au Paix and Gonaives were permitted to leave the country; at the latter place there were about 83, including Gen. Jean Jumeau, whose embarkment Gen. Alexis Nord had opposed. Gen. Alexis Nord, with the main corps of his army, is still at Gonaives; he is expected to arrive here within the next ten days, and then we will have in this city about 15,000 troops. Should he not pose himself as a candidate for the Presidency, with a certainty of being elected, whichever one of the other two candidates that he may favor will surely be elected. It is to be hoped in any case that they will come to an understanding that will result in a peaceful choice of a President. The Chamber has done nothing toward reorganizing and electing the remainder of the Senators. The deputies from the departments lately in rebellion, some of whom left Gonaives with Firmin for Inagua, arrived here some fifteen days ago. General Nord claims that their election should be annulled, as some of them had signed the protestation against the Provisional Government, and that others should be elected in their places. The president of the Chamber, a strong partisan of General Nord, refuses to recognize these deputies and validate their election; therefore they have not been able to get a working majority in the Chamber sufficient to continue with the election of the Senators so as to finally proceed to the election of a President for the Republic. I am, etc., JOHN B. TERRES. Mr. Terres to Mr. Hay. No. 1199, Haitian series.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Since my last dispatch, of the 21st ultimo, on the political situation tranquillity still continues. The Chamber has admitted the 23 deputies from the department of the Artibonite, who were with Firmin, to form a quorum, and after validating their election, having a majority, it was enabled to proceed with the election of the Senators. Thirty have been elected, leaving 9 still to be, which it is supposed will be done this week, and if nothing occurs in the meanwhile to prevent it they may proceed to elect a President the coming week. Gen. Alexis Nord has not yet returned to the capital. It is expected that he will do so during the week, with his army. If his arrival with his army, said to be about 12,000 strong, does not bring on any complication, there is no reason why the President should not be elected during the next ten or fifteen days. I have, etc., JOHN B. TERRES. Mr. Terres to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Terres reports the arrival of General Nord on December 16; that great excitement prevails; that shooting is going on in the city; that serious trouble is expected; that the Haitian secretary of the interior, with general police, is at the United States legation.) Mr. Terres to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, (Mr. Terres reports that General Nord has been elected President of Haiti, and that everything is quiet at Port au Prince.) Mr. Terres to Mr. Hay. No. 1204, Haitian series.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Port au Prince, Haiti, December 22, 1902. SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 14th instant Gen. Nord Alexis entered the capital with his army, consisting of about 5,000, He immediately distributed his troops at the different important posts and forts of the city. men. On the 16th there was considerable excitement in the city. It was rumored that one of the factions, Fouchard's party, intended to make an attack on the office of the arrondissement, commanded by Gen. St. Fort Colin, who was also secretary of the interior, but had sent in his resignation of that office in the morning. At 11 o'clock Gen. St. Fort Colin took refuge at the consulate-general, together with General Kébreau, chief of the police. They were followed a little later by General Chrisphonte, the commandant of the place. Gen. St. Fort Colin gave as his reasons for seeking refuge at the consulate that he was convinced that the party above mentioned intended to make an attack on his troops during the morning, and while he could defend himself, having sufficient men to resist the attack, he was satisfied that such a movement would result in the burning and pillaging of the city, besides great loss of life; that during seven months he had maintained perfect order in the city, therefore he preferred to retire rather than bring on such a calamity. During the day there was some disorder; some 15 persons were killed; later, however, all quieted down. On the evening of the 17th there was a salute fired about 8 p. m., and the army acclaimed General Nord as the President of Haiti. The next day General Nord, escorted by his cavalry, passed through the principal streets of the city, and then entered and took up his residence in the palace, which, since the departure of ex-President Sam, had been closed and guarded by Gen. Darius Hyppolite. A proclamation was issued by General Nord accepting the acclimation, subject to the sanction of the National Assembly. It was thought by some that the Legislature would be dissolved. However, it was finally decided not to do so, but that they should elect General Nord as President of the Republic. For this purpose the National Assembly, composed of the Senate and the House of Deputies, was convoked for Sunday the 21st, at which General Nord received 100 out of the 115 votes cast, the 15 others being blank ballots. * * * To-morrow is fixed for his taking the oath of office before the National Assembly. The new cabinet is composed as follows: War and marine, General Cyriague Célestin. Interior and general police, Mr. Léger Cauvin. Foreign relations and public instruction, Mr. Jérémie. Justice and public worship, Mr. U. St. Arman. Public works and agriculture, Mr. Paulius Paulin. General Nord is about 85 years old and has often been spoken of as a candidate for the Presidency in the past. It is said that a general amnesty will be proclaimed. The refugees we have in the consulate-general will no doubt be permitted in a few days to return to their homes. I am, etc., JOHN B. TERRES. PROTECTION OF CUBAN INTERESTS BY UNITED STATES CON SULAR OFFICIALS. Mr. Powell to Mr. Hay. No. 1102.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inclose to the Department copies of the correspondence which has passed between the foreign office of the Provisional Government of this Republic and your legation regarding the assent of the Haitian Government to the request that United States consular officers be temporarily charged with the commercial interests of the Republic of Cuba and the protection of its citizens resident in this Republic. I have, etc., W. F. POWELL. [Inclosure 1.] Mr. Powell to Mr. Jérémie, charged with the department of foreign relations. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to call your excellency's attention to a request that has been made to my Government by His Excellency Señor Don Tomás Estrada Palma, President of the Republic of Cuba, that the United States consular officers in this Republic be charged with the protection of the inhabitants of Cuba resident here, and also the commercial interests of the said Republic, until such time as Cuban consular officers can be appointed. I would be glad to have you inform me if this request of His Excellency Señor Palma meets with the approval of your Government in order that the necessary instructions may be transmitted from this office to the United States consular officers in your Republic. Kindly accept, etc., W. F. POWELL. [Inclosure 2.