# Haiti: Her History and Her Detractors/Part II: Chapter IV

CHAPTER IV
Commerce of Haiti—Her products of the present day compared with those at the time of the French domination—Haiti at the St. Louis Exposition—The various industries—Timber and cabinet woods—Mines.
For the purpose of showing that the Haitians are reverting to barbarism, their detractors affect to praise the prosperity of the island at the time of the French domination; they are especially fond of alluding to the agricultural products which, according to them, have not only never been surpassed, but have not even been equalled since the independence of Haiti. Instead of finding out from trustworthy sources the exact truth of the matter, they hasten to draw the conclusion that the Haitians are lazy and unworthy of possessing such a rich and beautiful island. But they present no evidence in support of their assertions. As it is not my intention to follow the same plan, I will here furnish my reader with a few figures which will enable him to make his own deductions; figures which for obvious reasons the detractors of Haiti, as a rule, omit to mention in their works.
In 1790, at the time when Saint-Domingue was at the height of its prosperity, the products of the island were as follows: White sugar, 70,000,000 lbs.; brown sugar, 93,000,000 lbs.; coffee, 68,000,000 lbs.; cotton, 6,000,000 lbs.; indigo, 1,000,000 lbs.; cocoa, 150,000 lbs.; lignum vitæ and mahogany, 150,000 lbs.
​At the first uprising of the slaves almost all the cultivations were destroyed. When Toussaint Louverture had reestablished order he devoted the greater part of his attention to agriculture, and even at the present day the prosperity of the country under his administration is highly spoken of. According to Mr. Vollée, who was Administrateur Général des Finances, the total products from 1800 to 1801 were: White sugar, 16,540 lbs.; brown sugar, 18,518,572 lbs.; coffee, 43,220,270 lbs.; cotton, 2,480,340 lbs.; indigo, 804 lbs.; cocoa, 648,518 lbs.; logwood, 6,768,634 lbs.; lignum vitæ, 75,519 lbs. The war of independence which began at the end of 1802 was a war of extermination. Both parties killed, burned, and destroyed all that stood in their way. When the Haitians at last became masters of the land which they had watered with their blood, all the magnificent plantations, sugar-houses, mills, the very towns, were one mass of ruins. Everything had to be built up afresh in this devastated land. Although in constant fear of an aggression from France, the Haitians courageously set to work. In 1824 they exported the following products: Coffee, 44,270,000 lbs.; cotton, 1,028,000 lbs.; cocoa, 461,000 lbs.; tobacco, 718,000 lbs.; logwood, 3,567,000 lbs.; mahogany, 2,181,000 ft.
Their exports in 1838 were as follows: Coffee, 49,820,241 lbs.; cotton, 1,170,175 lbs.; cocoa, 453,418 lbs.; tobacco, 1,995,049 lbs.; logwood, 7,888,936 lbs.; mahogany, 4,880,873 ft.
From 1st October, 1903, to 30th September, 1904, the exports were as follows: Coffee, 1st grade, 81,407,346 lbs.; inferior quality, 4,805,281 lbs.; total, 86,212,627 lbs. Cotton, 3,017,014 lbs.; cocoa, 5,028,615 lbs.; logwood, 154,466,658 lbs.; mahogany, 30,576 ft.; lignum vitæ, 4,982,502 lbs.; cedar, 1,499,750 lbs.; cotton seed, 275,847 lbs.; wax, 228,612 lbs.; goat skins, 224,786 lbs.; pite (textile), 63,825 lbs.; honey, 22,044 gallons; cabinet wood, 770,650 ft.; ox skins, 252,392 lbs.; copper, 24,356 lbs.; horses and mules, 1,414; oxen, 1,521.
​It is true that Haiti no longer exports sugar, through no fault of her own, however. A great deal of money would have been necessary to rebuild the sugar-mills; and the Haitians depended on their own resources, which were very limited, all the great Powers being ill-disposed toward them; at the outset they were thus compelled to undertake those branches of agriculture which did not demand a great outlay. Later on the exportation of sugar was prevented by the same economic reasons which have obliged the British colonies in the West Indies to give up this industry. In Jamaica, especially, the large estates which formerly were devoted to the cultivation of the sugar-cane have been transformed into banana plantations. In this respect the white colonists of the British West Indies have made no more headway than the Haitians, if the fact of their having ceased to export sugar was to be considered as indicating retrogression instead of progress.
