The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-06-20
eet Of my lirst letter. Rnl on arriving and making


roughly satisfied OF the perfectly tranqulzed state
of the republic, that the whole subject passed at
once out 0t my mind. and | had scarcely required
in thought II since. A very intelligent merchant,
and one who had considerable stake in the issue
OF events, said 10 me, the plot dld not give them
four-and-lwenty hours uneasiness.
The principal facts concerning II are briefly the
following, which need scarcely add, are derived
from authentic sources. On the I'd of December
last, the president OF the republic was informed
through several individuals, that conspiracy was
on foot for overthrowlng the existing government.
He immediately summoned cabinet council of
his ministers, and measures Were forthwith taken
TO secure the city and put II In state OF defence
which was speedily accomplished by mastering
the troops and the citizens who volunteered with
aacrly to JON the former, and placed themselves
at the command of the military authorities.
That same night, the Cabinet council being in
session.. the officer charged with making the in
vestigations required by the circumstances, re-
ported as the result OF them thus far, the disco
very that the Minister of the Interior and Police,
then present in the council, and who had officially
issued or counersigned the order for these very
Investigations and the others which the occasion
had called for, was at the head of the conspiracy.
The delinquent minister was forthwith arrested,
and conveyed away TO prison. A brother
of his, who was a General In the army, and
several others, to the number of about nine, were
successfully arrested, tried by "a mixed commits
sion, composed OF members OF congress, Judges
of the several courts OF justice, and military Of
ficers; and four of the number, including the two
brothers above mentioned, found guilty OF high
treason. and condemned TO death. They Were ac
cordingly shot on the tweny-third of the same
month. Several OF the others were subsequently
condemned to Imprisonment
Such was the end of the affair. The firmness,
decision and prompt action OF the government IN
meeting the emergency, inspired all, believe and
with good reason, with a tlrner conviction OF ITS
strength and stability than ever. For moment
the CONSERVATION was great and universal. Every,
thing was vague and conjectural and, as is usual
in such cases, rumor, with Its thousand surmises,
added to the general panic. The citizens, foreign
ers, merchants, all armed to sustain the govern
ment, and protect their own lives and property if
they should be threatened. But the lapse of very
few days. or rather hours, restored tranquility;
and though business was somewhat paralyZed by
the events. II soon recovered It's tone so far as
these had disturbed II.
Its ultimate effects, however, still continue to be
felt, and will for some time to come. Besides the
heavy draft Its suppression made on the public
treasury of the state dlvertlng, In part from their
intended object, monies which had wisely been set
apart for the purpose OF encouraging and eiiecting
foreign immigration, the withdrawal of much OF
the rural popuiation-sparce and scanty at best
from their agricultural avocatiops to addi-
tional evies OF soldiers caused necessary inter-
ruption to that branch OF domestic industry, and
consequent dimlnutlon In the corresponding pro-
ducts, together with proporionate advance in
the price of the means of subsistence a calamity,
of course, to a country that imports very large
proportion of these means from abroad.
As regards the state of the currency-which
after all the pulse of the political patlent-so far
as affected by these disturbances will briefly re-
mark, that during the. entire period of eight
months OF my absence, which included that IN
which they occurred, the Government paper fell
only about much us it had done during the three
or four months immediately preceding my former
stay here. and during the last two or three months
its value has renamed quite stationery.
Thus mucl. by way OF anticipation. The history,
political organization, the condition and prospects
of this country, and government, will claim the at
tention of the remainder of this letter, and OF
several OF the succeeding ones.
For about century and a-halt after the first DIS
covery, Spain held undivided possession of this
island, until the buccaners-that hybrid race of
adventurers, of whom so much has been heard
and written, but about whom so little is correctly
known - commenced their rncursions into the
north and west portions of the island in quest of
the cattle which roamed in immense herds over its
rich plains; and finally formed settlements at the
west end.
AS these Adventures were mostly French that
nation began to regard them as colony of hers
and in the treaty of Ryswick, she obtained
from Spain, the cession OF that portion of the
island, comprising nearly one-third Of its whole
area Thus the two colonies arose in success
sion, and at long intervals, and remained Sc
parate and distinct, the dependence of
Spain and the other of France, and were
so at the period of the memorable revolt of
French part, in 1871. At that period. the latter
colony had attained a high degree of prosperity,
while the Spanish colony, of which this city was
the capital, long neglected by the mother country.
and In an early period of its history abandoned
by many of its god-hunting colonsts for the, in
thus respect, more attractive mineral regions of
MeXioo had been languishing for nearly two
centuries under, very partial and inefficient sys-
tenn OF practical agriculture. Slavery existed in
this as well as in the French part of the island:
and even down TO nearly the end of the first quar-
ter OF the present century, there still exist
ing many plantations OF sugar cane and other tro-
pical productions cultivated by this species of la
Dor, for the revolt which in the other part resulted
IN the destruction or complete expulsion of the
white race. did not extend to this portion, or. at
least to any such extent or degree as to affect the
relative position of the different races
Meanwhile, IN the year 1885, France, which was
sion of her own colony in the island, obtained by
cesslon from Spain the nominal possession of
the Spanish colony also. But, on the final tri-
umph of the blacks in the former, and the estab-
hshment there OF the Haitian governments (of
which there were at first two), the Spanish popu-
ation here eiiectually asserted and maintained
their separate position and ancient social and 20
htlcal nstl utlons against the claims and attempts
OF the black governments OF the West With the
loss of her old colony, Frnnce lost all foothold on
the Island thenceiorward, with the exception of
one or two years. occupation of this city j., the
early part of this century
have traced this brief historical sketch mainlt
to show the difference in character and orioinn
of the present population Of the two parts of fhe
island difference which, in cur country. is ge-
morally overlooked, or rather unknown, the popu-
latlon OF the whole island being confounded to-
gether IN one homogeneous mass. and supposed TO
be under one government-that of Haiti. But.
from what has been said, it will be seen that while
The white race was, as Is universally known, extir
pated, by massacre and expulsion, from the French
part OF The island, the population of the Spanish
portion remained, as it ever had been, a mingled
one, composed OF masters and other whites. and
the coored races Slaves or frec) each in the usual
proportions How far these classes became inter-
mixed and modified by the deterioratinp ,nfuencns
of a ong-continued langushing state OF aqricml.
ture and commerce, and still more by the subse-
quent occupation by the Haitians, of which I shall
presently speak, which brought with it, as matter
OF course, The entire emancipation of the enslaved
class, may perhaps form the subject of some future