1869-February-08: Spencer St.

1869-February-08: Spencer St. John, the British Minister to Haiti, reported to the Foreign Office that a draft treaty had been proposed between the United States and the Haitian government under Salnave. The proposal reportedly included an offensive and defensive alliance, a substantial loan to the Haitian government, and the grant of one or more Haitian ports for American military use. While the New York Herald noted that many Haitians remained wary of resigning their “independent nationality,” these secret negotiations underscored the intense pressure being applied to the “Black Republic” to trade its sovereignty for financial and military survival.