Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 4, 1876

No. 168.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.

Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, Hayti, November 12, 1875. (Received Nov. 26.)

No. 402.]

Sir: Referring to my No. 399, of the 12th ultimo, which gave the particulars of the embarkation of the persons who were in refuge under our flag here from the 3rd of May until the 4th of October of this year, I have the honor to send you herewith inclosed a translation of an article which appeared in Le Moniteur of the 16th ultimo. Although the article is printed in the portion of that journal marked “non-official,’ it evidently emanates from official sources, and is intended, as will be seen, to place the government’s consent to the embarkation of the refugees upon the ground of friendship and consideration for our Government. In the columns of another paper, Le Peuple, has also appeared a report of certain remarks of President Domingue at one of the customary “audiences” held at the palace every Sunday, placing that consent upon the ground of his friendship for President Grant.

I ought to be quite willing that this government should say whatever it pleases before its own people in justification of its conduct relative to the refugees; but I maintain the conviction which is expressed at the end of my No. 399, and which I have reached in spite of the most generous considerations for this government and people, that the embarkation would never have been assented to without the manifestation of firmness on our part in regard to that matter.

I am, &c.

EBENEZER D. BASSETT.

[Inclosure in No. 402—Translation.]

The persons named Boisrond Canal and Canal, jr., refugees at the American consulate, owing to events growing out of the attempted insurrection of the 1st of May last, have been by order of the government embarked on the English (American) ship Varnum (H.) Hill on the 2d (4th) of October instant.

The government, while respecting the right of asylum, had, notwithstanding, taken diplomatic steps before the Cabinet at Washington for the handing over of the above refugees to justice.

The Government at Washington, though ordering their minister resident at Port au Prince to deliver them over to Haytian justice, not being able to interfere in our interior affairs, (ne pouvant s’mmiscer dans nos affaires intérieures,) had non-officially and constantly asked the government for a commutation in their favor.

It was to satisfy this desire manifested by a friendly power that the sentence of death pronounced against them by the judgment of the special court (conseil) of Port au Prince, dated July 6th of the present year, has been commuted to that of banishment for life.