Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-08-15
u.vt, and tine r,om,n,can Renn,,,o-

Almost every arrival from the West Indies con-
tains accounts of collisions occurring in the Island
of Hayti between the Haytians and the Domincans.
Very few believe, have ever taken the trouble to-
inform themselves of the merits of the case or the
actual state of things that Island and consequent
ly but little interest is felt in matter, which, in
truth, appeals most warmly to sympathies in ia
vor of branch of our own struggling against
a military despotism, welded by semi barbarous
negro, calling himself Is Faustin l.. Emperor of
Hayti"
Previous to 179l, Hayti belonged to France and
Spain The French possessions comprised the Wes-
tern portion of the Island, and the Spanish the
Eastern In 1871, the slaves in the French or Wes-
tern part covering about onethird of the whole area
of the Island upon and murdered their masters
and drove the European authorities from the coun-
try The revolt did not extend to the Spanish por-
tion everything there remaining before, the rela
ton of master and slave not being at all affected by
the revolt in the West although two negro republics
had been established there.
France by treaty of cession with Spain, obtained
and held possession of the Spanish portion from the
year 1895 or go to 1909, in which latter year the
French were expelled by the native inhabitants
This re- possession by the Spanish colonists af-
forwards confirmed to the Spanish Crown by the
treaty of Paris From that time onward, the colony
ruled by Spanish royal governors until the year
1921, when the inhabitants of the capital Santo Do
mingo city, revolted against the royal authority de-
posed the Governor and sent him out of the country
With this expulsion ended the actual possession
of Spain, the only European power that had the
shadow of a claim to the Dominican territory. And
it is in point to remark that this claim, which was
seriously asserted, has been virtually relin-
pushed by the fact that that Government has with
in the last few years promised to recognize the
Dominican independence, act which was only left
incomplete in form, at the time, by crisis in the
Spanish cabinet.
The Dominican territory then, is identical in its
St. Domingo being the Eastern portion and embra.
cling two-thrds of its entire area while Hayti pro-
per includes the remaining or Western portion-the
territory of the old French Colony. During the con-
fusion consequent upon the overthrow of the Span
sh authorities and the institution of provisional
government, BOYER, who had united the two black
republics of the West under himself as dictator,
marched large and we'll appointed army against
Santo Domingo, the capital of the Eastern portion,
which, under the circumstances, could not be resist
ed and a capitulation was made, but under the sp-
ulation that the inhabitants should be left in the en-
joyment of their ancient rights, laws, usages, and
customs. Such was the origin of the Dominican
union with Hayti in 1892. In direct contravention
of this stipulation, BOYER proclaimed the universal
emancipation of the slaves, and adopted other meas
calculated to depress and ruin the white race;
mong the rest requiring the Dominican landholders,
mostly whites to exhibit their title deeds requisite
condition of avoiding the forfeiture of their estates.
| Such decree in country where the title to land,
in the majority of cases, rested upon oral tradition
alone, had the effect of conscating to the State,
in other words, to Boyer's black minons, very much
of the landed property of the white Dominicans By
these and similar measures of oppression the
white race in that portion of the Island had been
diminished in number one-thrd. and proportionably
with this dimnution had disappeared, in the words
of the Dominican manifesto, q wealth, commerce,
and agriculture"
These and other charges of grave character, hav-
ing directly in view the extinction of the white race
are made against the Haytians by the Dominican
provisional government, and substantially embodied
in their revolutionary manifesto of January 10th
1874. The idea and the wish to dissolve the COM
pulsory union with Hayti and re-assert their own
independence, had long been entertained by the
Dominicans, but during the iron rule of Boyer op
portunity presented ITSELF until the expulsion of thai
chief in 1943 and the accession of Gen. Riviere a,
} President of the Haytian Republic seemed to indi
cate the proper moment when large portion of the
Haytan garrison in the capital having been with
drawn to meet the requistion of some exigcncy il
the West the Dominicans by preconcert on the
small garrison left, took them prisoners and sen
them home and then proclaimed provisional indie
pendent government, This was early in Januar,
1914, and preliminary to the publication of tn
! manifesto above spoken of.
And here it may be we'll to speak briefly of tn
Dominicans as race. The population is compose
of the pure Whites and the mixed of all shade
of color; bearing about the same relative proportio
do the corresponding races in other Spanish Anne
rican States AS in those countries, the whites
y the Intellectually predominant and consequent
the ruling class. ALL by the constitution, are, with
out distinction of color citizens and equal before tn
G law.
: Santana the Dominican liberator and first Pres
IS dent of the Republic, man of pure Castan BLOOD
resigned his office in 1913, and succeeded b
Jimenez, who proved himself a traitor, and who, a
ter having almost betrayed his country to the Ha,
g tans driven out and Santana again recalled
=, authority After driving out the Haytians and
" establishing the Dominican affairs, he refused to
" President deferring that honor to Buenaventul
Baez, one Of the most wealthy propretors of Il
country. Santana is now commander chief of I'll