John Mercer Langston to Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, November 8, 1884

No. 234. Mr. Langston to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Sir: I have the honor to bring to your attention, as herewith inclosed and transmitted, a copy of a dispatch, with its translation, received on the 6th instant, from Mr. St. Victor, having reference to the reclamations and claims of American citizens connected with the occurrences of the 22d and 23d days of September, 1883.

In his dispatch the honorable secretary of state mentions the fact, incidentally, that we have had two conferences at the national palace in the presence of the President, in which the reclamations and claims referred to constituted the subject of debate. He forgets to state, however, that I consented to such conferences, and in the presence of the President, in view of the declaration of such high functionary, that he very much desired to settle all the matters in difference between us amicably, if possible, but especially the reclamations of Messrs. Mossell and Garrido. It was to test the sincerity of such profession that I did offer to settle the claim of the last-named person for $5,000 in cash, and that of Mr. Mossell for $25,000 in cash, a perpetual annuity of $200 per month, for his school-church (Protestant) located in this city, and the release of the man whom he supposed to be a political prisoner, who served his family so signally on the 23d of September, 1883, by taking care of and saving his little daughter.

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You will perceive that the secretary advises me in his dispatch that he proposes to institute a special commission for the investigation of the cases of Messrs. Mossell and Garrido, and promises to let me have notice of the time to be hereafter fixed for its meeting. He hopes thus to find the facts of the cases so as to be able in the light thereof to determine the amount which his Government ought to pay.

Thereafter he passes to the discussion of the three points of difference between us, as regards the money in which estimates and payments shall be made of the claims of our citizens for their property destroyed, the time when the payments, shall be made, and that it shall be determined by the Corps Legislatif of his Government; and finally of the mode of determining the nationality or citizenship of a claimant, he holding that, as shown in connection with mixed commissions constituted by our own with other Governments named, the commission is alone competent to determine such question. He does, however, at last, as it would seem, agree to discuss with me and determine, before any of the claims be presented to the commission which may be constituted, any question that may present itself having reference to the nationality of any one or all of the claimants.

The ease with which the secretary passes over the matter of time of paying any amount which may be found due one or all of our citizens, claimant or claimants, might lead one to think that that was not one of the points upon which I do and shall insist with vigor and decision. The Corps Legislatif has no right after this Government has destroyed an American citizen’s property to put the day of paying therefor off beyond a time which is reasonable and just.

I have deemed it wise to transmit this dispatch to the Department, covering, as it does in its way, and from the Haytien standpoint, all the matters of law and equity claimed by this Government to effect the questions in debate by this legation with the department of state of foreign relations, and ask the final and full instructions of the Department with regard thereto.

Of course, the Department will perceive that this legation labors under some little embarrassment by reason of the fact that it appears that other Governments represented near this, other than our own, have consented to the mode of settling the claims under consideration proposed by this Government. I await, therefore, any early additional instructions which, in view of the positions taken in this dispatch, the Department may be pleased to give.

I have also the honor to transmit, as herewith inclosed, my note, dated to day, addressed to Mr. St. Victor, in which I acknowledge the receipt of his dispatch, and while I insist upon his acceptance of the memorandum which I submitted, on the 15th of July last, to his Government as constituting a just basis upon which to examine and settle our claims and reserve all the rights and interests that pertain to our citizens, both as regards their claims and reclamations, demanding their immediate settlement, I advise him that I shall bring his dispatch in communication to your attention.

I am, &c.,