Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-09-24

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MULATTo LITERATURE.

The pruning press, lke CIVILIZATION, ls making the
tour Of the world and even in imperial lIayti,
among population Of negroes, literature is becom
ing power for good, if not also for evil
AT the time when the negroes Of llayti revoltcd
against France, elementary instruction in the French
language had made some progress in the island.
Schools and churches had been founded tho ne
grOes spoke in broken French, many of them could
read, and they mostly worshipIed in Catholic
Churches. Still the literary classes were greatly
in the minority for the bulk of the population were
illiteratc slaves when the rebellion broke out which
finally severed their connection with France.
During the height and fever of the rebellion,
everything in France was hated and denounced
French churches, French monuments, and French
mons Such of the latter as were not killed were
blnished the island after which the blacks governed
themselves, first under black president and MS
now, under a black emperor. On the massacre Of
the last French colonists, Dessalincs the future
emperor, was asked what was to be done with the
French lbrariesY We have need Of them.
was his reply, except for gun-wadding." And by
his orders, the company of grenadcrs, who went
from house to house in PUrt-aupruce tore to pieces
and throw into the street all the books they could
discover.
NOtcontent with supprossing the "paper speech" /"
he called It, Dessanes resolved to put down the
schools in which he had succeeded to some extent
before his sudden and violent death. Nevertheless
the germs Of literature however impericctly, had
been planted in Illyii, and when the population
had time to settle down to peaceful pursuits, and
their hatred of the French became assuaged, they
turned to literature Il necessity. The president,
Potion, encouraged letters and restored some of
the schools but the ban being still upon all French
colonsts professors could be obtained to fill the
seats in the university and the progress of learning
was therefore very slow. The more intelligent part
of the former free blacks Of the island having grad
ually bctaken themselves to the towns, there to
engage in commercial pursuits, found themselves
gradually drawn together; and many Of them
united in clubs, especially in Masonic lodges, which
latter reunions became the nuclei Of the liter
aturc and learning Of lIayti These lodges were
schools of mutual help, well rs social gatherings,
ut which each member endeayOrcd to contribute
his quota of entertainment in the form of dis
serta.ions, toass, fables dramatic essays, songs,
md funeral oratiOns. Potion also patrOnized the
public journals assisting the propretOrs with presses
aud paper; and these together with the establish
ment of theatres, the throwing open of the senate
houses, the public right of petition, triennial cleo
toral meetings and above all civic festivities which
were and still are the occasion Of numerous speech
ifyings, presented additional opportunities for the
growth Of the infant literature of lIayti.
At an early period in llaytian literary history
the need of a grammar was felt and the then di-
rector Of the national printing office, Chauctte,
undertook the task. The French grammars had all
been torn to pieces, but he compiled one, not with
out many faults, from memory. This answered Its
purpose very well, until the re-establishment o
pacific and commercial relations with France IN
1923, rc-introduced French books and gave n new
impulse to the education in the island.
The present native literature is not extensive, bu
it is growing. Truth to say it is chiefly of a very
light description, fitted rather for amusement thar
for high culture. The negro is pleasure-loyinl
being, of warm blood and the mulatto is his bro
ther, differing from him only in a lighter coorct
skin, for French blood runs in the veins of the
mulattoes of llayt And the French -IIaytiar
mulatto, sprung from two volatile sources, is al
embodiment of volatility, the like of which perhaps
few countries exhibit. Hence the gay literatur,
Of Hayti which is but the reflex of its people.
First and foremost come drama and comedy. Th
theatre is the principal amusement of the IIaytians
and many of the negroes have strong love of act
ing, rs well as an extraordinary talent for il, the
negro being essentially initiative Even in the time
of DessalineS, the boys at POrt-au-Prince used tC
compose and play little melo-dramas which had fol
their subject the principal episodes in the expedition
of the French general Leclerc All that we know
of these essays is that they were furiously ap
plauded. One little circumstance is still remembered
that the head Of the French colonel in one of the
dramas, was decorated with an enormous hairy cap,
onwhch might be read in large red letters" lIayt
the grave Of Frcnchmon."
Since then a really great actor has appeared in
Iayti-Dupre: and he has also exhibited eminent
qualities poet and dramatic writer. lie wrot,
some light dramas, which were played, himself
being the principal actor, with immense success
buthaying been killed in duel and the manuscript
being in the possession of his widow, she refuses
to deliver them up for publication, through super
stitiOus caprice Of conjugal piety. These plays o
Dupre were thoroughly Haytan, and strkngl,
illustrative of the manners, opinions, habits, AM
character Of his cOuntrymen. They were chief
illustrative Of the Slavery period of the island, be
fore the advent of Z" liberty" Dupre has bee
called the Haytan Moicre, and the effects produce
by the acting of his plays are said to have justfe
the simile Many Of Dupres satires, songs, an
poems, in French, still preserved, and the
possess extraordinary pith and vigor.
Dupre flourished under Petion's presidency
when Christophe reigned in the eastern and PetiO
in the western part of the island Under the pre-
idcncy of Boyer who succeeded Potion, some clcvC
native dramatists made their appearance and son
of their specimens are to be found in the HdWiG
Bee (PAbeHie HatienRe) Port-au-Prnce newsp
per- The treatment of subjects is clever, thoug
the morality would not be considered very pure
Europe; for, in Hayti, brothers marry sisters
the connivance of g the church," and many of Il
most favorite Haytan dramas have for their them
love passages of this sort. Nj, Milliscent, man
color educated in France, is the author Of sever
pieces Of this description.
But not only have the IIaytians theatres al
theatrical entertainments; they also established
opera, and royal academy of music. What,
You think, was the original strength of the orchC
ira of the Royal Academy? Two violins ty
clarioncttes, two flutes, two horns, and bassOo
This formed the royal court band of Christoph
lie also possessed composer of music, M. Cassia
a IIaytian, who produced some comic operas viii,
were played before their mAjesties" ChristOpl
had also a considerable staff of amateur theatrie
performers about the court; they consisted OF thr
amateurs and twenty amdtrices as the royal Aim
nae of Ilayti duly announced and also seven ladi
of tho ballet-all black. But Christophe hayil
committed suicide in 1920, the royal opera for sor
timo languished, though we have heard that Il
present emperor has revived it in full force. .
the present time, Port-au-Prince supports thr
theatres, the Hayiial theatre, the TheaiTe des !
rietes, and the Aplbigu, In one Of these the
ehcstra consists chiefly of drums, and the music
accompaniment to the songsmay therefore be imagi
cd better than described. The audience also take
considerable part in the performance, and are co
stantly calculating with loud voices in tho course
the play-sothe liaytian drama, though remarkab
amusing, would not probably command the respe
of the recherche audience this side of the Atlan
But it amuscs the Haytans, and thus serves
purpose
The newspapers Of IIayti exhibit more satisfl