1891-January-31: Gherardi reported to Secretary Blaine that the main obstacle to his mission was the Haitian belief that the United States “would never take …

1891-January-31: Gherardi reported to Secretary Blaine that the main obstacle to his mission was the Haitian belief that the United States “would never take the offensive to further its ends however good its cause might be.” He noted that while Minister Frederick Douglass was “very active” and “sanguine” about the results, Gherardi himself was less optimistic. Firmin had privately remarked that if the Môle were seized by force, the Haitian government would “protest vigorously” but likely could do little else, though he did not expect the U.S. to act so “high-handed[ly].”