Appendix G. LETTER FROM DOUGLASS TO JAMES G. BLAINE, 20
FEBRUARY 1890, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI

Douglass to James G. Blaine, 20 February 1890, U.S. Legation, Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, Dispatches to the State Department, RG 84, Records of Foreign Service
Posts, State Department, DNA.

No. 38 Diplomatic
Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, Haiti, February 20, 1890.

Honorable James G. Blaine
Secretary of State,
Washington, U.S.A.

Sir:

In fulfillment of your instruction No. 27 of the 14th ultimo, which directed me
to deliver to His Excellency President Hyppolite the letter addressed to him by the
President in acknowledgement of His Excellency’s letter recalling Mr. Stephen
Preston from his post as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Haiti
at Washington, I sent, on the 14th instant, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr.
Firmin, a note (enclosure No. 1) together with an office copy of the President’s
letter, asking the Minister to be pleased to inform me of the time when and the
manner in which it would be most agreeable to His Excellency to receive the
original, and taking occasion, as instructed, to express the high appreciation which
the Department entertains for Mr. Preston.

Enclosures 2 and 3 are a copy and translation of Mr. Firmin’s response fixing
10 o’clock in the forenoon of the 18th instant as the hour for the audience with His
Excellency.

Promptly at the appointed hour I was at the Palace where President Hyppolite
received me. In remitting to him the President’s letter I made a brief address
(enclosure No. 4) in which I emphasized the appreciation expressed for Mr.
Preston in your dispatch No. 27 to which I have already referred.

His Excellency took the letter and listened to my remarks with his usual
dignified courtesy, and in acknowledgement of them made a brief response of
which No. 5 is a copy and No. 6 a translation.

I am, sir,
Your obedient servant,
Frederick Douglass

Enclosures.
1. Mr. Douglass to Mr. Firmin, Feb. 14, 1890
2. Mr. Firmin to Mr. Douglass, Feb. 15, 1890