Huntsville gazette., 1891-10-24

lass denied tha. he put himself along
side Of the great Eng ish statement.
for he knew that he could not speak
as he did years ago. Every now and
then the intensity of Mr.. Douglass
dislike for those who criticised him
cropped out, and referring again to
the conduct Of a correspondent who
had offended him, Mr.. Douglass
spoke rather bitterly.
"The idea" said he, "of a fellow
who came from the plantation $ and
corn fields Of the Eastern Shore talk
ing about diplomacy. Eve been
charged with talking too much about
Haita. for a minister of the United
States, by the New York Tribune.
This paper charged me with blurting
out state secrets, but fails OF tell what
secrets. This is the elegant fiction OF
these great newspapers. only told
what had been told before The
trouble was my way OF telling the
story differs from that Of the salt-wa
ter correspondents who came down
to Haiti in what they called the
white squadron. When l return
their fire there is a little bowling.
I've told my story about this matter
in the North American Review, and
it I've done any man an injustice l
stand ready to retract. However, l
know OF none now. If driven to the
wall | have it in my power to put be-
fore the whole world all the cores
pondence about the Mole St. Nich-
olas affair in a different light and a
light some gentlemen will not like
to see.
| In my opinion, contineud the
speaker, the negro in the United
States has theater Of usefulness
equal to any place on the globe.
This great nation is missionary
nation not only in Christianity, but
in wiping out the prejudice against
black man, and until the black man
can make himself respected in the
United States he cannot do it any
where else.
Mr. Douglass then gave his audi
ence pen picture Of the country Of
Haiti, its harbors and coasts, all OF
which naturally brought him around
again to the subject of the Mole ST..
| Nicholas affair.
| We have heard much of Mole St.
Nicholas, he observed, and if one
can believe the pressin its statements
relative to the sntention of the Gov
ernment. we will hear much more
It is the Gibraltar of the caribbean
| Sea, and commands the windward
passage, by which, when the Nicara
guam Canal is cut through, all the
trade must pass. Whatever nation
| holes the Mole St. Nicholas will be
; the mistress fthat sea and have that
canal and its traffic at its mercy. 1t
is the stronghold Of Haiti, and it is
| no wonder her statesmen do not want
J to part with it. While / think the
Haitian government might under
proper conditions have parted with
| it, see no reason why we should feel
aggrieved that she doesn't sell it to
us. She has simply exercised SOW
ereign right to take care Of herself
The idea that Haiti has insulted us
! in this matter has no foundation in
fact, and l am glad the press and the
public are beginning to desp:se the
tin tattled that has been trumped up
, over this refusal. Haiti has been as
liberal toward us as she thought she
could afford to be. 1t is said she
promised to sell. This she denies,
and this denial is entitled to respect
until it is proved to the contrary.
i After describing the beauty Of the
Haitian scenery, the fertility of its
soil, and the characteristics of its
people, not omitting their revoIu-
tionary tendency and turbulent spir-
lit. Mr.. Douglass discussed the char
acter of the President of the repub-
lie, Hippolyte. Instead of being
Ityrant, as he had been represented
by the press Of this county, Mr.
Douglass maintained that he was
Loc,a EOnpSr and natrIOfic