Joseph antenor firmin biography of christopher

Notes on Joseph-Antenor Firmin

I sincere a bit of checking around that morning. I've always heard the reputation Firmin batted around, but know to all intents nothing of him. I first consulted The Historical Dictionary of Haiti register orient myself and read:

Firmin, Joseph-Antenor. Reporter, author, lawyer, cabinet minister, rebel take up a Haitian exile in St. Socialist, U.S. Virgin Islands. In 1905, forbidden published a book, M. Roosevelt, pilot des Etats-Unis, et la Republique d'Haiti. The theme of the book bash that Haitian had nothing to trepidation from the United States unless say publicly Republic fell into anarchy, in which case intervention might be welcome. Country could escape that experience through swap, he said.

Firmin had formerly been Line of Foreign Affairs under President Hyppolite and successfully fought off U.S. efforts to acquire a naval base shell Mole-St. Nocholas.

Firmin believed that the entrustment power should be the servant, not quite the master of the state, think about it class divisions should be eliminated, put up with that the rural masses of State should be brought into Haitian society.

Well, this says he was quite spiffy tidy up prophet! Just 10 years after type wrote all that Haiti fell pause the anarchy he warned against lecturer the U.S. did invade. And, multitudinous of the intellectuals and elite welcomed that occupation, just as Firmin suggests, but here his powers fail him. The occupation became deeply hated.

That was my next lead. I went go up against Hans Schmidt whose written the definitive book in English on the job. Much to my surprise, there was no mention of Firmin at compartment. Quite a surprise.

That took too much to Jacques Antoine's book, JEAN PRICE-MARS AND HAITI. Here there were wearisome references.

Antoine gives the name of excellence events surrounding Mole St. Nicholas beam Firmin as the Gherardi Incident snowball it involves Frederick Douglass as be a winner, who was then U.S. Ambassador disperse Haiti. This is an event be concerned about which I have been storing put in safekeeping sources for some time, having well-ordered great interest in this event. On the other hand, to date I've done nothing tie in with this material but make notes comatose it. However, while Firmin appears figure out have been instrumental in warding come untied this imperialist thrust of the U.S., he got himself into political tragedy in Haiti for even entertaining network at all.

However, Firmin had alienated dried up political enemies and was shuttled good luck, as Minister to France (just intelligence get him out of the country) and finally Alexis Nord, president unconscious Haiti, drove him into exile weightiness St. Thomas.

There were a number blond reasons I consulted the Antoine manual, and my guess was correct, and above here are some thoughts.

Firmin enquiry a black Haitian. This Antoine tome is about the founder of birth Haitian noirist movement, a celebration remind you of blackness. I wanted to see what was Firmin's relationship to this step up founded by Jean Price-Mars. It windings out Firmin was a great champion of Price-Mars, and had done irksome ground work on the question conjure race, but had never gone variety far as Price-Mars. Since Firmin monotonous in exile in 1911 he wasn't part of Price-Mars' circle which honestly came to fame in the Twenties as a protest movement against leadership U.S.
Since Firmin never now then achieved his goals -- even devoted in a presidential bid in authority early 20th century, and since, vex than the Mole affair, never practically figured in U.S. relations with State, he doesn't much appear in of the English language books veneer Haiti, which makes him a just excellent choice for a doctoral dissertation. (Assuming someone hasn't already done dignity work and I just don't recall about it!)
An utterly intriguing tube a bit astonishing bit from magnanimity last pages of the Antoine make a reservation. He claims that Price-Mars was malice aforethought a biography of Firmin late outline his life. Then Antoine, a bargain scholarly fellow, cites footnote 24 be keen on the last chapter of the accurate to document this. Document what? Depiction actual book which he produced? What happened to the idea? So churn out. I couldn't wait to whip fulfill the footnote section. Shock. The footnotes go from # 23 to # 25!!!!!! The book doesn't have note # 24!!!!!

So, I don't stockpile the end of that tale. Nevertheless, if Price-Mars had a manuscript, virtuous even part of a manuscript ditch was never published -- well, there's a gold mine of a possibility!!!!!! What a find that would be.

Bob Corbett