-Translation.] Mr. Jérémie to Mr. Powell. DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS, SIR: In reply to your dispatch of May 31 last, I have the honor to bring to the knowledge of your legation that the Haitian Government approves willingly the decision taken by His Excellency Mr. Estrada Palma to confide to the consular offi cers of the United States in Haiti the mission to protect the citizens of the Republic of Cuba residing in our territory, as well as their commercial interests, until the appointment of Cuban consular agents. I profit by this occasion to renew to you, etc. JÉRÉMIE, QUESTION OF "RIGHT OF ASYLUM" IN UNITED STATES No. 1119.] LEGATIONS. Mr. Powell to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to call the attention of the Department to the subject of the "right of asylum." This is one of those questions that is impossible to solve in a satisfactory manner on account of the peculiar condition of affairs that exist in this Republic. The Department has called my attention to the instructions that have been given to my predecessors, commencing with that from the Hon. Hamilton Fish to Mr. Bassett to the present time. It is impossible to follow the line of Department's instructions from the fact that the one you refuse shelter to-day is apt to be the executive the week or month after, in which case, for this indiscretion, if it may be so termed, the country that you represent suffers in its diplomatic relations, or else a request is conveyed to your Government for your recall. There is another side to this problem that prevents any representative from following strictly the instructions conveyed to him from the Department. One is compelled by the dictates of humanity to give shelter and protection to an applicant, especially when he knows that in so doing he is saving the life of a fellow-creature, who for the time being is under the displeasure of those in authority; or, if not, that saves him from the one who in excess of passion seeks to wreak his vengeance upon another, under the guise that it is done for the safety of the Republic or Government. Many times life has been saved by the prompt action of the several legations in affording protection to those who were persecuted for some unknown cause. This "right of asylum" has been in the past a vast benefit to the Government, as it has been the means of extricating it from many unpleasant dilemmas. It has relieved them many times from consigning the victim to death, and has allowed heated passions to cool and reason again to obtain its rightful sway. The Government itself has at all times secretly favored it, as it left an open door in case it should at any time be driven from power. This is the humanitarian side of this question. It has been so long invoked that as soon as trouble arises in this unfortunate country each one thinks he has the right to enter your legation "nolens volens," and that you should not say to him "nay." This right has been sadly abused many times, as the refugee has from within his asylum successfully formulated plans which have resulted in the disruption of the Government. This has been done in the legation unknown to the foreign representative, who has given his protection while he has at the time become unwittingly a seeming conspirator to destroy the Government to which he has been accredited. To such an extent has this been the case that some plan should be devised to prevent this class of people from obtaining this shelter, and if allowed shelter, to surround them with some rule to prevent them from carrying into execution their nefarious plans. I know of no way or system unless it be by the joint action on the part of the several legations to refuse to accept anyone unless he be in grave danger of immediate death. No one legation can enter into execution of such a plan. To have force, it must be through the joint action of all, and not of one singly. I believe, though, that when a member of the Government seeks asylum to escape the mad passions of an excited populace, that it is our duty to give to him the protection which he seeks. There is another class that we should refuse the right of asylum, but how to differentiate this class from the other is one of the difficult problems to solve. To allow them to enter our legations with the right to remain is not only a danger to the inmates, but the property intrusted to our care is apt to be destroyed or purloined. It has reached that degree that any rogue fleeing from justice feels that he has a right to such shelter in any legation or consulate that may be near. There is another feature in connection with this question that is most unpleasant. When these people come into the legation or consulate we are compelled not only to provide for them a place to sleep, but to provide them with both food and drink. It must be remembered that our legation is not very commodious, and when we are compelled to share it with ten or twelve persons at a time in giving to them shelter not for a day, but at times for weeks, our comfort in a tropical climate such as this, at the best limited, is still further reduced on account of the number we are compelled to shelter, who are in many cases persons wholly unknown to us. Again, nearly all of these people have strong and durable appetites; the dangers they have escaped seem in nowise to diminish them; on the other hand they seem to increase the longer they are with us. This expense one has to bear from his own purse and is supposed to do so without a murmur. It is not a charge that one can bring against this Government, as one is giving shelter to its enemies; nor one that can be brought to the attention of my own Government, as this granting of asylum is contrary to Department's instructions, while the refugee thinks on his side that it is our duty to thus maintain him while he is in our legation and never offers to reimburse us for this expense on our part. During the time I was absent on my official visit to Santo Domingo one of these wholesale arrests was made here, and each person who thought himself in danger fled to some legation. We at that time had eight or ten persons, some reaching us by scaling the rear walls of the legation, which are over 20 feet high. Some of these people were here four weeks, the last leaving the day before our arrival, during which time our personal effects were exposed. Since our return, owing to the changed relations, we had several, all being former Government officials. The expense of maintaining these people has cost us over $200 above our ordinary expenses. Other legations here have had a much greater expense than ours, as they have had a larger number of refugees. This is a luxury which I can assure the Department none of the foreign representatives crave, and though we bear this expense and discomfort, many on leaving fail to express their thanks for the trouble they have caused. |