Resignation But Not Retirement: An Interview Given in Washington, D.C., on August 10, 1891
RESIGNATION BUT NOT RETIREMENT: AN INTERVIEW
GIVEN IN WASHINGTON, D.C., ON 10 AUGUST 1891
Washington , 11 August 1891. Another text in Miscellany File, reel 34, frame 515, FD
Papers, DLC.
Douglass submitted his resignation as U.S. resident minister and consul
general to Haiti on 30 July 1891 and President Benjamin Harrison formally
accepted it on 11 August 1891. The press had been anticipating Douglass’s
replacement as U.S. minister in Haiti as a result of the failure of the negotia-
tions for the acquisition of the Môle St. Nicolas. Douglass granted several
interviews to reporters seeking information about the circumstances of his
resignation. The most detailed of these occurred at his home in Washington,
D.C., on 10 August 1891, when Douglass answered questions from an uni-
dentified reporter from the Washington . The published text of this inter-
view displeased Douglass who immediately wrote a letter to the Post to deny
making the statement that he had been asked to resign. In the letter Douglass
observed that: “It is not surprising that in the hurry of an interview, a reporter
should sometimes fail to get the exact truth into his report.” Douglass’s letter
is reproduced in Appendix H. William F. Wharton to Douglass, 11 August
1891, General Correspondence File, reel 6, frame 190, FD Papers, DLC;
Douglass to Editor of the Washington , 11 August 1891, in Washington
, 12 August 1891; Washington , 10, 11 August 1891; New
York , 10, 12 August 1891.
Frederick Douglass is no longer minister to Haiti. His resignation, submit-
ted to the President on July 30, was yesterday made public by the State
Department. It is a formal note and gives no reasons for retirement. Its
acceptance follows as a matter of course.
In the course of a conversation with a POST reporter yesterday after-
noon at his residence beyond Anacostia, Mr. Douglass intimated that he
had been asked to resign and that his successor would be a white man.1John Stephens Durham (1861-1919), another black diplomat, succeeded Douglass as minister resident and consul general to Haiti. Born in Philadelphia, Durham graduated from that city's well-known Institute for Colored Youth in 1876. After teaching elementary school for a number of years, he attended the University of Pennsylvania and received a civil engineering degree in 1888. Instead of working as an engineer, Durham became a successful journalist in Philadelphia. Local Republican leaders persuaded President Benjamin Harrison to appoint Durham U.S. consul in the Dominican Republic in 1890. Both Admiral Bancroft Gherardi and shipping line owner William P. Clyde recommended Durham as a more pliant replacement for Douglass in the negotiations for Caribbean naval bases. In 1892, Durham succeeded in getting a treaty signed by officials of the Dominican Republic to lease the Samana Bay to the United States as a navy coaling station but the Dominicans soon repudiated the agreement. He later practiced law in Philadelphia and received minor special assignments in the Caribbean from the State Department. Logan, , 431, 456; , 206-07. He
would not, however, go into details. Indeed, when the conversation began,
Mr. Douglass remarked with some little sharpness.
“Does the State Department make public matters which concern its
ministers without letting them know anything about it?” And yet, he added
reflectively, “I might have remembered that I learned from outside parties,
long before the State Department made me aware of it, that a gentleman
had been sent to Haiti to conduct certain negotiations.2Douglass alludes to Admiral Bancroft Gherardi. Now, I can say to
you that l have received no notification from the State Department respect-
ing myself. But I will not baffle you any longer. I hope that the statement
that my resignation has been accepted is true, and if it isn’t, I hope it will be
in a few days.”
“What were the causes that led to your resignation?”
“Until the State Department officially notifies me that I am no longer
in the diplomatic service my tongue is tied. You must have noticed, how-
ever, that I have been most vigorously assaulted by a number of news-
papers, who have charged me with incapacity, slothfulness, and want of
interest in the Mole St. Nicholas matter. Other papers and persons have
asserted that a white man could accomplish more with the Haitian admin-
istration than a black man. All these things have probably had their effect
upon this Government.”
