The morning news., 1889-01-17
MADE IT HOT FOR HAYTI.
THE BLACK REPUBLIC FORCED TO
TOE THE MARK.

Minister Preston's Efforts to Avoid
the Humiliation of a Surrender Foiled
at Every Point by Secretary Bayard
The Violation of the Alleged Block
ade Purely Unintentional
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16-The President
to-day sent to congress the correspondence
in regard to the seizure of the steamer
Haytien Republic at Port au Prince.
In a communication to Minister Preston,
under date of Nov. %, 1888, Secretary
Bayard gives full statement of the case
of the steamer as viewed by the United
State The Secretary says:
Upon examination of the record and proceed
| ings in the the department is led TO the
conclusion that the seizure and detention of the
| vessel and the imprisonment of her officers
| have from the beginning been irregular and
wrongful; that she should without delay be re-
| stored to her American owners and her officers
+ leased from all detentions; and that adequate
| compensation should be made to them and to
| the owners Of the vessel for the loss and in
| jurles they have suffered by reason of the pro-
| ceedings in question.
THE BLOCKADE IGNORED.
1t is unnecessary TO discuss the charge of at
tempting to run a blockade, upon which alega-
tion it is understood that the seizure of the
vessel was originally made. Whether any valid
blockade did or did not exist it is clear that the
Hayten Republic had and could have had no
notice of it.
COULD HAVE AVOIDED CAPTURE.
That the Haytian Republic could easily
have eluded the Haytien war vessels, the
Dessahnes, at st. Marc, had her master any
knowledge of wrong-doing on his part, is
touched upon, and the treaty between the
United States and Hayti is quoted to show,
in the language of tie secretary, that
against the Haytian Republic rest upon the
charge of attempting to run the blockade they
were in clear violation of the express terms of
the treaty and wholly improper and inadmis-
sible."
The legality of the tribunal which exam
ined,the charges against the Haytian Repub-
lie is denied and its proceedings condemned
as being entirely indefensibIe. The secre-
tary says it is unjust and unreasonable that
merchant vessels of the United States should
be made the victims Of such lawless pro-
| ceedings.
| INSTABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT.
The local supremacy in Hayti shifts
| from week to week and from hand to hand
SO rapidly and Unexpectedly that it would
be wholly unreasonable and impossible to
| subject the merchant marine and citizens of
other countries, who find themselves so
surrounded by factions cOntending violently
| for the mastery to extreme penalties be-
cause of their alleged favor for
one side or the other because of
their necessary and inforced ac-
| quiescence in the demands of factions
| locally and temporarily in power. The
rights of the person and property of Amer
lean citizens engaged in business in Hayti
cannot be permitted to become the football
| of contesting factions and their evaneScent
authority, and the protecting arm of the
| United States will be interposed for their
security. By this it is not intended to in
clude cases of deliberate intermeddling H.
local conflicts, but merely to rescue our
| citizens who may be caught in the eddies Of
local sanguinary emeutes.
RELEASE DEMANDED.
In conclusion the Secretary says:
| In view, therefore, of what | have herein fully
laid before you, desire to express, under direc-
| tion Of the President, his confident expectation
| that without delay the steamer Haytian Repub-
lie will be released 10y the authorities at Port
au-Prince and returned to the custody of her
| officers aud crew, and that an Investigation may
| be at once commenced to ascertain the injuries
inflicted upon the owners of the vessel, and
also upon her captain officers aud crew in the
course of this illegal anu most regrettable inter
ference with their rights.
DEPARTMENTAL ACTION.
The history of the action of the state and
navy departments in sending vessels to
Hayti and recovering the Haytian Republic
is given. Secretary Bayarg, replying on
Dec. to note from Minister Preston,
writes
The proposition contained in your note now
under. reply, that the Haytian Republic
should be placed under guard of United
States man OF war, brought to New York,
and there libelled by the Haytien government
in the United States district court, is declined,
and the decision of the President, as already
| communicated, will lie carried into effect. For
testing any rights known To law the courts Of
ha nj fn
ments, their agents or to private parties, and
can alone decide what matters are therein
justifiabe. No greater more friendly
service to any government can be rendered by
another than to assist in restraining the turbu-
lence of anarchy and disorder within its bor-
ders and firmly maintaining the standard of the
law. Guided by this intent and with this sole
object the Government of the United States has
proceeded in the case of the Haytian republic
and will carefully cOnfine its actions within the
canons of the law of self preservation to its
citizens in order that they may everywhere find
protection underlts flag when not violating treat
les or international law.