No. 220.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Port an
Prince, Hayti, July 27, 1872.
(Received August 8.)
No. 139.]
Sir: I have the honor to invite your attention
to the inclosed correspondence which has recently passed between this
legation and the Haytien minister of foreign affairs, in reference to
the conduct of a body of government police toward a citizen of the
United States, a Mr. Eldredge, in this city, on the evening of the 11th
July instant.
Inclosure A is my dispatch to the minister, which is accompanied by the
sworn statement of Mr. Eldredge. This Inclosure conveys to the minister
a recital of the occurrences of which Mr. Eldredge had complained; and
in it the minister is asked for such explanation of the unpleasant
proceedings as he might be pleased to give. I also remind him that
whenever persons in the service of his government indulge in wanton
violence and unlawful conduct toward quiet, orderly citizens of the
United States, it was to be expected that these persons would be called
to a strict accountability. Inclosure B is the minister’s reply, from
which it appears that he gave my dispatch a prompt and earnest
attention. He says that he summoned before him the chiefs of the guard
of whose conduct Mr. Eldredge had complained; and that although they all
denied the charges made against them in my dispatch, he nevertheless had
caused the commander of the guard to be placed under severe punishment
for the treatment to which he allowed his men to subject Mr.
Eldredge.
It can scarcely have escaped full and general knowledge that in a country
like Hayti, where the government rests under constant apprehension of
intrigue and insurrection against its stability and authority, and where
offenses of a political character are numerous, and regarded as the
gravest of transgressions in the state, arbitrary arrests and
unwarranted infringements upon personal freedom and security should
sometimes occur. Such arrests and infringements are, in fact, not
altogether infrequent here. Nor is it perhaps quite unnatural that in
Hayti, and in countries similarly constituted, there should be
occasionally found to exist a sentiment somewhat unfavorable to
foreigners domiciled there.
But whenever from any cause whatsoever unlawful proceedings are taken to
the detriment of the rights, privileges, or immunities of citizens of
the United States here, this legation uniformly and promptly interposes
in their behalf. My unofficial good offices in this regard have, as a
rule, sufficed. But it has sometimes been found necessary to resort, as
in this case of Mr. Eldredge, to the sterner method of addressing this
government in my official quality; and then it appears to be my duty to
report to the Department the action which has been taken.
I have, &c.
[Page 286]
[Inclosure A.]
Mr. Bassett to
Mr. Ethéart.
Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, July 12, 1872.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that
Mr. Clement Eldredge, an American citizen, and master of the
American schooner Lucy Holmes, which is now lying at the customhouse
wharf, was assaulted, placed under arrest, and brutally treated by a
government guard of about fifteen men, as he was passing quietly
last evening from the residence of Mr. Oliver Cutts to his ship.
This guard leveled their muskets at Mr. Eldredge, and marched him in
a rude and violent manner through the streets of the city for the
space of more than an hour. He was only released when he promised to
pay the officer in command. Mr. Eldredge is a quiet, peaceable man,
and offered no resistance to them whatever. He is incapable of
violating knowingly any law or regulation of the country. He does
not understand the language of the country, and does not yet know
why he was arrested and subjected to such brutal treatment.
I send you herewith inclosed the sworn statement which he made before
me. I call your attention to it, and would thank you for such
explanation of the conduct of the officer in charge of the guard
referred to as you may be pleased to give me.
I regret very much that such cases should occur, and I cannot
understand why they are allowed to occur. If American citizens in
Hayti violate any law of the country, I am perfectly willing that
they should be dealt with according to law. But I am sure that you
will regret as much as I do that officers and soldiers in the
service of your government should indulge in useless and wanton
violence against quiet, peaceable Americans, like Mr. Eldredge.
Officers in the service of your government who indulge in such
proceedings, and who are open to bribery, ought certainly to be
called to a proper account for their conduct.
I have, &c,
[Inclosure with A.]
Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, Hayti,
July 12, 1872.
Before me, the undersigned, minister resident and consul-general of
the United States of America, near the government of Hayti,
personally appeared Clement Eldredge, master of the American
schooner Lucy Holmes, now lying in this port, who, after being duly
sworn according to law, states:
“That last evening, the 11th July instant, between the hours of 10
and 11 o’clock, while he was peaceably walking from the residence of
Mr. Oliver Cutts, to go on board of his vessel lying at the
custom-house wharf, he was hailed and stopped by a number of armed
men, who leveled their rifles at him; that several of these armed
men approached and arrested him; that they compelled him to parade
the streets of the city with them for the space of an hour and a
half; that as he was passing the house of Mr. Oliver Cutts, with the
view of having him explain to the aforesaid armed men that he, the
aforesaid appearer, was returning to his aforementioned vessel, but
that before the said Oliver Cutts could enter into any explanation,
the armed guard rudely hurried the appearer away; that the appearer
further deposes and says, that during the time aforesaid which he
was forcibly made to parade the streets, the aforesaid armed men
greatly abused and assaulted his person, dragging and pushing him
into mud-gutters, and applying bayonets or some other military
weapons to his person for the purpose of forcing the appearer
forward; that finally, when nearly exhausted by fatigue and
saturated with mud and water, the appearer was released at a great
distance from the sea-border and allowed to return to his vessel,
upon his promising the officer in command of the aforesaid armed
men, compensation in the morning.”
In testimony whereof the aforesaid Clement Eldredge hath hereunto
affixed his signature, and I, the undersigned minister resident and
consul-general of the United States, have hereunto affixed my seal
and signature the day and year above written.
[L. S.]
CLEMENT ELDREDGE.
EBENEZER
D. BASSETT,
Minister Resident and
Consul-General.
[Inclosure B.—Translation.]
Mr. Ethéart to
Mr. Bassett.
Department of State of Foreign Affairs,
Port au Prince, July 16, 1872.
Sir: I have received the dispatch that you
have done me the honor to address me the 12th July instant, by which
you bring to my knowledge the fact that a citizen of the United
States, Mr. Clement Eldredge, captain of the American schooner Lucy
Holmes, now anchored in our harbor, was arrested with violence by a
patrol, immediately after he had left the house of Mr. Oliver Cutts,
on the 11th instant, at a somewhat advanced hour of the night. You
add that Mr. Eldredge was only released after having made a promise
to the officer commanding the patrol to give him money the next
morning.
I read attentively the document which you were pleased to send me,
and which contains the declaration made by Captain Eldredge, at the
legation of the United States, in regard to the circumstances of his
arrest.
As no report had been made to the authorities about this arrest, I
hastened immediately after the receipt of your aforesaid dispatch to
gather all information of a nature calculated to enlighten me upon
this affair, and to this end I caused the officer and the principal
men of that patrol to be summoned to my office to be heard on this
charge.
They denied completely that they had caused Mr. Eldredge to undergo
any ill-usage at their hands. However, the government, wishing that
all the citizens of the United States coming within the territory of
the republic should be covered with all the safeguards prescribed by
the law, with the view of maintaining the good relations which unite
this country to the great republic which you represent, has placed
under severe punishment the chief of the patrol that was engaged in
the arrestation of the captain of the schooner Lucy Holmes.
I seize this occasion, Mr. Minister, to renew to you the assurance of
my very high consideration.
