Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-10 00:00:00

THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

THE revolution at Hayti has afforded another
illustration of the identity of human nature, under

imilar circumstances, wherever its attributes are

called into action, and in -whatever coloured skin it
may be clothed. The late Imperial Government of
Hayti was a negro dynasty ; and its subjects vi

negro likewise. The sable Emperor, FAUSTIN the
FIRST, better known, perhaps, by the surname of

SOULOUQUE, had very much the air of Emperors in

general, even of such as were "to the manner born,'

of Courts, and even of Camps. He was very
autocratic in his character, and in his rule ; while

his people were as sensitive as any liberty-loving
Europeans could well be under the oppressions, real
or imaginary, to which they felt that he subjected

" The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on."
But it belongs to humanity, nevertheless, to " turn

as the Haytians have done,—and to humanity,

generally, in some considerably advanced state of
civilisation, and of intelligence. The mere animal
instinct would not have been enough to spur them
on to so organised a system of resistance, and one

embracing all the usual means and appliances of
rebellion,—the training and marshalling of troops,
the strategies of civil war, the arraying of an army
in the battle-field, the fighting of a pitched battle,

—the

and the gaining of a decisive victory
black patriots of Hayti have done all this, just as
wisely and as well as any white patriots could have

impelled by similar motives, looking to
similar ends, as all the white people who have gone

done it,—

before them in a career of successful rebellion have

been, and as human nature is universally constituted

to be. Their course, which has just resulted in
converting the empire into a republic, was but the
counterpart of that which was pursued in our
neighbouring Empire towards the close of the last

century. ihe two cases have several parallel
features. For, let it be borne in mind, that the
Emperor himself of Hayti was black as well as his
subjects. And it was •an empire by no means
insignificant. Hayti is larger than Ireland, and its
sable population is at least a million, whom FAUSTIN
ruled with only too much of the despotism of his
Imperial exemplars of old in other lands, and those

of infinitely higher and prouder pretensions.
The accounts we have received of the proceedings
consequent on the success of the rebellion in Hayti
are of a very similar character to those of which we

read as having taken place at the triumph over the
dynasty of France, towards the close Of the last
century. FAUSTIN the FIRST was in great peril of
his life ; and Louis the SIXTEENTH lost his under

very much the same circumstances,—the victim, as
the other was, of popular fury. It was in Port-au-
Prince, the capital of the Empire, that FAusTIN, like
Louis, was finally bereft of his Imperial power and
dignity ; only instead of being led to the guillotine,
thanks to British artillerymen, he was taken off to
one of our steam transports, which had been
summoned thither by the British Consul and the
French Charges-d'affaires for the protection of the
lives and property of European residents at Hayti.
This transport was conveying a strong force
Of our artillery home from Jamaica ; and
while near Cuba, on her passage, was met
by a French barque that had been despatched
in search of any English or French ship, and be-
sought to go and render assistance at the scene of
action, where the utmost anarchy and confusion

prevailed, and where the European population was
in imminent peril of being sacrificed. For there
were reports, we read, "Of the approach of the
lawless mountain peasantry, and that the Emperor
had been advised to make the revolution an' affair of
caste, and by sacrificing'the whole of the white and
coloured people, secure the pure negro interest in his
behalf,"—and in such a case it was apprehended
with only too much reason, that horrors, of which
the former history of the city affords terrible ex-
amples, would have been perpetrated, had not the
British consul wisely detained the transport in
harbour, whilst the troops on board were kept in

readiness to afford instant assistance."
The capital having fallen into the hands of the
insurgent, now the republican army, with the aid of
the British force so opportunely there, not only was
popular license restrained, but the indignant and
infuriated people's revenge on the fallen Emperor
and his obnoxious Ministers was defeated. " The
Emperor," says the account, " having decided to go
to Jamaica, the French Charges-d'affaires requested
the British Consul-General to embark him on board
the transport. Leave was given ; and notice sent to
Captain M'CREE, the officer commanding her•
Majesty's troops on board the vessel, who reported
himself ready at four p.m., v ;len it was determined
to attempt the embarkation through the dense mass
of people who had collected in the streets. Sup-
ported by Captain M'CREE on one side, the British
Consul on the other, with the Imperial family
following close, and surrounded by the other
European consuls and British officers, the cortege
of exiles issued from the consulate amidst yells,
groans, and shouts of Vive la Republique !' Many
in the crowd were armed with pistols, swords, and
stones, but none dared attempt anything while the
exiles were thus encompassed by men generally
respected even by the mob. In this manner foot by
foot was gained along the streets leading to the
wharf, through the excited populace, who, on the
quay, made a final push to break through the escort,
and were with great difficulty restrained from push-
: ing the whole party into the sea. Lying off were
two guard-boats filled with British artillerymen, who
r closed on the boats containing the Imperial exiles,