Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-08-05
The Emperor of Hayti.

We have had the eventful career of
Louis Napoleon served up so often that
there are few school boys in this great
country who are not intimately acquainted
with everything that has happeneS from
the utte mPt on Doulogne down to tho pres
ent time. On the other hand but little is
known of his counterpart, Faustin Soalou.
que Emperor Of all the Hayties. We find
in the n. Y. Post sketch of his life, the
materials of which were obtained by one
of the editors while on visit to Hayti:
Faustin, the First, as have already
stated, is now, according to his own re.
port and the general belief, sixty-seven
years Of age. 1t is also well ascertain,
ed fact, though not very freely spoken Of
by his subjects, that he was born a slave
on the estate Of M. Viale; at Petit
Geave, in he south part of the island. If
he has given his age correctly, he must
have been six years old when slavery was
abolished in the French colonies by the
Directory, in 1893, and when he, in com.
mon with the rest of his race in bondage
in Hayt, received their freedom.
SoulOuque entered the army as a SOL
dier under DesSeljnS, about 1604-im.
mediateIy afer the evacuation of he
French, and when he was only II years
Of age. In four years he had risen to
the rank Of sublieutenont and aid to Gen.
L1marre, In 1871 he was he was pro.
NOTED to lentenancy Of cavalry, and to
cap'aincy in 1920. In 1910 he was
chief OF squadron, in 1912 command
ant Of the parish of Plasance, in Is43
colonel of a company of horse, in 1874
general of brigade, and in 1916 general
of division and commnndant of the Guard
at Por,-au.Prnce. Such in brief, is the
history of this mans rise, from the con.
drion Of slave the first six years of his
life, to the highest rank in the army short
of sovereign power, before he was sixty.
But his career was not destined TO stop
here.
In the following year the Presidency
| became vacant under circumstances too
| extraordinary to be passed without no.
tice. Richie wns elected to succeed Pier
rot in 1916, and when he was already 70
years Of age. He as probably the most
experienced and most highly educated, #
not the most gifted, executive officer Hay.
ii ever had. During the second year of
mis- admins,rat' on, while on his return
from visit to the north side of the island,
he stopped with his re'inue at night TO
rest at Gonaives. While there, his atten.
tion was arrested by the charms of young
creole of rare personal attractions, with
whom he desired to form more intimate
Acquaintance. His position, and douceur
of couple of hundred spanish dollars,
removed what ever obstacles were inter-
posed 20 his advances. and for the next
seventy.two hours nothing further was
seen or heard of the President 5y mis- Fat
tendants. AT the end of that period he
appeared among them again, and gave or
ders t. set out at once for Port au.Prince,
but so feeble and exhausted was he, that
he required help TO mount his horse. He
died the day after he reached the capital.
The Senate were Immediately conven.
for the purpose of choosing a successor.
They were so nearly divided between the
two candidates, after repeated ballottings
seemed an increasing improbablitv of fin
al agreement. A failure to elect was tc
restore anarchy and military rule. The
possibility of such contingency arising
naturally gave prominence to the name
of Soulouque, who was commander ir
chief of all the military force in ant
around the capital. His name was sug.
gested in the Senate, and he was imme
diately, and believe unanimously elect
ed. He had the reputation of being {
good natured creature, with no taste fo
intrigue, and not much intelligence. HI
was habitually ,aciturn, and during
the conspiracy which preceded ant
followed Boyer's downfall, he hat
been made the confident Of all parties
without becomlug the enemy OF either
He vas, wihal, good cavalry officer
and brave fellow. What other claim
he had for the honor that was in store 70
him, he had not dem nstrated. He was
in point of education and personal &C
complishments, inferior to all his prede
cessors, for he could neither read ne
write, while most, if not all Of them hat
been educated at good schools in France
But his good nature and obscuritv led th'
, mixed blood to suppose they could sool
get the control of him, while the black
had confidence in his color, which the.
: supposed would make him wholly theirs
: Both parties were mistaken in their esti
t mate Of him. He was not long in lellin.
r them know that the man whom they hat
4. chosen, without his own solicitation, tc b.
e their ruler for life, was determined to b.
, their ruler for life. Intrigues and con
sp!racies for his deposition, similar tt
e those which had kept the country con
, vulsod ever since 1910, and changed th
head Of tho government FIVE times in a
j, many years, Immediately re commenced
But they were dealt with very different