“What foundation did these charges have?”
“Absolutely none. I do not believe I am incapacitated. I know that I
worked diligently, and as for want of interest, why, I have been advocating
the acquisition of the Mole St. Nicholas for twenty years. Since the aboli-
tion of slavery I have always contended that the United States should secure
a freehold in islands of the Caribbean Sea or in that vicinity. I split with my
dear friend, Charles Sumner, on that question.3A reference to the controversy over the attempted annexation of the Dominican Republic by the United States during the administration of Ulysses S. Grant.—Great Britain, France,
Holland, Denmark, Portugal, and Spain are already there, and we should
have a supply depot near at hand. After working hard as I did to secure
the accession of the mole it was very exasperating not to succeed.”
“Did your color operate against you?”
“On the contrary, I was received most cordially. President Hippolyte
referred to me in a flattering way in two of his messages,4Haitian President Louis M. F. Hyppolite referred positively to Douglass in his annual messages of 1890 and 1891. In July 1890, Hyppolite called Douglass “the illustrious champion of all men sprung from the African race, himself one of the most remarkable products of that race which we represent with pride on the American continent." Enclosed documents in Douglass to James G. Blaine, 9 July 1890, 27 June 1891, U.S. Legation, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dispatches to the State Department, RG 84, Records of Foreign Service Posts, State Department, DNA; Brown, , 2: 1-24, 226-36. and that fact. I
think. excited some jealousy here. I accomplished more during my brief
ministry there than had been achieved before in twenty years. I secured the
repeal of an old law which compelled vessels to endure vexatious delays if
the dues on their cargoes were not paid by the consignee.5In May 1891, the U.S. Department of State congratulated Douglass for winning verbal assurances from the Haitian government that it would repeal legislation, “by which sailing vessels are detained in the ports of Hayti, until the duties on their cargoes are paid." William F. Whanon to Douglass, 4, 16 May 1891, U.S. Legation, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dispatches to the State Department, RG 84, Records of Foreign Service Posts, State Department, DNA. Then I secured
the payment of the Van Boehlen claim, some $39.000;6Among Douglass's original instructions on going to Port-au-Prince was a directive to press for immediate payment by the Haitians of the 360,000 claim recently arbitrated between the two countries on behalf of the heirs of Charles Adrian Van Boekkelen. Haitian officials had imprisoned Van Bockkelen, an American merchant, on charges of attempting to smuggle weapons into a blockaded port. When released, he sued for compensation for damages to his health and business. After his death, his heirs continued the suit and won an award through arbitration. The Haitian government did not dispute the award but asked for a delay before beginning to pay the Van Boekkelen settlement. Douglass and the Haitian government renegotiated the payment schedule to the satisfaction of all parties. When the matter was finally resolved, Douglass received the following official commendation: “The Department appreciates your energy and intelligence in this matter, and offers you its congratulations." Alvey A. Aldee to Douglass, 20, 26 September 1889, Antenor Firmin to Douglass, 28 November, 5, 31 December 1889, 14, 15 April, 13 May 1890, Douglass to Anténor Firmin, 20 November, 2, 12 December 1889, 9, 15, 26 April.,14 July 1890, Douglass to James G. Blaine, 17 December 1889, 6 January, 21 May, 6 June, 15, 16 July 1890, James G. Blaine to Douglass, 13 January, 24 February, 18 June 1890, William F. Wharton to Douglass, 30 July 1890, U.S. Legation, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dispatches to the State Department, RG 84, Records of Foreign Service Posts, State Department, DNA; Sears, “Frederick Douglass and the Mission to Haiti," 235. settled the Parson’s
wharf claim,7In February 1891, Douglass received instructions from Secretary of State James G. Blaine to attempt to win financial compensation from the Haitian government for J. Frederick Pierson, a United States citizen. Pierson had been one of a group of American owners of a wharf at the city of Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti. In 1878 and 1881, Haitian officials had appropriated nearly $30,000 from the managers of this wharf but never acted on their promise to reimburse the owners. Despairing of repayment, Pierson turned to the U.S. government for assistance. Subsequent negotiations won more promises from the Haitians but no money. In April 1891, Douglass persuaded the Haitians to pay half the sum due Pierson immediately and the rest later that year. James G. Blaine to Douglass, 2 February, 23 April 1891, U.S. Legation, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dispatches to the State Department, RG 84, Records of Foreign Service Posts, State Department, DNA. and put on a fair way to adjustment the claim which a
railroad contractor named Crain had against the government. So, you see
that I have not been idle.”
