1823-September-27: Niles’ Register, a highly influential political journal, published a categorical rejection of the proposal to send and receive ministers f…

1823-September-27: Niles’ Register, a highly influential political journal, published a categorical rejection of the proposal to send and receive ministers from Haiti. The publication asked whether the “just fears” of the American public regarding a black diplomat could be quieted and concluded that the time had not yet come for such a move. It argued that the safety of the public and the preservation of social prejudices were more important than any potential commercial benefits from recognition. The article reflected the consensus of the Monroe administration, which read the Register as assiduously as modern statesmen read the leading newspapers of their day. This widespread media stance highlighted that the “anomaly” of Haiti had officially become a permanent “outcast” in American foreign policy.