1888, October–December: (I Will Give Them a Civil War: Légitime’s Defiance, the Blockade, and the Haytian Republic Affair): To the cry of the North, Légitime…

1888, October–December: (I Will Give Them a Civil War: Légitime’s Defiance, the Blockade, and the Haytian Republic Affair): To the cry of the North, Légitime gave a defiant answer, telling Thompson on October 18 that if they wanted civil war he would give them one, that he had more resources and would see the country totally destroyed before allowing these ignorant people to put him down — and before he would retire, he would prefer to see the country go into the hands of foreigners. As a noir, Légitime was a Nationalist, but even more a member of the elite; his opponent Hyppolite was also an elite noir but stood squarely in the Soulouque-Salnave-Salomon antioligarchic line. Légitime proclaimed a blockade of the Cap, Gonaïves, and St. Marc, ordering 10,000 muskets from the United States, but his two gunboats could not effectively blockade seven ports along 200 miles of coast — the ships wandered from port to port, closing none. Against this background, the Haitian seizure of the American liner S.S. Haytian Republic off St. Marc on October 21 kicked up a prolonged row with the United States, as the ship had incontestably transported rebel troops and arms, but no ineffectual blockade justified the government’s drumhead prize court that seized and disabled her. Only the arrival of U.S.S. Yantic and Galena forced restoration of the battered steamer on December 21. On November 27, Hyppolite formally proclaimed himself president of the République Septentrionale, while Légitime — using the four Jacmel constituants scooped up from the Haytian Republic to give his rump a quorum — finally got himself lawfully elected president on December 16 for a seven-year term.