1891-April-22: Admiral Gherardi echoed Clyde’s frustrations in his despatches to the Navy Department, suggesting that the “Negroes in the United States” were…

1891-April-22: Admiral Gherardi echoed Clyde’s frustrations in his despatches to the Navy Department, suggesting that the “Negroes in the United States” were being used as a shield by the Haitian government to avoid fulfilling their “promises” made during the revolution. Gherardi argued that unless the U.S. remained firm, it would be impossible to convince the Haitian authorities that “white citizens have any rights which a Haytien negro need respect.” This rhetoric highlighted the deep-seated racial biases that complicated the diplomatic mission of Frederick Douglass.