Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1892)/Chapter 52
CHAPTER XI.
ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT HARRISON.
MY appointment by President Harrison in 1889 to the office of Minister Resident and Consul General to the Republic of Haïti did not pass without adverse comment at the time it was made; nor did I escape criticism at any time during the two years I had the honor to hold that office. In respect to the unfavorable comments upon my appointment, it may be truly said that they had their origin and inspiration from two very natural sources: first, American race and color prejudice, and second, a desire on the part of certain influential merchants in New York to obtain concessions from Haïti upon grounds that I was not likely to favor. When there is made upon a public man an attack by newspapers differing at all other points and united only in this attack, there is some reason to believe that they are inspired by a common influence. Neither my character nor my color was acceptable to the New York press. The fault of my character was that upon it there could be predicated no well grounded hope that I would allow myself to be used, or allow my office to be used, to further selfish schemes of any sort for the benefit of individuals, either at the expense of Haiti or at the expense of the character of the United States. And the fault of my color was that it was a shade too dark for American taste. It was not charged, as perhaps it well might have been, that I was unfit for the place by reason of inexperience and want of aptitude to perform the duties of the office; but the color argument was relied upon. It was that I was not rightly colored for the place, although I matched well with the color of Haïti. It was held that the office should be given to a white man, both on the ground of fitness and on the ground of efficiency,—on the ground of fitness because it was alleged that Haïti would rather have in her capital a white minister Resident and Consul General than a colored one; and on the ground of efficiency because a white minister by reason of being white, and therefore superior, could obtain from Haïti concessions which a colored minister could not. It was also said that I would not be well received by Haïti because I had at one time advocated the annexation of Santo Domingo to the United States, a measure to which Haïti was strongly opposed. Every occasion was embraced by the New York press to show that my experience in Haïti confirmed their views and predictions. Before I went there they endeavored to show that the captain of the ship designated by the government to take me to my post at Port au Prince had refused to take me on board, and as an excuse for his refusal, had made a false statement concerning the unseaworthiness of his vessel, when the real ground of objection was the color of my skin. When it was known that I had not been fully accredited in due form to the Government of President Hyppolite and that there was a delay of many weeks in my formal recognition by the Haïtian government, the story was trumpeted abroad that I was "snubbed" by Haïti, and in truth was having a hard time down there. After I was formally recognized and had entered upon the duties of my office, I was followed by the same unfriendly spirit, and every effort was made to disparage me in the eyes of both the people of the United States and those of Haïti. Strangely enough, much of this unfriendly influence came from officers of the American navy; men in the pay of the government. The appearance in the harbor of Port au Prince of United States ships of war, instead of being a support to the American Minister, was always followed by a heavy broadside against him in the American papers. Our ships seemed to be well supplied with salt water correspondents; men who had studied the science of polite detraction at the public expense and had reached in it a high degree of perfection. The arrival of an American war vessel became a source of apprehension, and an admiral's pennon in the harbor of Port au Prince was a signal of attack upon the United States Minister.
Speaking of the acquisition of the Môle St. Nicolas as a United States naval station, one of these fruitful correspondents thus exposed the real cause of complaint against me: "When by the active intervention and material aid of the States, General Hyppolite was placed in power in October, 1889, . . . American influence was paramount, and had a shrewd and capable American then been sent by the United States to conduct the negotiations so ably initiated by Rear-Admiral Gherardi, there would be a different condition of affairs to report today. At Admiral Gherardi's suggestion a new minister was sent to Port au Prince. . . . The lack of wisdom, however, displayed in the choice . . . has by the result attained become only too apparent." " Of the Clyde concession it is perhaps needless to say anything, . . . has failed completely. . . . But with the negotiations in the hands of Rear-Admiral Gherardi a decision must be reached shortly. Admiral Gherardi is sent to resuscitate the negotiations. Admiral Gherardi will succeed eventually." "It is recognized that were the United States to possess a coaling-station in Haïti . . . would intervene to end the petty revolutions that distract the country."
Thus we had Admiral Gherardi at every turn of Haïtian affairs. It was at his suggestion that a new minister was appointed. It was he who made American influence paramount in Haïti. It was he who was to conduct the negotiations for the naval station. It was he who counseled the State Department at Washington. It was he who decided the question of the fitness of the American Minister at Haïti. In all this I am not disclosing Cabinet or State secrets. This and much more was published in the New York papers. The comment that I have to make upon it is, that no better way could have been devised to arouse the suspicion of Haïtian statesmen and lead them to reject our application for a naval station, than to make such representations as these coming from the decks of the flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Gherardi.