“But why did you not succeed with the negotiations for the mole?”
“For several reasons. In the first place, when the Haitian slaves fought
for and obtained their freedom, nearly all the Christian nations were slave-
holding countries. Of course these nations looked upon a successful exam-
ple of slave-rising as a dangerous precedent. Even the United States re-
fused to acknowledge the independence of Haiti on the ground that slaves
had no right to rebel and cut their masters’ throats. As the whole world was
against Haiti at that time, Haiti was, necessarily, against all the world.
Although the civilization of the world has advanced since that time, and the
cause of Haiti’s exclusiveness has disappeared, still, as a dog will scratch
his neck after his collar has been removed, Haiti observes a superstition
that has no further significance. It is very hard to make the Haitians believe
that the United States are not trying to take advantage of them.”
“Was this prejudice the only reason for failure?”
“No, there were political reasons. There are conspirators against Haiti
in this country and in Jamaica, and they were ready, if the mole had been
conceded to us, to have started a revolution on the ground that Hippolyte
was selling the country to strangers. It was mainly that no reason might be
afforded for an outbreak that the negotiations were dropped. I argued with
the Haitians that if the mole was not peacefully ceded to us, it might fall
into our hands in some other way, but their determination could not be
changed.”
“Do you think it likely that we can secure the mole?”
“Certainly not for some time to come.”
“What are your plans for the future?”
“I have labored many years for the advancement of the colored race
and I shall again take up the work. I can talk and I can write. I shall use both
of these methods of usefulness until I am summoned hence.”
“Have you any idea who your successor will be?”
Mr. Douglass laughed. “I have learned from you,” he said, “that my
resignation has been made public and has been accepted. I used to have a
good friend at the State Department in young Mr. Blaine,8A son of Secretary of State James G. Blaine, Walker Blaine (1855-90) was born in Augusta, Maine, and graduated from Yale University in 1877. Walker moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, and became a lawyer in 1879. While his father was secretary of state in James A. Garfield's cabinet, Walker received the post of third assistant secretary and traveled as a special envoy through South America, promoting the elder Blaine's doctrine of Pan-Americanism. Under President Chester Arthur, Walker Blaine served as a special counsel on the Alabama Claims Commission. When James G. Blaine returned to head the State Department in 1889, he tried unsuccessfully to persuade President Benjamin Harrison to appoint Walker the first assistant secretary of state. Walker settled for the job of solicitor of the State Department, a less prestigious post which he held until his death from pneumonia. At the time of his death, Douglass wrote the elder Blaine: “In view of my personal knowledge and appreciation of Mr. Walker Blaine and of my official relation with him through the Department of State, his death touches me as a personal bereavement." Douglass to James G. Blaine, 15 February 1890, U.S. Legation, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dispatches to the State Department, RG 84, Records of Foreign Service Posts, State Department, DNA; Muzzey, , 30, 128, 164, 205, 213-15, 252, 461, 463; Charles Edward Russell, (New York, 1931), 50, 384, 412-13, 426. who kept me
posted, but now I think the newspapers will know the name of my suc-
cessor before the State Department takes me into its confidence. Some
[one] of these days my turn will come to speak.”