Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-08-19
Tar REeuEsT.]
AFFAIRS OF HAYTI.

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Speech of Mr. GRANVILLE. agent
from Hayti, to a Meeting Of Color.
cd People. at Nsao York, a fe1o days
since. :.
FRIENDS. BRETHREN, 4 SISTERS:
The commission which | have been
charged by my government to exc
cute in the United States. appears 10
have been attended with dilticnlties
which have hitherto excited fear ana
sapprehensions in many minds. |
present myself before you. In order
to obyiate, to lessen. or to remove
those difficulties; and the more ardu-
Gus this task may be. the more shall
congratulate myself on having con-
tributed to meliorate the lot and i'm.
prove the condition of those families
which shall accept with full conf.
fiencc, the generous offer OF a liberal
government.
shall not attempt to conceal from
Won the unavoidable trials which must
attend a removal to new or foreign
country. in which the emigrants will
find difference Of manners, of lam
guage, and even oe religion. His ma
tive soil has always peculiar attrac
tons to a human being. even when it
is certain that he may End himself
better OFF in another situation. The
Laplauder delights himself in the
midst Of his snowy mountains. and
his fields Of ice; the Arab OF the de-
sert passes his life meriiy in his re
gion of burning sands; while the hiss.
ines of the serpent, and the roaring
of the lion, excite no fears in the
mind of the African. Nature has
engrayen upon our hearts love for
the places in which we were born.
Fatiguiug iournies. troublesome and
expensive voyages. a change OF cli-
mate. the fear of sickness. sometimes
more distressing than the reaiityC
the painful uncertainty which the e.
migrant feels with respect to the fate
which may await him in strange
and distant country, country which
ia sometimes described to hisa in
gloomy and forbidJing colors: these
are considerations which il is my du-
~ to advert to, and on which hope
+n satisfy your minds.
OF two evils, we should everchoose
the least. need not enumeratc the
trials which You have endured. and
which you still endure. Let the veil
of oblivion be cast over them forever.
/ do not Come here to obtain re.
cruits. For more than thirty years
the world has beheld us struggling
alone against the tempests of despo-
tism. Though we have not Withheld
from others, we have received no.
thing from any: alone We have re.
sisted the storm; the winds are now
calm. and our vessel glides smoothly
upon an ocean oftranquility and hap
piness. An efficient government of.
fers you protection. offers to share
with you blessings and advantages
which you cannot experience here.
1T is for yourselves, therefore, to de-
eide between these advantages, and
the unpleasant circumstances atten-
dant upon an early period of emigra-
ton. United together in companies
as much as possible. in Hayti. you
will scarcely feel the Inconvenience
of foreign language. Our hume
rous relations with the United States
and with England. have spread your
language through our country, and
practice and study will render You
familiar with ours. The acquisition
of a new language adds to the digni-
ty and pleasures of existence.
Your habits. though somewhat DIFF
ferent from ours, have nothing IN
them at variance with our jnstitu.
lions, and we shall find nothing in
them as an accusation against you.
Your religious belief differs in some
points from ours, but Wa all worship
the samc God. Your prayers aud
ours may ascend TO heaven by diffe>
rent modes, but they all reach the
throne of the Eternal. The soil
which you have often watered with
your tears, is, il is true, the land of