Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-12
COLOR DID NOT COUNT
EX-Minister Frederick Douglass Tells
Why He Resigned.
HE MADE UP HIS MIND A YEAR AGO.
The President Never Asked Him to Sur
render His Office
ST. NICHOLAS MOLE WAS HIS PET PLAN
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH }


WASHINGTON, Aug. H. Frederick
Douglass somewhat Indignantly denies the
statement, published in some newspapers
this morning, that his resignation was
asked for by the President, or was the re.
suit of dissatisfaction in the State Depart.
ment with his work at Haiti He said to.
day: "1n no manner whatever has either
the President or the State Department ever
intimated to me that my resignation would
be acceptable. On the contrary, have re-
ceived only the kindest treatment from both
the head Of the administration and the de-
partment to which was Immediately con-
nected.
My resignation was rendered on purely
personal grounds. The labors at Haiti had
become onerous to me, as L fOresaw would
be the case, and my resignation therefore
followed. At the time accepted the Min
istry to Haiti 1 informed the President that
1t would only be possible to hold the posi-
tlon for two years and that then I should
ask to be relieved.
HE DECIDED A YEAR AGO
When l was here last year stated to the
President that 1 would only be able to stay
IN Haytl one more year, so you see there
was nothing sudden or forced abont my
resignation at this time. 1t has been
charged that have been derelict in obtain
Ing the concession of the Mole st. Nicholas
from the Haytien Government Why, the
obtainment of that station has been one of
my pet plans for years, and all that man
could do to get the concession from Hayti
did during my stay there. A man may lead
a horse to water, buG 20 men can't make
him drink
For various reasons 1 was unsuccessful.
through no fault of my own, of obtaining
the Mole st. Nicholas for the United States
and the affair has been made hook on
which to hang all manner of charges of fail
ure, 1ncapacity, slothfulness and lack of in
terest, which, as L have said, 1 propose to
answer in time. For so years L have la
bored more or less successfully, and I do
not propose that at this late date my career
shall have added to it the intimation of
failure In the diplomatic service.
HIS COLOR DID NOT MATTER.
l do not believe that the question of nv
color either added to or detracted from nv
usefulness as Minister to Haiti. 1 have
seen In the papers, and have no doubt the
argument has been made to the President,
that white man would be able to accom-
plish more in Haiti than black The
makers of these statements, however, show
little knowledge of the Haitian nation
"At Haiti it was not deemed incongruous
that black man should hold the position
of Minister at black Republic. Haiti has
been free hundred years and appreciates |
her position. Among the lowest plantation
laborers there may be found stiff slavish |
bowling to the white race, but among the
men of the country there is found nothing |
of the sort. The Haitians have among them |
a considerable number of white men, and |
several foreign nations have white Minis |
tiers. These representatives gain no especial |
advantage from their color, and often di-
rectly the opposite