8905: Frederick Douglass and Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: P D Bellegarde-Smith <pbs@csd.uwm.edu>


THIS NOTE HOPE THAT WE WILL SUPPORT, COLLECTIVELY, THE ISSUE OF A U.S.
STAMP COMMEMORATING THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI'S BICENTENNIAL IN 2004. 


Frederick Douglass
U.S. Minister to Haiti, 1889-1891

"Lecture on Haiti (1893)," 
CHICAGO'S WORLD FAIR
[Extracts]

	Until she spoke no Christian nation had abolished negro slavery.
Until she spoke no Christian nation had given the world an organized
effort to abolish slavery. Until she spoke the slave ship, followed by
hungry sharks, greedy to devour the dead and the dying slaves flung
overboard to feed them, ploughed in peace in the South Atlantic painting
the sea with the negro's blood. Until she spoke, the slave trade was
sanctioned by all the Christian nations of the world, and our land of
liberty and light included....Until Haiti spoke, the church was silent,
and the pulpit was dumb. In forecasting the future of this people, then, I
insist that some importance shall be given to this and to another grand
initial fact: that the freedom of Haiti was not given as a boon, but
conquered as a right! Her people fought for it. They suffered for it...
and perished for it.