The Haitians, however, have not abandoned the cultivation of the sugar-cane; they employ it for making rum and tafia, This rum, celebrated for its aroma and fine quality, was awarded three gold medals at the St. Louis Exposition. At Mon-Repos, Chateaublond, on the Ogorman and Vaudreuil sugar plantations, in the vicinity of Port-au-Prince, the sugar for inland consumption is made. This sugar was also awarded the gold medal at the St. Louis Exposition.
As to the other products, some of them have not only equalled but have considerably exceeded the yield of the most prosperous period of the French domination. One hundred years after taking over a devastated land the Haitians succeeded by their own unaided efforts in exporting 86,000,000 lbs. of coffee, viz., 18,000,000 more than in 1790, or twice the quantity exported in 1800-1801; 5,000,000 lbs. of cocoa, when the amount exported in 1790 was 150,000 lbs. and 648,518 lbs. in 1800-1801; 154,000,000 lbs. of logwood, compared to 6,000,000 lbs. in 1800-1801; 4,982,502 lbs. lignum vitæ and 30,576 feet of mahogany, whilst in 1790 only 1,500,000 were exported; and this without mentioning the honey, wax, orange ​peel, cedar, skins, cabinet wood and various grains which figure among the present exports of Haiti and are not mentioned in the statistics of the time of the French domination.
It will be noticed that Haiti has just begun to raise cattle; and in 1904 she exported 1,414 horses and mules and 1,521 oxen.
In spite of these well-founded facts there are still people of bad faith who declare that such is the laziness of the Haitians that the coffee which they have been exporting since their independence is the product of the plantations of the French colonists.
In 1890 the total amount of the commerce of Haiti was estimated at $24,226,758, the exports amounting to $14,165,788 and the imports to $10,060,979. The imports from the United States amounted to the sum of $6,454,600, whilst the exports of Haiti to the United States amounted to $2,289,292.
Owing to various causes, the most important of which being the exceedingly low price of coffee, the commerce of Haiti has of late considerably decreased. In 1903 her imports amounted only to $3,981,675 and her exports to $8,585,687. According to the "Foreign Commerce of the United States," page 298, imports of the United States from Haiti, for the fiscal year ended 30th June, 1904, amounted to $1,214,133, and their exports to this country ​to $2,594,740. The commercial relations of Haiti with the United States began to decline as soon as the latter country placed a duty on coffee. Were this staple more consumed, but more chiefly were it not that the continual misrepresentations of Haiti have had the effect of keeping the people of the United States aloof from this country, the commerce between the two nations would surely once more become very flourishing. However, as compared with that carried on with other countries, this commercial intercourse is steadily increasing and the exports from the United States to Haiti are higher than those from any other country.
The participation of Haiti at the St. Louis Exposition, although modest and very limited, has given to all impartial persons who viewed her products an opportunity to appreciate the efforts and the work of the people. These products were spoken of as follows: "There can be seen in the Haitian pavilion a fine collection of liquors and syrups, such as anisette, maraschino, creme-de-menthe, orgeat, grenadine, creme-de-cacao; there are also bay-rum and rum of the finest quality; cigars; the mappou-cotton, which being cooler than silk-cotton or the ordinary cotton, may be used for making mattresses and pillows; cocoa, coffee, peanuts, sugar, honey, shoes, skins, and leather. The work of the pupils of the 'Orphelinat de la Madeleine' (Port-au-Prince) was in no way inferior to similar products on exhibition at St. Louis. The section of the 'Orphelinat' consisted of skirts made of embroidery, and Luxeuil lace, babes' caps, handkerchiefs, ties, dresses, cushions, all made of lace; embroidered petticoats and babies' shoes, embroidered pillow-cases and sheets, etc. Next to these products there were ​hats made of palm and corn leaves; combs, and many ornaments of tortoise shell; willow chairs, many carved vases, pedestals, mortars and pestles, urns and snuff-boxes."
Three Grand Prix, nine gold medals, twelve silver medals, and ten bronze medals were awarded to the Haitian exhibits. The embroideries and laces made by the girls of the orphan asylum of La Madeleine were awarded a gold medal.
Before the independence of Haiti what was the condition of such children? They lived under the brutalizing influence of slavery, subject to the whims and fancies of their masters; they could neither read nor write, still less embroider and make lace. In this respect the progress made is unquestionable. Yet, still we hear the fiction of Haiti reverting to barbarism!
The awards granted to her at St. Louis are all the more noteworthy, as Haiti only decided at the last moment to take part in the Exposition; therefore the exhibits sent were things which were already on hand, made with no idea of being placed on exhibition; and the space given to them in the Exposition was very restricted, measuring only 30 feet by 75.
