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Black Republic of Letters

Note - Pan-American Congress

The First International Conference of American States ran between January and April 1890 in Washington DC. The US Secretary of State James G. Blaine was the architect of the event, and there was much criticism that the conference was intended to increase US influence in Latin America. Learn more about the Conference.

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"Letter from Haiti (from our special correspondent)" Translate:Port-au-Prince, 11 August 1890

Dear Director,

If I can rely on your predictions, this letter will arrive around the time the La Fraternité appears. I would like to offer my most ardent wishes for the first Haitian newspaper in Paris; I applaud your honourable attempt, and I hope that, with God's help, we can make it work out. Whatever happens, the new generation will have thus proved that it not only has the idea of progress, but also the firm intention of achieving it.

The promotion of our friend Bowler continues to yield good results. The subscription lists are filling up with much gusto. I am thrilled by the success of your joint project. I'm convinced, indeed, that when the moment comes to let him into the secret, Bowler will be glad to unite his efforts to yours for the foundation of this paper that is lacking in Paris.

Still, I believe that our friend has made an unwise promise, if it is true that he has been hired, as Mr. Magny claimed in a letter to the director of the Liberté, "to send two young Haitians every two years to collaborate with him." Mr. Adhémar Auguste is right to have some reservations about this—even though, for that matter, we don't share his way of seeing the practical current utility of a Haitian newspaper in Paris.

The upkeep of Bowler's two young collaborators in Paris would cost money, a lot of money, especially if they take advantage of their time in the "City of Lights" to complete their studies in arts and sciences. Because I doubt they would go on this trip simply to collaborate on a newspaper. There is no shortage, in Paris, of compatriots who could provide Bowler with intelligent and serious information from Paris. In the absence of those who are returning home this year, do you not still have Jules Auguste, Leconte (who are already in the course of a career), Audain, Doret, Amédée Brun, and many others who would want nothing more than to appear in this sort of periodical jousting?

In short, I ardently hope that you combine your work with Bowler; but I encourage you both to found your work on a modest base; you will thus have a greater chance that it will last.

Now, a word on the situation in Haiti.
Commerce and Finances
The commercial season promises to be a good one. There have never been more imports than this year. And it is not done yet! New firms are being founded in Port-au-Prince. The old foxes of the trade have restrained their orders. — The course of change is varying weakly. Slight upward trend.

Trade with Europe: 10 ½ - 11 %
— — the United States: 9 - 10%
American gold: 9 - 10% (bank exchange rate)
Port-au-Prince coffee is given at 103/105
Cacao: 5 ¾ cent. per pound
Cotton: 9 ¾ — — —
Logwood: P. 6.5 the thousand
On 8 August P. 66,030 of paper money we pulled form circulation
Politics
Mr. C. Haentjens, Minister of Agriculture and Public Works, has submitted his resignation (1 August), following Mr. St-Martin Dupuy, Minister of the Interior, who has not yet been replaced. This resignation has been as commented on as the last one. The newspapers are saying that it was for the same reason, a dissent with Mr. Firmin, the Minister of Finance, the most important member of the cabinet.

The President of Haiti received a solemn audience with Mr. Flesch, the new French minister who presented his credentials. The reception was very cordial, they exchanged the usual compliments. Mr. Flesch gives the impression of a capable man and a likeable man. (I have attached copies of the two speeches they gave). The Government is clearly enchanted to see a renewal of the relations between France and Haiti. It is an excellent note for our good compatriot Mr. Box, who spared no expense to obtain the recognition of the order of things legally established in 1889.

With the gossip crazed nature of the people of Port-au-Prince, we're hearing many tales about the hostile attitude that the Dominican Republic is taking toward us. You will have guessed that it is a matter of the customs dispute to which the Exposé of the situation makes reference. For the time being, refute all rumours of war with the Dominican. We have no intention of attacking the Dominicans; and they would never be foolish enough to take the offensive.

People are still talking about the arbitration treaty that the United States submitted to the powers who participated in the Pan-American Congress.

The Haitian government's representative, Mr. Price, will have approved the project, awaiting ratification in the Chambers.

Of the twenty republics invited to the conference, nine have signed. Peru, Uruguay, Colombia, the Argentine Republic, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Mexico, Venezuela and Chile refused to engage. According to the newspaper La Voie, the Senate in Washington will have definitely buried the project.

