, 1890-08-23
Minister Douglass at home.


On board the Royal Dutch West Indies
Line steamship Prins Frederik Hendrix,
which arrived here yesterday afternoon
from Port au Prince, was Frederik
Douglass, who for ten months has had the
honor of representing the United States
Government as Minister to Hayti. he was
accompanied by Mrs. Douglass, and his OBJ
ject i'll returning to his country was to en-
joy a vacation Of sixty days. As soon az
the Prins Frederik Hendrix was d0ckea
Mr.. and Mrs. Douglass hurried to the
Pennsylvania I Railroad Station in Jersey
City to catch the next train for Washing
ton.
Reaching the station before 5 o'clock
they found that the next express would
; cave at 9'15, so they very SeEsibly sat
down in the waiting room to take breath
and chat the time away. The Minister to
Hayti wore a light canvas helmet, from
under which his flowing white locks stray
gled. He was looking we'll unhappy, and
as he gesticulated in earnest conversation
he attracted much attention. Nearly every
body recognized him at first glance.
81 didn't mean to talk to reporters" dc.
clared Mr.. Douglass. "They are bother
some fellows any way, and then my posi-
ton now is a peculiar one, you See, 50 l
ought to be very careful what | say
Mr.. Douglass reached Hayti soon after
the revolution which placed Hippoiyte in
power and drove L6gitime into exile. The
country at that time, he said, was begin
Mug to settle back into its normal state.
The Government now appeared to be sla-
BILE, and there were no signs OF another re-
VClutiOn.
What had his experience so far suggest
ed as a remedy for the revolutions 10 which
Hayti seemed subject The true remedy
must be the general enlightenment OF the
people, he thought. England, France,
Scotland, Germany, at one time were all
more or less in a condition that could bB
compared to that of Hayti. Education
had brought about the change, and it
would bring about the same change i'll
Hayti. The people of Hayti were advanc-
ing day by day, and becoming more en-
lightened and better educated. HaytI was
bound to come out all right some day.
Mr.. Douglass was somewhat %reticent
about speaking Of his reception in Hayti.
All that, he declared, was long past. All
the facts had been communicated to the
State Department and he did not see what
good it could do for him to say anything
about the matter. He was willing to say,
however, that the reports that he had been
snubbed by the people of Hayti had been
exaggerated. Hippolyte had taken occa-
sion to refer to him in terms of %cordiality
in regard toans being sent by the United
States Government us its representative.
With regard to the natural resources of
Hayti Mr.. Douglass expressed himself as
much pleased. His health haG- been excel
lent during the ten months he had been
there, and it was altogether a land pleasant
to live in. In fact, he declared, everything
seemed pic asant to him, and he was much
more hopeful and inclined to look on the
bright side of things than ever before. 1t
seemed as if his condition had been con
stantly improving ever since he could re-
member. When a slave he had first bad a
bad master, then a good master, then had
stepped from slavery altogether, aud con-
stantly since he had been advancing. Life
in Hayti has evidently agreed with Mrs.
Douglass also. She had not much to say,
except to insist that her husbands name he
spelled right, but she was plainly proud OF
her husband and pleased with all that he
said.-Nep York Times.