Ebenezer D. Bassett to Monsieur Excellent, May 5, 1875

Mr. Bassett to Mr. Excellent.

Monsieur: I have had the honor to receive your dispatch of yesterday, in which you state that your government begs me to be pleased to deliver over to it the persons named Nathan Mode, Alonzo Iacinthe, and Jean Alerte, whom it supposes to be in refuge at the house of my official residence, and that the government does not doubt but that I will appreciate the step which is thus taken, and which is dictated by the consciousness of the precious interests of the country.

Your dispatch raises the subject of the right of asylum—a right which has been uniformly exercised by the representatives of foreign governments in Hayti since the foundation of Haytian independence. In no country on this hemisphere has this right been more frequently exercised or more fully consecrated than in Hayti during the past seventy years. In no single instance during all that number of years has such a request as you make ever been complied with. It would, indeed, seem extraordinary if now, in full view of all these facts, it should even be expected that the legation of the United States should be the first to accede to such a request. But I see no good reason for a discussion of the subject at this time, and I content myself, therefore, by simply asking you to excuse me for the present from a compliance with your request for the delivery of the persons named in your dispatch.

I am, monsieur, your obedient servant,