Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-12-23
HAYTIEN P%oLITENEss.

at is due to the H%ayticns Of all colors and class.
es to say, that, so far as their external intercourse
with zach other is concerned, they are probably
the pUlitest people in the world. 1t Is almost the
first thing that strikes an American when he lands
among them. 1t prevades all classes and condi-
tons. The humblest peasants in their intercourse
with each other, as well as with those in higher
sphere, present, in this respect, an example which
might be studied with profit by my own country
men of every rank. 1t is q very rare thing for a
~llaytion to pass a person in the street, whether an
acquaintance or not, without saluting him a
woman is always saluted. No Eaytien ever enters
u shop, however humble, or asks a market woman,
whose whole stock may not be worth a single Span
ish dollar, the price of her bananas, without the
preliminary courtesy Of II bow or some courteous
word.
Nothing is moro common than for a driving
man of business in New York to thrust his head
into his neighbours counting room, an old acquaint-
ance, too, perhaps, and ask, abruptly "What is
-four to-day p or, How are bills on London p The
person addressed, nothing surprised, responds rs
abruptly, and parties scperate with apparently as
little interest in each other as two chips that cas-
ually meet each other for a moment in an eddy.
Such manners would at once be tabooed in Hiatt.
No class would tolerate them. l remember some
marked rebukcs administered to acquaintance of
mine who had thoughtlessly overlooked these
minor morals which illustrate this feature of the
~llnytien civilization. One Of the delinquents, who
was a prominent merchant, went one morning quite
early, and in great haste, to u store, and abruptly
asked the porter, who was sweeping out, if the
proprietor, calling him by his name, was in? The
porter stopped sweeping, and looking up with
au air of mingled establishment and anger, af-
ter a brief pause, broke forth in Creole: Pour
quot on mandes pour ". AuguSte, sans dire bon
jour p (Why do you ask for Mr.. Auguste, without
saying good morning?) My friend, whose mind
had been very much pre-occupied, at once discov-
cred the error he had made, and fastened to make
the usual complimentary inquiries about the
porter's health and the weather, which soon set
every thing aight, and restored his habitual good
nature, after which he gave the Information
very chccrfully.
'Mr. Bird, the faithful Baptist minister in Port
au Prince, mentioned to me another case, where he
received a still more stern rebuke for his in!iffer-
cnce to this small change of social inter
course. lie called ut the residence of one of
his parishioners, and knocked. As he received no
answer from within, he turned 70 some women who
were ironing before the door of a little shanty III
the v~icinity-they were presumed to be washer
womcn-and asked if the family he wished to
visit, manning them, were out. They gave him
no answer He asked again they were still silent
though he had his eyes fixed upon theirs, and was
sure that they heard him. lie repeated his inquiry
once more, when one of them asked him, in a re-
proachful, but still in a courteous manner, Mon.
nous ne S0mmcS pas digRe tChG SdtueF'
Are we not worthy, sir, of being ~saluted?)
1--WE are quite too Indifferent, in the United
States, about this matter, which, to be sure, may be
skin deep, but yet serves almost as important
Il purpose in our social economy as the skin does in
our animal economy. 1t spares our feelings u
Characteristic rudenass and b~luntness of the Amer
lean People SO etfectually rebuked, IS by the ex-
ample Of The llaytien peasantry.-N. I. ErehiHg
Post.