Haiti has a perfect right to insist that he is a citizen, and must be treated according to her laws, but Germany has also some right to say that he is a German citizen, and shall not be abused by a foreign country. Were Haiti a more powerful country than she is, there is little doubt that she would take a stand and insist on her rights, but as it is, she does not dare to resist a strong power like Germany. There was, as we told you, a report current that Germany did not intend to send any ship to Haiti, but that the matter would be settled by arbitration. Three days after the announcement, two German cruisers entered the harbor of Port-au-Prince, and sent in an ultimatum, which is a government's final decision on a given subject. The Haitian Government was informed that unless Germany's demands were submitted to within eight hours, the town would be bombarded. Germany had said that two of her schoolships would visit the West Indies during the winter, and the two vessels which arrived at Port-au-Prince are believed to have been the two in question. They were, however, so fully equipped, and presented such a formidable appearance, that they were quite sufficient to seriously alarm the Haitians. Word had been sent a few days previously that two German vessels were making all haste to Port-au-Prince, but thinking them the coming schoolships, the Haitians felt no fear. They determined to resist these German schoolboys to the last, and armed themselves to fight their foe. When the German vessels finally made their appearance, and the Haitians saw for themselves that these so-called schoolships seemed to have just as many seamen and murderous-looking guns as the ordinary man-of-war, their courage oozed out at their finger-tips. Before the ships came in sight, they had paraded the city, crying "Down with the Government!" in their fear that President Simon Sam might submit. Now, in face of the two cruisers, affairs took on a new complexion, and when they heard that the town would be bombarded if Germany's demands were not acceeded to within eight hours, the natives' only fear was that the President would _not_ submit. The foreign residents did not feel any more cheerful than the Haitians. The members of the French colony took refuge on the French ships in the harbor; the Germans hurried on board their own vessels; the English sought shelter on their trading steamers; and the Americans, having no vessels in the harbor, went to the house of the minister, carrying with them the most valuable of their possessions. President Simon Sam determined to resist as long as he dared. He sent a request to the commander of the German vessels, for more time to consider. The German commander refused, and one of the "schoolships" cleared its decks for action, and took up a position close to the Haitian war-vessels.