Sale 2471 - Printed & Manuscript African Americana, March 29, 2018

“NOWHITE MAN NEED APPLYWHERETHE COLORED HAVE A MAJORITY” 193 c    DOUGLASS, FREDERICK. Letters from Douglass to an old friend concerning race relations, Haiti, and more. 6 letters from Douglass to Ebenezer Bassett of New Haven, CT, including an Autograph Letter Signed on Cedar Hill letterhead, a Letter Signed, and 4 others in a secretarial hand, plus 2 telegrams from Douglass to Bassett. Most letters approximately 8 x 5 inches on folding sheets, 1 to 4 pages in length; mailing folds, minor wear; each letter with original stamped and postmarked envelopes as sent to Bassett. Washington, DC, September 1890 to October 1891 [10,000/15,000] The last major chapter in the career of Frederick Douglass (circa 1818-1895) was his term as the American minister and consul-general to Haiti. He was appointed in June 1889 and served through July 1891.The post, roughly equivalent to an ambassadorship, had been filled by prominent African Americans for the pre- vious 20 years. Douglass did not speak French, had no formal diplomatic experience, and was 70 years old and in declining health.To balance these shortcomings, he brought along as his secretary his younger friend Ebenezer D. Bassett (1833-1908), a noted abolitionist in his own right who had become the first African-American diplomat when he preceded Douglass in Haiti from 1869 to 1877.