fied. Pope Gregory XII refused to approve this treaty, and in May, 1837, Bishop England arrived at Port-au-Prince with the title of "Vicar Apostolic, Administrator of the Church of Haiti." On the refusal of President Boyer to receive the Pope's agent in such a capacity, Bishop England returned to Charleston, where he died soon after.[1]
Although Haiti had been greatly displeased with the ordinance of Charles X, she had nevertheless benefited by it in obtaining the recognition of her independence by Great Britain and some other European Powers. The rupture with France, caused by President Boyer's refusal to ratify the treaties of 1831, was very detrimental to the interests of both countries, which were therefore eager to come to an understanding. After seven years of untiring efforts Haiti succeeded in reaching an agreement satisfactory to all concerned. Baron E. de Las Cases and C. Baudin, a captain in the French Navy, arrived at Port-au-Prince on the 28th of January, 1838; they were commissioned by Louis Philippe to settle the disagreements existing between France and Haiti. On the 31st of January the parleys with the Haitian plenipotentiaries were begun, and on the 12th of February, 1838, the following treaty,[2] which
- ↑ In 1842 the negotiations were renewed with the Holy See. Joseph Rosati, Bishop of Saint Louis (Mo.), arrived at Port-au-Prince in January as Papal Legate. On the 17th of February, 1842, he signed with the Haitian plenipotentiaries a Concordat which contained the following principal stipulations: "The right to appoint the Archbishops and Bishops was vested in the President of Haiti with the reservation of the right of the Pope to grant the canonical investiture; before entering upon the duties of their offices they were to take, before the President, the oath of fidelity and obedience to the Government of the Republic and of doing nothing injurious to its rights or interests. The Bishops were empowered to appoint their Vicars-General, the rectors and parish Vicars, with the reservation of the right of the President of Haiti to approve or reject these appointments, etc." The events which occurred in Haiti in 1843 prevented this agreement from being taken into consideration. But in 1860 negotiations began again, and on the 28th of March the Concordat which still governs the relations of Haiti with the Vatican was signed in Rome. (J. N. Léger, Recueil des Traités et Conventions de la République d'Haiti, p. 59.)
- ↑ J. N. Léger, Recueil des Traités et Conventions de la République d'Haiti, p. 23.
