that time up to 1883 the silver and gold coins of the United States.
But unexpected events almost occasioned grave international complications. During the war between Germany and France the Haitians openly showed their sympathy for the latter country. Germany took exception to their attitude, for which they were made to expiate as soon as she had crushed France. Under the pretext of demanding the payment of £3,000 on behalf of two subjects of the German Empire, Captain Batsch, of the frigate Vineta, arrived at Port-au-Prince on the 11th of June, 1872. Without a word of warning he took possession of the two Haitian men-of-war, which, not expecting such an aggression, were lying at anchor in the harbor and unable to make the slightest resistance. Indignant at this unjust and most uncalled-for attack, the Haitian people, as their national poet[1] expressed it, "threw the money to the Germans as one would cast a bone to a dog." Captain Batsch took the amount, gave back the two men-of-war, and left Port-au-Prince. But the resentment caused by his unwarranted action has not yet passed away.
Another grave conflict was provoked by Spain. This Power had never missed a single opportunity to humiliate Haiti, which, consequently, was quite indifferent to its reverses and misfortunes. Haiti naturally sympathized with the Cubans who were fighting for their independence; her territory had become an asylum for all the unfortunate families who were compelled to fly for their safety. At the height of the struggle, the Hornet, a small steamer flying the flag of the United States, arrived at Port-au-Prince on January, 1871, hotly pursued by two Spanish men-of-war. At that time the American Navy was not as formidable as in 1898. The Hornet was charged with being a pirate and with having on board contraband of war intended for the Cuban insurgents; in consequence the Spaniards imperiously demanded that she be given up to them.
- ↑ Mr. Oswald Durand.
