Bassett to L. Ethéart, March 30, 1872
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Ethéart
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of the 27th instant, relating to the occurrences which took place at Saint Marc on the 20th instant between the Haytian authorities and the United States consular officer at that point. It was not, however, altogether without a shadow of surprise that I read those portions of that dispatch which relate to the assault on Mr. Jastram. For, at the first conversation which I had with you on the subject, I understood you to say, clearly and unqualifiedly, that you had no information further than what I said to you at all bearing upon this assault; and at our last interview on the 25th instant, both Captain Carpenter and myself understood you not only to re-affirm this statement, but to add with equal frankness that in view of the fact that you had no information on this point, you felt that it would be necessary for you, before responding to my propositions, to obtain from Saint Marc for yourself evidence of the facts which were alleged in this regard. I infer from the terms of your dispatch that perhaps you have not yet made the proposed investigations.
The other portions of your dispatch refer to the occurrences other than the assault upon and arrest of Mr. Jastram. These, as I stated to you in my dispatch of the 25th instant, I propose neither to discuss nor to refer to at present. It is not unknown to you that I went to Saint Marc myself, and there made careful personal investigation into all the circumstances and all the proceedings in this affair. I was assisted in this work by the United States naval commander, who accompanied me. As a result of this investigation, I submit to you herewith inclosed three statements, one made by Mr. Jastram, (marked A,) one made by Mr. De Lande, Her Britannic Majesty’s vice-consul, (marked B,) and one made by Mr. Lota, French vice-consul, (marked C.) In addition to what is said in these three papers, I may state the fact of the assault upon and arrest of Mr. Jastram seemed to me to be, at Saint Marc, a subject of common speech and notoriety. I have, therefore, Mr. Minister, only to re-affirm to you the terms of my dispatch addressed to you on this subject on the 25th instant.
I am, &c,