1891-January-28: In a high-stakes meeting between Admiral Gherardi and Anténor Firmin, the American admiral formally pressed for the lease of Môle Saint-Nico…

1891-January-28: In a high-stakes meeting between Admiral Gherardi and Anténor Firmin, the American admiral formally pressed for the lease of Môle Saint-Nicolas. Firmin countered by noting that the Haitian constitution forbade the alienation of national territory. When Gherardi argued that the U.S. would prevent any other power from occupying the Môle even if Haiti voluntarily ceded it, Firmin responded that while the U.S. was the “preferred” nation if a transfer were necessary, any such cession would cause the Haitian government to fall.