Mgt. Milia, delegate of the Holy See, arrived on the 3rd of August. He was given a brilliant reception. He is, they say, charged with conferencing with the government on the subject of the nomination of the successor of Mgr Hillion, our incomparable late archbishop.

There has been much laughter over the L'aventure of the journalist who bears that name. After a fuming letter from Father Bauger, denying the presentation of his candidature to the archiepiscopal see by that parishioner without a mandate, does he not see that our Laventure is stuck upon his idea and persists in recommending the curate of Petit-Goâve to the attention of the Government! Father Bauger, if he was not a man of the cloth, would have been the man to whom to send witnesses.

A bientot.

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"Letter from Haiti (from our special correspondent)" Translation:Port-au-Prince, 15 August 1890

My dear Director,

The departure of the steamship Nacase has allowed me to send you my previous letter via New York. I will do likewise whenever I have particularly interesting things to tell you about.

We are experience, before autumn, a shower of... portfolios.

General Mompoint the younger, the Minister of War, has just resigned in turn, in order to take a well earned res after a campaign of eight months. The ministry has been reformed thus: Hugon Lechaud to Agriculture and Public Works; D. Trouillot to Justice and Religions; Béliard the younger to War and Navy; Nemours Jean-Pierre the elder to the Interior; Mr. Firmin has remained in Finance and Foreign Relations, and Mr. D. Rameau in Public Instruction.

Mr. D. Trouillot who, last year, was previously named Government auditor in cassation, is well known in Port-au-Prince. He also made many friends, when he was in Cap for many years, under Geffrard, as Government auditor.

Mr. Béliard, senator from the North, has occupied diverse functions at the Customs office in Cap, including serving as director; he was the delegate in command of the Cap arrondissement during the last insurrection.

Mr. Nemours Pierre-Louis the elder has been senator of the North-West for some ten years.

Of the three new members of the cabinet, Mr. Trouillot is the oldest, being over sixty; the other two are in their fifties.

The negotiations with the Dominican are progressing actively. In a few words, here is what is happening: President Domingue, to facilitate relations between the two Republics that share the island of Haiti, had, by treaty, recognizing the Government of Santo Domingo, adopted the application of the free trade of Haitian and Dominican products over the whole of the territory. Furthermore, since the Dominican were demanding a rectification of the border to their advantage, it was decided that all disputes on this subject would be prevented in the future by the payment of an indemnity of 150,000 piastres that the Haitian Government would carry out over eight years.

The treaty of 1874 was never really taken seriously in either country. The proof is that the Dominicans formally contravened it in their most recent Constitution; and they consented in 1882 to conclude another arrangement. However, the Haitian Governments tolerated Dominican products coming into the country duty free, without really concerning themselves with whether or not the same reciprocity was being observed by our neighbours.

Many foreign firms have thus started to bring European merchandise into the country through the Dominican, committing tax fraud.

Members of the Hyppolite Government, who by their anterior relations, found themselves better placed than anyone to recognize these practices, wanted to put an end to it. Inde irae. A Dominican commission arrived in Port-au-Prince to solve the matter. They are said to have demanded the remainder of the indemnity stipulated in 1875; they're asking for the most for the least! A special meeting behind closed doors is taking place. Public opinion is in favour of the maintenance of the Government's decision. We have no doubt that the disagreement will be settled peacefully.

I had forgot to mention the departure of Mr. Douglass, Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States, and of Mr. Bassett, secretary of the same Legation. Their voyage to New York, it is said, will relate to the question of arbitration, which has legitimately concerned the Haitian press. To give a sort of consecration to the Pan-American Congress, Mr. Blaine, had planned to ban Europe from political access, as well as economic access to the Americas. An Arbitration Tribunal would have dealt with all diplomatic difficulties between American States and other nations, whether or not they were a part of the Arbitration Alliance. Most of the countries represented at the Congress refused to thus give up their liberty. Chile made, against the project of arbitration, a resounding protestation.

Mr. Blaine is out of luck! The signatory powers were to ratify the treaty by May 1891. But it is doubtful that this project will live to this time.

It has been announced that the President of Haiti will go on a tour of the South toward the end of September. Clermont Jr., to prepare for this happy event, is getting ready to greet, in a speech "full of feeling" (which becomes the fistula of the doyen of the Haitian press) his illustrious consanguinocrate.

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Note - James G. Blaine