After thoroughly pondered on, I decided to include this speech in my blog, not to rehash history, but come as aide-memoire, in order to help my fellow Haitians, to no longer consider this enlightened warning as prophetic and frightening. It is partly prophetic and as such, it promotes good and bad in good measures, but if we take all as a pre-runner sign, it will allow us to rectify the shooting and not to lend the flank to the maliciousness of others.
After having so proudly marked history, it is now time to recollect ourselves by showing wisdom to the world, thus, proving that our ancestors did not fight in vain.
The comedy have long enough.
The Speech of FREDERICK DOUGLASS on Haiti
Pronounced on January 2, 1893 on the occasion of the inauguration of the Haitian Pavilion at the International Fair of Chicago 1.
No one should have the presumption of showing up in front of an intelligent American audience without having an important subject or a serious purpose. Whatever other areas I may be deficient in, I hope to have the necessary qualifications, with regard to and my subject and purpose, to address you tonight.
My subject is Haiti, The Black Republic; the only black republic in the world that made itself. I must tell you about its character, its history, its importance, its struggle against slavery in order to achieve freedom and its status as a nation. I must tell you about his progress from a civilization standpoint; Relations with the United States of his past and his present; of his probable fate; And the importance of his example as a free and independent republic for the fate of the African race in our country and elsewhere.
If, by a truthful statement of facts and a correct deduction made from them, I can promote, to any degree, a better understanding of what Haiti is and to allow a better appreciation of its merits and services to the world; Above all, if I can promote more friendly feelings towards him in this country and at the same time give Haiti itself, as a friend, an idea of what her friends and the civilized world hope and expect from her, and rightly so, I will have achieved my goal.
There are a number of reasons why a good deal should exist between Haiti and the United States. Its proximity, the similarity of its system of government, its important and growing commercial relations with us alone should make us deeply interested in its well-being, its history, its progress and what may be its destiny.
Haiti is a rich country. It has a lot of things that we need and we have a lot of things it needs. Relations between us are easy. If we measure the distance by the number of hours and the improvement of the steamboats, Haiti is only three days from New York and thirty-six hours from Florida; Actually, a nearby neighbor. For this reason, and for others as important, friendly and profitable relations should remain between the two countries. Although we have a thousand years of civilization behind us and Haiti only a century; although we are great and Haiti small; although we are powerful and Haiti weak; although we are a continent and Haiti, it, is bounded from all sides by the sea, time may come when, even in its weakness,