Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-02-02
MINISTER SMYTHE.


pers make much ado about the unati
yised action of Minister Smythe in
Iayti, which is doubtless tempest
in Tea pot. The following is rather
rrcy literature on the subject
If the story the Dutch steamer
Pins Willem I. brought yesterday
/. ON Hay Ii is true Minister Resident
aud Consul General Henry NJ.
Smythe, who represents the United
States at Port au Priner, us well as
being Cha"ge d'A ;faires ut Santo DO
nirgo, has probably been taking les
sons from Minister Willis.
Mr.. Smythe is an appointee OF
President Cleveland, aud hy is the
first white representative this coun-
has had in Hnyti for a number of
years.
The story is told by Edmond For.
tune, who was the only passenger on
the Prins Willem l. from Hayti. MIR.
Fortune halls from Triuid d. He
stopped at Port.au-Prince on his way
to the United States. When lie ar
rived here he went to the Aston
House, and he Was found there later
by the Sun reporter.
IL found matters pretty quiet in
Hayti,' he said, "but there was con
siderable excitement in the city OF
Port,au. Prince over letter that had
been written by American Minister
Smythe to the president of the re.
public, Hippolyte. The letter hadu't
been made public, but the people
knew one had been written, and they
were thinking things worse than they
were, and there were some threats
made against the Minister. could
not get copy of tho letter, but the
German Minister, with whom am
acquainted, told me that in it Mir is
ter Snythe made very severe crit
cisms on the manner in which the re
public's affairs were being managed.
Ho condemned the rigorous measure
the President adopted to put down
revolutions before they attained size.
he insisted that men couldn't obtain
justice in The courts. He objected to
the financial and customs policies of
the country, aud said that if the
President didn't devote the revenues
to mailing public improvements in
stead of to personal uses he need not
expect to retain tue sympathy of the
Quilted States Government. Then
Ae suggested reforms that should be
made at once, and told how the gov.
ernment ought to be run in the fu
ture if it wanted to BIZ real sood
government.
After writing this letter the Ger.
man Minister said Minister Smythe
took around to the Ministers of 9th
or countries and asked their opinion
Of it, aud then asked them to join
him in signing it. They told him
that they were representing their
governments aud that they had no
authority to meddle with Haytian
domestic affairs. and they all refused
to sign it, so Minister Smythe signed
it himself aud sent it to the Presi
dent.
"Fhe German Minister didn't know
what President Hippolyte said when
he read the letter, but he did know
that thnt same ,lay tho Minister o.
Foreign Affairs sat down aud wrote
IL letter to Minister Smythe inviting
him to call and dine with the Presi
dent and talk the matter over ill pri
cate. Minister Smythe declined this
invitation aud tho President was very
angry. He consulted with his advis
ers, aud then forwarded the Litter to
Washington Whether or not he ell
closed with it u request for the recall
OF Minister Smythe is not known in
uayti"
Mr. Fortune said he did not know
the date on which MIR. S,pythe wrote
the letter, OF the date on which Presi
dent Hippolyte forwarded it to Wash
iugton, but he was sure that it had
been forwarded by an earlier steamer
than the Prins Willem |.
The officers of the Prins Willem +.
had no information to add to that
given by Mr. Fortune. They said
they had heard nothing about the re-
ported recent execution of q govern.
iasat official who had attempted to
kill tbs President. They had heard
reports that the sxiied Haytians un.
'seS eSo leadership Of Gen. Manigal,
who aae at Kingston, Jamaica, were
preparing to invade Hsyti and try to
overthrow Hippolyte. They were 20
rDg to- land on the northern aida ~
she island. where they expected to
get arms and ammunition and money.
Then they would march across coun
try to the capital, picking up recruits
On the way, and they expected to Get
enough recruits to whip the govern.
.ment army.
WAsnsSoTos, Jan. 28.-fIsrry NJ.
Smythe, United States Minister TO
Hayti, is about 81 years of age and
was appointed from Virginia. in
which State he has figured Tor mum
Der OF years as the editor of "A conn