

    negotiations.

    he

    principal

    ause,

    he

    believed,

    was

    Haitian

    isolationism,

    nd the

    prejudices

    nd fears

    upon

    which

    t

    was based

    Among

    he

    secondary

    auses,

    Douglass

    mentioned

    he

    restrictions

    n the

    lease

    the

    minatory

    ttitude

    f

    the

    U.S.,

    and the

    dubious

    strategy

    f

    applying

    or he

    Clyde

    concession

    ahead

    of

    the

    Mole. When

    the

    New

    York

    Tribune

    ccused

    Douglass

    of

    blurting

    ut state secrets

    n

    these

    articles,

    t

    was not

    referring

    o

    these

    reasons,

    ll of

    whichhad been mentioned efore

    n

    the

    press.

    But new

    to

    the public was Douglass's answerto the chargethat he had been personall

    responsible

    for the

    failure,

    and

    it

    was

    this

    answer

    that so

    offended

    the

    sensibilities

    f that

    ournal.4

    Far

    from

    lurtingnything

    ut,

    Douglass

    defended

    is

    conduct

    n

    the affai

    with

    objectivity

    nd

    restraint.

    e denied

    that he had been

    instructed

    o

    apply

    for

    the

    Mole

    during

    his

    first

    year

    as

    Minister,

    hereby

    isproving

    he assertio

    that

    he had frittered

    way

    valuable

    ime,

    ausing

    Gherardi

    o

    be

    sentto

    bail him

    out.

    He

    revealed that

    his

    authority

    nd

    effectiveness

    s a

    diplomat

    had been

    undercut

    by

    the

    presence

    f

    Gherardi,

    nd that

    he

    had

    been made a

    scapegoa

    forGherardi's ailure.Finally,he deniedthathissympathy orHaitihad kept

    him

    from

    discharging

    is

    responsibilities

    o the

    United

    States,

    or

    that

    he

    was

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    editor of the

    Tribune,

    more

    than

    ony

    one

    of

    these

    charges,

    was

    the

    clear

    implication

    hat

    Douglass,

    s

    AmericanMinister

    o

    Haiti,

    had

    been

    misused

    by

    hisgovernment.50

    Historians,

    n

    the

    whole,

    have

    accepted

    the

    story

    s told

    by

    Douglass

    s a

    truthful

    ersion f his

    part

    n

    the

    affair.

    ut

    there

    has been

    a

    tendency,

    n

    the

    part

    of

    some of

    them,

    o

    picture

    Douglass

    as a hero

    rising

    bove or

    blocking

    n

    immoralAmerican

    policy. Speaking

    n

    this

    vein,

    one

    admirerhas

    said,

    The

    whole

    criticism

    hat

    can

    be

    brought

    gainst

    Douglass's

    Haytianministry

    s

    that

    he

    utterly

    efused

    o

    be

    'diplomatic'

    nd to

    this,

    we

    his

    people,

    ay

    Amen'.

    This

    is

    a

    half-truth.

    t

    obscures distinction hich

    Douglass

    himself

    made

    between

    the

    goals

    and the methods

    of

    policy,

    and

    between

    public

    and

    private

    nds

    Douglass

    was

    an

    expansionist,

    nd he was in favorof

    extending

    America

    influence

    n

    Haiti

    if t

    could

    be

    done

    to

    the

    advantage

    f both countries

    nd

    by

    mutualconsent.

    He

    did not believe

    n

    the use of

    force,

    r the threat f

    force,

    o

    achieve his

    end,

    and

    he

    protested

    ften

    gainst

    he

    American

    arade

    of

    militar

    might.

    But

    he did not

    try

    o

    block

    the lease of the

    Mole,

    and

    in

    fact,

    worked

    hard to

    promote

    t.

    His

    activities

    n behalf

    of

    the

    Clyde

    concession

    followed

    different

    ourse. He

    supported

    t at

    first,

    ut

    there s evidence f

    progressiv

    disenchantment

    n the

    part

    of the

    Minister.

    According

    o his

    own

    testimony

    Reed's attitudes nd conduct forcedhim ntothepositionofhaving o choose

    between two

    masters,

    and

    I

    thought,

    s

    between

    this

    agent

    and

    the

    United

    States,

    chose

    to

    serve

    he atter.

    f

    Douglass

    was

    a

    marplot,

    s one

    historia

    has

    asserted,

    he

    only

    plot

    he marredwas

    Clyde's.s

    Speaking

    of his Haitian

    experiences

    o a

    Washington

    udience,

    Douglass

    ended with

    a characteristicratoric