The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-12-31
Hayli-T1g ConIiilion.

iaHes and richest portions Of the earth.--
Columbus, was SO attracted by its beauty that
he give il the name Of Espanold, Little
SPAIN and made il the scene Of the first at
tempt at colonization in the New World. -
In 1851 Spain ceded the western portion OF
the Island to Frnce. Slaves were inuoduc-
ed into The Island in 1888, and the time Of
its most signal prosperity was from l776 to
1889. Its productions at that time were
immense and its commerce in flourishing
condition. "Sugar cane, COTTON coffee, CO.
Goa, indigo, rhe plantoin, vanilla, potato,
manioc, mahogany, satin wood, irnn wood
and every variety Of fruit and vegetable were
produced in the greatest abundance. Owing
to the inequalities OF the surface, The climate
varied from the intense heat Of the plains to
the refreshing GOODNESS of the mountain sum
mits and the sea- beaten coasts" An abund
ance Of pure water was found in every por-
tion Of the island, and it was exempt com.
paralively from the terrific hurricanes which
desolated the other Antilles. Such was the
condition Of Hayti, when The negro popula-
ton, in 1871 were incited TO insurnction. =
From that time until 1904, it was the scene
Of all the ravagrs andhorrors Of a deadly con-
fict Of races. The whites were suijugated
or expelled and the Island found repose in
the rule Of a negfo president. Recent letters
of Robert M. Walsh to Daniel Web,
ster, late Secretary ofState, give us an insight
into The condition Of Hayti at prrseni.-
Faustin First, when Mr.. w. arrived on the
Island, was pre- pairing for his coronation
He is thus briefly sketched by the writer
Faustin the First is stout and short, and
very black, with an unpleasant expression,
and a carriage that does not grace throne.
He is ignorant in the extreme, bat has begun
TO learn TO read and write, and is said 10 ex-
hibit commendable diligence in his studies.
Energy and decision are his most important
traits, and no soft feelings are likely to in
terfee with their full display when occasion
calls them forth, as it frequently does. There
has been considerable demand for Them of
late, in consequence OF formidable con-
spiracy which was discovered short time
since, the object Of which was to restore the
republic. Ft,
He depends solely upon his troops for the
permanency Of his empire, and there does
not seem to be the least sympathy existing
between him and the people. Frequent ex-
ecutions take place and death by shooting is
about the only punishment known. Nearly
every citizen in the towns has been the reci-
pient oil The Empercr's favor in the way Of
a riband, Oh cross, to distinguish him os
Knight of the order of Faustin. The coun.
try people cure little about such decorations.
The writer says that "nolhing saves these
people from being infinitely ridiculous but
the circumstance OF their being often supreme
ly disgusting by their fearful atrocities. The
change from ludicrous farce to bloody
irlgedy is here as fequent as 1t is terrible /;
and the smiles which the former irresistiby
provoke can only be repressed by the, sick
ening sensations occasionrd by the latter
And it is his conviction that negroes only
ceased TO be children when they degenerate
into savages. In speaking Of the Island Mr..
Walsh further says:
The contrast between The picture which is
now presented by this country and that
which it exhibited when under the dominion
of the French affords melancholy confirma-
tion OF what have said. II was t,len, in
deed, an "exuting AMI abounding" land--s
land literally flowing with mi and honey
now it might be sffirmed without extravs-
gance, that where it is not an arid and desc
late waste, it is flooded with the waters OF
bitterness or covered with noisome and pois-
onous weeds. "When | arrived here" to
quote the words OF an intelligent foreigner
who has been in Hayti since the epoch ol its
independence, "there was abundance of ev-
erything; now there isa want OF everything"
The cultivation OF sugar, which was oace
the main fountain of wealth, is now entire
ly abandoned, except for .he production OF
an intoxicating drink; and that Of coffee has
so much decreased that il would not in the |
least be a matter OF surprise II, ere long, the
supply Of that indisl ensab e article for Hay
tien commerce were 10 be insufficient for the
ordinary consumption Of the inhabitants
themselves.
The government, in spite of It's constitu-
tional lorms, is despotism OF the most ieno.
rant, corrupt, and vicious description
with military establishment so enormous
that, while il absorbs the largest portion of
the revenue for its support, 1t dries up the
very sources of national prosperity, by de-
priying The fields Uf their necessary laborers
to fill the town with pestilent hordes of de-
praved and irreclsimable idlers. The treas.
ury is bankrupt, and every species of profit.
gate and ruinous expedent is resorted 10 for
the purpose of obtaining the means Of graft
flying an insane passion for frivolous expendi-
ture.
A great portion of the public revenue is
wasted upon the personal vanites of the En- |
peror, and his ridiculous effects TO surround
himself with splendor which he fsncies 10
be pre-eminehtly imperial. Il is fact hat
the same legislature which voted him sever
al hundreds OF thousands OF francs for some
absurd costume refused an appropriation of /
twenty-five thousand francs ior public
schools. The population, Tor the most part,
is Immersed in Cimerian darkness that can
never be pierced by the few and feeble rays
which emanaie from the higher portions Of
the social system, whilst there is constant
fermentation OF jealousness and antipathies