Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-09

| "iohou W huhC " UuBb VI uO CuthCutcHs
but said: "Mind, now, you must ask high
price for me, I'll not be sold cheap; take care" /"
copy of this bust, by the way, was in the
Crystal Palace. rt a . 49, aet-'.. ...-
Soulouque has about as little education as II
is possible for man to have with his talent in
his position. Since he reached bis present dig
nifty he is said to have learned to read French,
and his panegyrists say that he reads and speaks
it elegantly. ] presume he made some progress
under his his instructors, and speaks it with
about as much ease and elegance as the presi-
dent of an American college talks the Latin, in
which he confes its degrees and honors Both
would be sorely puzzled if they were called upon
to say anything more than they had prepared
for. was told that he had Uncle Toms Cabin
read to him twice, he was SO delighted with it;
t5Gs nd one intiniasra sa,.ss he reaa himself. I
was told that he sent an autograph iettef to
Mrs. Stowe, thanking her for the pleasure he
had derived from her famous book. If he wrote
the letter himself, he must have made more pro-
fciency in his studies than he has generally the
credit of.
heard him speak several times, but always
briefly and in somewhat sententious style, af-
ter tho manner of the Oriental and African
races. He always expressed what little he had
to say in French. remember one of bis speeches
in reply to an allusion made by my companion to
the the intervention of France, England and
the United States between the Emperor and the
Domnicans, = few years ago, during the Presi-
dency of Mr.. Fillmore. All he said about it
was this; "We are Christian people, and why
should not we be treated like Christian people,
We have two arms and two legs like other men,
We have only wanted to act like Christians
towards the Dominicans. We do not desire war,
but peace; we do not wish TO shed blood, but to
make the people of the island prosperous and
happy"
This was spoken deliberately, in very low
and in tolerably good French. 1t was, as the
reader will perceive, clear enuncation of
series of propositions, without superauous words.
This characteristic marks his discourse.
There is no doubt that he has improved him
self vastly since he came into power but when
we consider how limited are his opportunities of
of acquiring the even commonplace knowledge
of more civilized countries, we should rather
wonder at the extent than the limits of
his information. lie has never read book.
never been able to learn from the page of his
tory and the fate of other nations how people
are wisely governed he has never been off his
native island, nor witnessed the operation of any
government, nor the habits Of any people more
intelligent or more happy than his own. What
he has learned of other nations is calculated to
I prejudice him against their example, for they
have been the relentless taskmasters Of his ia
theirs, and, for the most part, are ready to seize
: the first opportunity of becoming the taskmas-
ters of his children. All his science of states
mansbip and all his notions of government are
nductons from the capacities and incapacities,
the possessions and the deficiencies, the virtues
and the infrmities, the knowledge and the igno-
rance, the suHerings and the hopes of his pro-
scribed subjects. Their history has been pecu
liar and their condition is peculiar; it is not
strange, therefore, that as long as they are in
dependent their government should be peculiar
, The Haytiens might find rulers among white
men who are wiser statesmen and better politi
|, cal economists but no white man would cher
ish and defend their nationality and indepen
: dence so faithfully as Soulouque: no white maj
0 would SO cheerfully sacrifice his life to preven
s the restoration of slavery on the island Be
l cause he is black, because he has never learned
4 from books and by travel the folly of attempt
ing to elevate the black race to the standard Of
civilization among the whites, because he can
| not read and write, and because he has no I'D
vantages which would enable him to make bet
: ter terms with the oppressors of his race than
f his subjects could, they prefer him to wiser,
more educated, IA more competent man, who is
y not bound to them by the color and a common
8 degradation. His very Ignorance enables him
to exert On influence over them which ,perhaps,a
s more intelligent man might not be able to com
8 nand. lie feels the power of pomp and parade
he knows as much as they, from personal expe
: rience, the superstitions to which Africans ars
4 most susceptible he knows what are the fea
b. lures of their religion by which they are most
l impressed, and how to bring it to bear upor
them, for he is himself one Of the most super
a stitious and credulous of his race. Hence the
diligence which he avails himself Of every con-
3 venient means of impressing his people, the care
a he best,ws upon his toilet and retinue when he
IL appears in the street hence his strict observanc,
It of all religious ceremonies (he never goes out Of
n the capital to be absent even for single nigh
~ without going to the church to hear mass before
returning to his palace j hence his assumption
of supernatural graces; hence his elaborate
court ceremonial. :
NJ 1t is bis practice to ride through the city e9
4. cry day Or two early in the morning, usual,
10 taking in his way some of his houses that ar
es in process of erection or undergoing REPAIRS ant
G. the Custom House. never saw him unattend
ir ed by well-mounted suits including one or tw'
in cabinet ministers, himself the best dressed ant
n. mounted Of all, and usually the most dashinl
in rider. II in the course Of his tournse h
h sees or hears anything wrong, he does no
in wait to have it reported to him a. the palace
IL but in nine cases out of ten stops, ,dismounts ant
u says what he has to say at once, and in tn
III street. Nor does he waste many words whel
nc he scolds. If he threatens an offender, the Of
Ic fense is never repeated more than once. Som
re of these bed, Of justice are very amusing.
I'd . will describe one because it illustrates som
D. of the rude but effective processes by which h
Ill rules his subjects. He drove up to the Custor
as House one morning, shortly after he was pre-
n claimed Emperor, with q large oavalcade, di'