Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-04-12
From the New York Tribune
Condition of Things in Hayti.
PoRT-AU-PRIN March,

PoRT-AU-PRINCE , MARCH, 1893.
There is not the least dou5sI snd we ex-
press this with real philanthropical regret
that the negro-empire of Hayti, is going down
rapidly with every year, and will be lost, with
out help. The rotten machinery ofstate and
society went on pretty well for a while, as
long as the illusion of the paper-money last
ed, and the Ignorant negro, by habit or want
of reflection, received the bad shin plasters of
this government for good current money!
During the time of the Republic the rulers
of Hayti were so prudent as not to carry to an
excess the manufacture of this paper, which
has no specie basis. Under President Boyer,
the whole island formed one single State, the
expenses of the Government were moderate
and living in Havti was cheaper than any,
where else in the West Indies. Even under
the last President, Richie, the amount of the
paper money in circulation was but Sl7 Co.,
600 During the reign of the Emperor Sou
louque, the expenses of the State have in
creased immensely, and in an equal proper
ton the poverty of the masses has augment
ed. The circulating paper money has reached
the immense sum of S50,OO0OO0 Forged
bank notes have been imported in great guam
titles, and are not easily to be distinguished
from the good ones The paper has almost
entirely lost its value All kinds of goods
have risen in proportion, and living is actual
ly as expensive in Port-au- Prince as in any
luxurious capital of Europe The army, the
public officers, the whole Government costs
now almost three times as much as at the
time of the Republic, which, it is true, was
likewise by no means model State yet, even
in its worst condition, did not attain such a
high degree Of rottenness and corruption as
the Empire.
Soulouque seizes, as is well known, fifth
part of the whole annual cofee-crop for
his civil list, or rather for himself The
coifee-cultivating negroes are obliged to sell
their crop to certain privileged spectators,
from whom alone foreign merchants are per-
mitted to buy. 1t is from the privileged
spectators that the Emperor receives this
fifth part. The coffee-crop is decreasing
rather than augmenting with every year.
According to a gentleman well-infonmed in
these matters, the coffee product now amounts
to about 40 100000 ofpounds annually, while
under the administration of President Bower,
it reached more than 100000 of pounds.
On account of the increasing depreciation of
the papT-money, and the great injury suffer-
ed from the usury of the licensed spectators,
the profit of the cultivatcrs of coffee becomes
smaller and smaller; they disuse certain
things which they had formerly bought from
foreign manufacturers. Their dress resem-
bles more and more the simple, primitive
fashion of their ancestors in Soudan or Guinea.
They hardly know shame; and the climate of
Hayti is so delightfully."- warm, that its inhabi-
tantS require hardly more luxury in dress
than it was the fashion to wear in the old
Paradise. Some bacon and a few plantains
arc sufficient to fill the negroes stomach,
even without labor.
In case Soulouques who governs with a
tyrannical oppression, should not modify
his system, and should continue to refer
his very numerous but extremely badly
paid soldiers and public officers to fraud,
bribery and robbery, in order to be able
to gain their support, there is nothing better
to expect than return to complete barba-
rism. On account of the bad condition of the
finances of the State, the deficient organiza-
ton Of the army, and his personal avarce, it
is not likely that Soulouque will ever venture
again march toward the neighboring Repub-
lie of st. Domingo. Upon paper, the mum
Der OF the Haytien army is put down at 80
600 men. The real number, however. amounts
scarcely to 10000 men, among whom there
are at last 200 generals The negroes are
not so strong and robust as the ancient slave
population of st. Domingo, and we have the
conviction that small corps of few thou
sand disciplined white soldiers, would be per-
fectly able to put an end to Soulouque's impe-
rial grandeur and the whole negro empire.