In Haiti there are many skillful workmen: excellent joiners, cabinet-makers, hatters, tailors, tinsmiths, tanners, saddlers, potters, silversmiths, printers, bookbinders, etc. There are soap factories and brick-yards; at Port-au-Prince an ice factory supplies the town with very pure and wholesome ice made of distilled spring water; saw-mills exist in some places where the exploitation of timber and cabinet-woods is carried on. At St. Louis the following samples of these woods were greatly admired, and won the Grand Prix: "Lignum vitæ; bayaronde; bois de quinquina (Chincona luciaya); chêne (Bignonia arborea); coquemolle (Theophrasta americana); manguier (Mangifera india); raisinier (Cocobola pubescens); acoma (Xaumalium rascimiosum); tamarinier (Tamarindus indica); ​mancenillier (Hippomane-mancenilla); acajou (mahogany); bois rose (Cordia gerascaubus); chêne noir d'Amérique (oak) (Catalpa longisiligua); tendre acaillou (Acacia arborea, Mimosa tenuifolia); ébène noir (Acacia lebbek or ebenus); bois de fer jaune (Sideroxylon americanum); ébène verte (Tecoma leucoxylon-a-saratiplea); bois blanc (Simaruba officinalis); chêne des Antilles (Bignonia arborea); bois-de-fer blanc; oranger (orange-tree); cèdre (cedar); goyavier (guava-tree); canapêche (log-wood)," etc.
Mr. Edmond Roumain, professor of chemistry of the National School of Pharmacy at Port-au-Prince, who was the Haitian Commissioner-General at the Exposition of St. Louis, has devoted a great deal of his time to the mines of Haiti. At St. Louis he exhibited a large collection of iron, copper, platinum, and iridosminum ores.
According to Mr. Roumain there are millions of tons of lignite at Maissade; in the South there are manganese ore (pyrohisite) right on the surface and in great abundance, and also a considerable deposit of lignite. Gypsum, cinnabar, petroleum, and gold are to be found also in Haiti.
"In the outcrops called Rocher and Reserve the copper ore is gold and silver bearing; specimens cut off the vein known now to be over five feet wide at Rocher, gave to Mr. Charles Merry, mining engineer of Columbia University:
    "Gold, ounce 0.50 (half an ounce to the ton).
    Silver, ounces 45 (forty-five ounces to the ton).
    Copper, 20 per cent (twenty per cent).
"In one other outcrop, at Lhercour, the mineral is the so-called peacock ore, yielding right at the surface 27.83 per cent of copper. The iron found in the same district is magnetite of 67 per cent iron. Regis ​Chauvenet & Bro., of St. Louis (Mo.), made the following analysis of this iron-ore:
    Metallic iron 67.52 per cent. Sulphur 0.01 per cent. Phosphorus 0.041 per cent. Silica 3.67 per cent."
The Haitian law relative to mines and quarries has been translated into English and was printed in the Bulletin of the Bureau of the American Republics of June, 1902.
* ↑ B. Ardouin, Vol. II, p. 238.
* ↑ National Bank of Haiti, statement made on December 31, 1904.
* ↑ Report made to the Haitian Congress for the year 1890: Exports from Haiti to the United States $2,289,292 France 8,437,500 England, Germany, Belgium, etc. 3,518,986 Imports to Haiti from the United States $6,454,600 Germany 1,930,713 France 917,994 England 662,190 Others 95,580
* ↑ Report made to the Haitian Congress: Imports from the United States $2,917,302 France 389,437 England 385,678 Germany 61,401 Others 227,675
* ↑ In 1881 the export of coffee from Haiti to the United States amounted to 31,000,000 lbs., falling as low as 7,540 lbs. after a tax had been placed on coffee; since the removal of this tax the export of coffee to the United States began to increase again; in 1904 it amounted to 4,000,000 pounds. (Department of Commerce and Labor, Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finances of the United States, July, 1905, p. 93.)
* ↑ A Brief Sketch of Haiti, p. 14.
* ↑ A Brief Sketch on Haiti, p. 21.
* ↑ This information concerning the mines and ores is an extract from the pamphlet, "A Brief Sketch of Haiti," St. Louis, 1904.
* ↑ Professor Robert T. Hill, in his book, "Cuba and Porto Rico with the other Islands of the West Indies," has endeavored to be just toward the Haitians; but he could not resist the temptation of repeating some of the misrepresentations contained in M. St. John's book, the hold of these misrepresentations being so strong even on the best well-meaning men. Professor Hill affirms that Haiti has no law relative to her mines (p. 272); such a law has existed since 1860 and can be found in English in the Bulletin of the Bureau of American Republics of June, 1902.