Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-08-13
WHAT DouoLAes SAYS


WAsulsGroN, Aug. i2 -- Frederick
Douglass, the eI minister to HAyu, is stop
al his beautiful home oa Anacoslis
Heights where he was seen by = reporter.
On being asked what were the oAuses that
led to his resignation, he eaid:
Until the state department officially
notifies me that am no longer IN the diplo'
matte service my tongue is tied You must
have noticed, however, that l have been
most vigorously assaulted by = number Of
newspapers. who have charged me with
iDcapscity. slothfulness and want Of interesi
in The Mole ST. Nicholas mater. Other
papers and persons have asserted that n
white man could accomplish more with ihr
Hsitian administration than = black man.
All these things have probably had theii
fl gct upon this government.
No roundA Ion for the Charges.
What foundation did these charge.
bav,? ?"
Absolutely none. ] do not believe | am
ipcspsclta ! know that | worked dill
gently, ard as for want Of Interest, why
have been advocating the a, quisition Of the
Mole ST. Nicholas for 20 years. Since The
sholiii IN Of slavery | have always conteBdel
that the United States should secure free
hold in the islands Of the Csrrihesn sea or
In that vicinity. | split vi my dear
friend, Charles Sumner, on that question.
Great Britain, France, Holland, Denmark,
Portugal and Spain are already there. and
We should have supply depot near Al han'.
After working xs hard a. | did TO secure
the accession Of ,hs Mole. 1t was very ea-
&spcrAting not to succeed y
"Did your color operate sgainst you2'
"On the contrary. was received most
cordially, President Hlppolyte refe'n I'd
to me In q 6attering way in two of his NEE
ssg 4s and that fact. think, excited rome
| jealousy here. | accomplished more dur
II my brief ministry there than bad beer
achieved before in 20 years secure
the repeal of an old law which compelled
vessels to endure vexIious delays II 'hs
duties on their cargoes were not paid ty
the consjgnee. Then secured the pay
msnt Of the Vsu Boehlen claim. som.
S39, 900; setiied the Parsons ~h,rf clam
nod put on fair way 10 adjustment ,he
claim which a railroad contractor nam, d
Grain had sgsiBst the government. SO yo,
see that have not been idle"
Dists ustful OF the United States.
"But why did you not succeed with the
negotiations for the Mole2"
"For several reasons. In The first place
when the Hsytisn slaves fought for and oh
tsined their freedom, nearly all the CHRIS
tisn nations were slaveholdirg countries
| OF course these nations locked upon sue
csssful example Of slave raising Is n dan
gerous precedent. Even the United State
refused to acknowledge the independence
Of Hsyii on the ground that slaves had nc
right TO cut their masters throats As the
whole world was ngainst Hayti at that time
Hayti was, necessarily, ,agSinst all the world
Although the civilization Of the world bs,
advanced since that time, and ihs cause OF
Hsyti's exclusiveness has disappeared, still
a. dog will scratch his neck after his
collar has been removed, IIayti observes a
superstition that has no further signiH canoe,
| It 10 verylhard to make the Haytians believe
that the United States are not trying Il
take advantage OF them.
WAS the pre- judice the only reason fol
fsilure2"
mo, there we're political reasons. There
arc conspirators against Hsyti in this coun
try and in Jamaica. and they were resdy
| II the Mole had been conceded to US, tt
have started 4 revolution on the GROUND
that Hippolyte was selling the country 70
strangers. 1t vas mainly that no reason
might be afforded for an outbreak that tbs
negotistIons we're dropped. l argued ~itf
the Hsiusns that II the Mole was not peace
fully ceded to US it might fail into our bsod'
IN some other way. but their determination
could not be changed"
''Do you think It likely that we car
secure the Mole?'
"Certsinly not for some time 10 come.
"Whst are your plans for the future?"
Have iabored many years for tb'
advancement Of The colored race, and
shall again take up the work. l can tail
and can write. shall use both Of thea
methods Of usefulness until / Am sum
moned hence"