No. 230.
Mr. Langston to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
Port au Prince,
Hayti, August 27, 1884.
(Received Sept. 12.)
663.]Sir: I have the honor to transmit to the
Department, as herewith inclosed, copies of the correspondence which has
taken place since the 29th ultimo between this legation and the Haytien
Government with regard to the reclamation of Mr. Eugene Y. Garrido.
[Page 327]
A copy of the dispatch of the minister of foreign relations, Mr. B. St.
Victor, dated July 29, 1884, with translation, is herewith inclosed.
The honorable secretary expresses in his dispatch, while he signifies his
regret that the matter was not sooner brought to his attention, his
willingness to give it his earnest and thorough investigation, promising to
do in the premises what international law may justify. In my dispatch of the
1st instant, a copy of which is herewith inclosed, after acknowledging the
receipt of his first mentioned, assuring him that time has been taken to
investigate the case, thanking him for the kindly spirit which he exhibits
with respect to its consideration, I promised to let him hear from me again
at an early day touching the subject. Accordingly, on the 13th instant, I
wrote him, stating more fully and with greater particularity as to time and
place and circumstances of the abuse and outrage shown Mr. Garrido,
indicating at the same time the names of persons of whom Mr. B. St. Victor
may require concerning the case, should he desire to do so.
A copy of my dispatch of such date and to such effect is herewith inclosed.
To both of these dispatches I await the reply of Mr. B. St. Victor.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
663.—Translation.]
Mr. St. Victor to
Mr. Langston.
Department of State of Foreign Relations,
Port au Prince, July 29, 1884.
Mr. Minister: I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of the dispatch of July 15 last, in which you bring for the
first time to the knowledge of the Government, about two months after
the events took place at the capital, the 22d and 23d September of last
year, that during their occurrence Mr. Eugene V. Garrido, American
citizen, secretary of the United States legation, had been insulted,
outraged, assaulted, and maltreated by the officers of the Government in
the streets, and even to the doors of your legation, where he was able
to escape barely with his life.
Permit me to express to you first, Mr. Minister, the regret that this
information should have reached the Government so tardily, for I am
positive that an inquiry had the day after the events would have proved
more efficacious than that which you now propose.
Nevertheless, I am entirely disposed to occupy myself with such inquiry
which alone, according to my judgment, is able to establish in an
impartial manner the nature, the extent of the damages, and the amount
of a just reparation, if there be any to accord, according to
international law.
Any amount fixed, without such prior examination, resting upon no
foundation, appears to me to be arbitrary.
Mr. Eugene V. Garrido is, without doubt, able to put us on the track
indicated to us, for instance, the person to be questioned upon the bad
treatment of which he complains, furnishing us thus the first and
indispensable elements of an inquiry which my Government is interested
in prosecuting to the end, in order to throw light upon acts which
interested passion never fails to exaggerate in moments of civil
troubles which agitate a country.
Before giving, then, any opinion on the question which occupies us, I
pray you to be good enough and question Mr. Garrido upon the points
which I have indicated here above.
Be pleased, &c,
[Page 328]
[Inclosure 2 in No. 663.]
Mr. Langston to Mr.
St. Victor.
Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, Hayti, August 7, 1884.
Sir: Acknowledging the receipt of your dispatch
of the 29th of July last, received on the 31st, concerning the matter of
the maltreatment of Mr. Eugene V. Garrido, an American, I have the honor
to say to you that this case has been made the subject of serious, and
earnest, and thorough investigation by this legation, and full
opportunity and time having been taken and employed in that behalf, it
has been brought to your attention, that you might duly investigate,
consider, and settle it.
Thanking you for the kindly spirit in which you meet me with regard to
the consideration of this very serious affair, I have the honor to
advise you that at an early day I shall have occasion to communicate
with you again thereupon. Meantime, Mr. Minister, I would beg you to
understand that the statement of Mr. Garrido, the substance of which I
have already submitted to you, is abundantly capable of the fullest
support, since he was maltreated in the public streets, and in the
presence of a crowd of witnesses. It will not be difficult, Mr.
Minister, for you to find upon due examination that his statements as to
his abuse are entirely true.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 663.]
Mr. Langston to Mr.
St. Victor.
Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, Hayti, August 13, 1884.
Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 286,
addressed to you on the 7th instant, having reference to abuse and
maltreatment of Mr. Eugene V. Garrido, on the 22d and 23d days of
September, 1883, I have the honor, for your convenience of investigation
with regard thereto, to state with greater particularity and fullness
the facts as respects the circumstances of place and time thereof:
It was about noon, on the 22d of September, 1883, when Dr. J. B. Terres,
vice-consul-general of the United States of America, at that time in
charge of this office during my absence, sent to Mr. Garrido, then
acting as a clerk in the legation and consulate-general, for a United
States flag, for use at his residence. The flag which was to be sent to
Dr. Terres was at the time being repaired at Mr. Garrido’s house, in the
northern part of the city. Not having a boy at hand to send for it, Mr.
Garrido went for it himself. He reached his home, secured the flag, and
was returning with it in his hands. When he reached the Rue des
Miracles, on his way back to the office, he saw in front of him, a short
distance down the rue du Centre, some 30 or 40 well-armed men of the
Government, who cried qui vive, at first. When the flag carried by him
was presented to them, they beckoned to him to come; he advanced, and
they immediately opened fire upon him, following him as he retreated
back under the gallery of the house of Mr. S. Rouzier, in the Rue du
Centre, and from there still back to the house of Dr. Branch, which he
entered, situated upon the southwest corner of Rue du Centre and Bourse
Foi. In this house, through the kindness of its occupant, Mr. Garrido
was obliged to remain for a long time sheltered against these soldiers,
who, firing thereupon as he entered, came near overtaking him and his
rescuer by their shot; in fact, Dr. Branch was slightly wounded. Mr.
Garrido must have been well known to the persons who made such
demonstrations of violence and outrage against him, and it requires the
largest possible degree of charity to imagine that they did not know his
position in connection with this office.
But on the 23d day of the same month, as Mr. Garrido was engaged at the
door of this legation in the performance of duties which properly enough
commanded his attention under the circumstances, he was, between 1 and 2
o’clock in the afternoon, again maltreated and abused, being insulted
and roughly handled by a crowd of soldiers, from whose violence he was
finally saved through the good offices of Mr. C. A. Van Bokkelen, who
called General Herard Laforest, who happened to be passing at the time,
and who, with the greatest and most violent exertions, dispersed the
crowd.
The facts as here detailed, Mr. Minister, sustained by the solemn
declaration of Mr. Garrido himself, supported by the statement of many
others, are not difficult of comprehension, are easily substantiated,
and support in the clearest manner the demand which I have had the honor
to make already in his behalf. I trust this case may now command, Mr.
Minister, your immediate consideration and its solution and settlement
be determined at a very early day.
I am, &c.,
