The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-07-16
Interesting from the Dominican Republic.
CRY OF ST. DOMINaO Nav % 1919

Interesting from the Dominican Republic.
CRY OF ST. DOMINGO, May %, I8i3.
have stated enough in former letter. when
briefly reviewing the history of this part of the
island, to enable the reader to infer in some mea-
sure, the character of its population, considered in
reference to the races from which it sprung, and
Of (which it is now composed having there shown
the historical reasons, if may so speak, why it
necessarily differs in this respect, from that of the
other part, or republic, of Hayti will add here,
as being in place, few words more on this point,
and then proceed to give some account of another
portion, though small one, of the populations; as,
in former letter. promised to do.
AS in all far southern or tropical countries,
where slavery has existed, the servie class here,
where that institution was first planted on Ameri-
can soil, was, in former times, numerically greater
than that composed of the whites and, as is the
in all countries where the relations of master
and slave-he one white and the other black-ex-
list, there spring up third class, intermediate
between these two, both in color and condition /:
and all OF these classes, II will have been SEEM are
by the constitution of this republic, placed on a
footing OF civil and political equality. Why this
third class should here have become in time-even
before the universal emancipation under the Hay
tans-much larger, proportlonally, than the same
class IN other countries where slavery existed, and
thus rendered the population much more hetero-
geneous and mixed than in other circumstances
and under other influences, it would have become
--etiacing more or less the nice lines and shades
OF distinction, both as respects color and social
position, of the different classes-it may not be
very difficult to account for, nor uninterestng to
briefly investigate.
The Spanish colony Of ST. Domingo never was
an agricultural one The mining of gold, and not
agriculture, was the inducement-the object that
brought hther the early colonIsts and though the
tnrft Ifu nj thn onI tN
systematic cultivation, the great body of the land
has ever remained, from the period of the first dis
covery TO this day, in state of prlmeval nature,
under kind and degree of cultivation that hardly
deserves that name. The colony, thus isolatng
itself by its lack of agricultural enterprise and
industry-stll more than its island position had
done, from the rest OF the world, with its growing
commerce and activIty-its intellectual life and
progress-when the supposed richer mineral re-
gons of Mexico attracted away a large portion of
the peculiar enterprise that existed, gradually
DIV indled away. The higher and richer classes,
losing to greater or less extent, the energy ana
ambition which the business and other intercourse
with the active world stimulate and promote, sink
into state of intellectual and physical sloth ag-
riculture became neglected., all industry stag
mated, and In succession of years this class be-
came less wealthy as well less elevated,
generally, In their tone of sentiment, tastes and
feelings; the mdding classes OF the whites by the
same process. became poor less moral and discrl-
minahng IN their tastes and habits, and the poor
still more degraded. The next step, as regards
these latter classes, was easy and natural. The
nice distinctions OF caste which, in slaveholding
communities, ever exist in the domestic and social
ideas and feelings OF the privileged racewhatever
licenses human passion may prompt and custom per-
NIT to the contrary-became gradually obllterated
and lost; and similarity In actual physical condition
as well as in tastes and feelings resulting mainly
therefrom, induced coalescing, blending of the
similar classes in the two castles, reducing them to
the same level, and finally placing them, IN their
own estimation, and In fact, on the same footing
of social equality and familiarity of intercourse.
And this commlnging of the different races, ma
turally-as the condition of the country remained
stationary, or rather erograded-extended, in
time, upwards in the social scale. Such, unques-
tionably, have been the causes and principles ope-
rating here for centuries, and deducible from the
actual state OF society as presented to the view of
the observer, wish 1t, however, to be distinctly
understood, that do not intend to imply that there
has been universal comminglng of the races in
all classes, or indeed in any. speak generally OF
general results from general causes. Besides the
the great mass of the people, there is small pro-
portion OF the creole or native populatlon-the
descendants and representatives OF the old Castl-
liam aristocracy of the country, among whom the
distinctions of caste in social rank, we'll as
blood, have ever been tenaciously adhered to and
preserved with all the proverbal pride of that
And yet, Notwithstanding this rather general
mingling of races to which | have referred the
intellectual vigor, the moral power, the active busl-
ness enterprise of the natlsn, vastly preponderaes
on the side where it might naturally be expected
they would, by those, at least, who, though they
may believe in the civil and political equality of
mankind, stop at that point. And the character of
the government and its constituent elements are
In good degree, composed and moulded accord
lngy
Besides here in the capital, and in a few of the
other commercial towns, the mercantile class Is
mostly composed of naturalized, or at least, long
resident acknowledgements generally and
these, together with small corresponding native
class, give tone and character to business not
less than to society; and their influence Is reflected
strongly on the government itself, shaping in no
small degree Its character and policy.
The remaining portion of the population, of
which have to speak, in connection with the sub
ject of the political elements of the nation, III,
colored Americans. To prevent it would seem,
the shock to the agricultural interests of the coua-
try, which the abolition of slavery would be likely
to produce even here, the Haytan government,
island, invited the immigration hIther of the free
people of color in the United States, and provided
the means Tor their transportation. As an induce
men to their coming, the future colonlsts were to
be furnished gratuitousy with good land for agri-
cultural purposes, and also the means of susen
uutil they should have time to procure them from
the soil by their own cultivation: They were, be-
sides, guaranteed perfect liberation and protection
in their religious worship, well immunity
from military service. Under these inducements,
many hundreds emlgrated from their homes IN
Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Richmond, and the
country adjacent to those cities, and came and
settled in various places in the island, chiefly,
believe, in this part
It Is an injustice to the Hayhan government to
state, as have found TO be the uniform testimony
of these people to corroborate, that that govern
ment sacredly kept its faith and promises made
to them, and watched over them and their interes
with paternal soicitude. They have, however,
never fratemzed to this day with the correspond
ing class of their creole neghbors. Utter strangers
for long time, at least to each others language,
and forms of religio faith and Worship il is not
strange that the two classes should not have Goa
lesced. While the character and conduct of the
Americans inspired the natives with respect, still
the latter could not forget that body of heretics
had been introduced and quartered, as it were,
among them by foreign government, towards
which and its appropriate people, they have, as
lnr nNnrsion On the nlhrr hand the Anneri-