The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-01-09


Some sixteen hundred miles due South from
this city nearly the same distance eastward from
Vera Cruz, and a little South of East Of Cuba,
stretches the island of Hayt the second in size
and importance of the West Indies, the first Of any
consequence discovered and colonized BY Colum-
bus and in climate and natural resources one OF
the most delightful and alluring portions Of the
earth. It's surface is mainly rugged rising often
into lofty mountains, though several spacious plains
diversity il; but its hills Of exnberant fertility,
even to their tops. Its soil is a deep vegetable
mould resting on shelly limestone II profusely
watered by lakes, streams and rivers-lour Of the
rivers being large and nayigable-wh harbors
are numerous and rarely surpassed. It's low lands
are deadly to European constitutions, but not to
African, while its hills are unsurpassed in salu-
bsity. 1t embosoms mines Of gold, silver, copper,
salt and iro7, none Of which have been worked for
many year2 The gold had become unproductive
before its working was abandoned, but may not
be confined 10 the localities explored while the
other minerals named yet exist in profuson. A
great part Of the island is still covered with dense
primitive forests Of mahogany, logwood, ironwoud,
cedars, etc Its rivers and bays yield an abundant
supply OF turtle, shellfsh, etc.
The island is 400 miles long, but viii hardly av-
erage 100 wide, containing 29, 800 sqpar miles or
ahoutthe area Of the five New England States ex-
cluding Maine 1t would abnndantly subsist a
population Of five millions, and was estimated to
contain one million, ignorant simple, easY-ilging,
happy people, when Columbus discovered il, whom
civilized rapaeitY and tyranny exterminated in the
couIss Of very Y years, As the eolonists were
now reduced g ID, ,cFsperate extremity Of working
for ttenselfes 5aing new iabOreFs, they COM
inenced tbs Hfetpn OF slaves from Africa, aud
gradually in6t s the number to more than half
IA million. .me the French had settled on
one side Of the island not possessed by the Span
iards, and each WED with the other in extdriing
ihe largest aggregate Of products and wealth from
the ashextorted labor ct their slaves. The result
was Of course a marvellous state of commercial
I" prosperity that is, the producers having no
pay, needing scarcely any fuel or clothiag and
getting very little food were enabled TO turn off
very arge harvesls Of sugar, cotee and indigo per
annnm.
The great French Revolution wrought a signal
ehS.ge in French Hayt, and soon after, BY sym
PATH, in Spanish also. The French Convei. .tion
decreed the emancipation OF the slaves the plan
iers hesitated 10 comply and even after the ne
groes had been admitted to the freedom guaranteed
them by law, attempted to reduce them again into
slavery The consequence was a bloody and desc
lating civil war, in which the whites were extermi-
mated driven from the island. Bonaparte made
a final effort to subiugate the blacks, but the fine
army he sent to Hayt under Leolerc, was destroyed
BY the blacks and the climate and Hsyti has ever
since been practically independent though her I'M
dependence was not recognized by France till 1926,
and then condition Of The payment by the island
to the stepl mother country oi sum $3.50 0000 000)
which is entirely beyond the means Of the former
Some part Of it has been paid the residue proba-
bly, never viii be.
The Haytians are an indolent people Their
soil yields ia abundance and with very little labor
the absolute necessaries OF life and their long ap-
premiership to labor under the discipline Of tie
slave driver lash, has not irabued them 9Th any
very vivid ideas Of either the digaisy or the attract
i7eness Of hard, steady work Their fathers made
vast quantity Of sugar foF the benefit Of their
owners the present generation choose to make but
little. and perFert al good share of that Effie INTO q
very bad rum which they are fools enough g ike
as well as white folks.
Ignorant, indoent and devoid Of history as they
are, il is unioFtunate but scarcely surprising iha,
they havs mol been able to maintain domestic union
moi republican liberty. Their form Of government