New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-01-04

the acquaintance of His Grace. her husband, IN Ar
adjoining grogehop Princes exc out their scant,
Subsistence By old Jobs Of tailoring. and Coantesse.
take IN washing. The first request Of The officer whs
boarded as our arrival at Port au Prince was fol
. oorned beef, and his second for rnn
This strange union OF poverty with high rank gives
rise % the most ludicrous ncongruitles. Dresses
which, in more cultivated countries, iacQreys and
footmen would be ashamed even 70 possess are worn
BY the niagnates Of the land. Chfejs Of Industrious
Of glass and brass, the possession Of which would
ruin the business Of YANKEE pedclsr' The carriage
Of the Princess Royal rolls through the streets Of
Pet Prince. drawn BY jaskassss with rope har
IN solem state with paseboard crown, covered with
IN ~ physical AID moral condition Of the mass Of
The Inhabitants Of Hayn is poor indeed. Living In a
country where scarcely any labor Is requisite for thu
support of life, and under laws calculated rather "a
repfess than encourage industry, most Of their time
IA passed IN idIeness. few roots of plantain and
banana Afford sufficient supply OF vegetable food
and the neighbsring abundance OF fish, while
the labor OF few daya sufiecs TO rear their simple
dwellings,. They live in state OF promiscuous inter
course, the meaning Of morality being almost I'M
l known BY them. OF all the births probably two
thirds are Legitimate. The ordinary means BY which,
in more favored countries the morality OF the com
| munity is encouraged aud preserved, are here un-
known. As the task Of supporting the family usually
devolves upon the wife, and the law gives the hns-
band certain rights the property IF the wife, the
women prefer 70 live with their chosen partners IN
married, in order that the fear Of desertion psy
| operate as wholesome restraint. No disgrace
attaches to unchastity IN either the marrr: or an.
married. and the suggestion Of any lege punishment
| for such cause in Hayn would sfobabiy cause
universal SMILE from the sable snef who sits upon
| It's throne, to the lowest Of ~ subjects.
They are generally very gnorant and superstitions.
and no persnasuns wiz induce them, after nghtall
TO venture near the aimed and deserted houses OF their
former masters Lney psneve them sun haunted BY
within tH precincts will pay the forfeit of his life.
They still retain many traces Of their former con-
neendn With the French. Dishes Of rich cnt glass,
fer plate and articles OF valuable furniture are oc
casionaly found 10 their humble dwellings. OF the
history Of these they unwilling to give any infor
nation, and return short and evasvesanswers to any
questions concerning them.
The religion OF the country is the Catholic, and
from the Emperor downwaris the priest is regarded
with unhounded reverence.
From the time Of the revolution, which seemed to
them their independence the inhabitants Of the Hay
tien Empire seem to have receded with rapid strides
towards barbersm and anarchy Their history during
the last half century ia but the monotonous detail OF
almost constant civil war, bloodshed aud murder In
stability Of government insecurity Of life and prop
erty, have been thus far the chief characteristics Of
the African empire in the Western World.
The decline Of wealth and prosperity has been such
as naturally follow from constant revolution and con-
slant change in<7si the export Of sugar amounted
to 16S 405 222 pounds while at the present day sugar
y imported into the island The exports Of coffee
have largely decreased as also the other staple pro
dnctions OF the country The statement OF these
simple facts tells tale sad and significant
The Dominican Republic, situated in the eastern
part Of St Domingo, with population numbering
10000, comprises the territories formerly belonging
to the Spanish colony Of St Domingo, which extended
over about twothrds Of the island. The servile in
surrection Of l79l in the French territories did not
extend TO those Of the Spanish and 1t was not until
late as 1891 that the slaves in this part OF the
island were liberated, aud the entire island reduced
70 suhection BY Gen. Boyer, President Of the Repub
lie Of Hayti.
Ia 1874, after the fall Of Boyer the Dominicans de-
clared their independence as separate republic,
which they have since maintained.
The form OF Its government theoretically is repub
lican, consisting Of a Lower Chamber or House of
Representatives Senate and President. In reality
like that Of Hayti, it is military despotism.
BY the constitution, the executive power of the
government rests in a President, who must be
native born Dominican, thirtyiye years of age and
who Is elected for four years
This provision Of the constitution is entirely disre
garded and the only law observed Ia the election Of
President seems to be that Of physical force This Is
emphatcay the country Of revolutions, and an al
most continual contest is going on between rival
chiefs for the Presidential Office. During the last
four or five years Buenaventura, Baez and General
Santana have each been twice or thrice President,
and each has been twice or thrice thrown into prison
or driven into exile.
The French code Of the Restoration has been
adopted as the basis Of the civiland criminal law Of
the Republic. This l. very well adapted to the wants
Of the people, were its provisions administered by
learned and upright judges. This unfortunately is
not the case the Judges are ignorant and corrupt
and in reality entirely under the control Of the Pre-
sident. The Judges Of the highest court in the Do
mnican Republic receive but sixteen Spanish dollars
month for their services, and this is probably full
The army numbers about IL 900 men, drafted from
the population at large. They are poorly drilled and
poorly equipped but far superior TO the undiscpined
mob the Haytien Emperor calls his army.
md mon NJ fnf,o ~,
OF the Dominican Republic Is no better than that Of
those OF the Haytien Empire. Although the soil OF
the country i well fitted for the cultivation of any
tropical prodrce the only artificial product is to-
bacco which is raised in the Ciba district the northern
part) TO the extent Of from so 900 TO 10000 ceroons
Zone cwt each) annually, while coffee and sugar are
imported from the United States. In the southern
part OF the Republic idleness prevails which Is
only paraleled among the savages Of Guiana. The
only labor performed BY the inhabitants OF this dis.
trict Is occasionally wood-cuttng for the owners OF
mahogany lands. This just suits them They work
in these establishments for a month, and having
earned enough to live, in miserable manner. for
two, they remain at home and pass their time in idle.
ness, dirt and Sleep The currency, like that Of
Hayti. y paper currency, based upon no value
whatever. The present value ia 1900 Dominican
pesos Tor SIG Spanish the original value when first
issued was 40 pesos for GIG Spanish. Public in
structon rs entirely neglected and the inhabitants
are as grossly ignorant as they are shtess and idle
The morals Of the Republic no better than those
Of Hayti.
The business Of wreeking vessels has been ouite
extensively followed by the inhabitants Of the city Of
st. Domingo.
A vessel will be loaded with logwood or uahec
any, OF the value OF $1,000 or $500 and cleared for
some port 10 the United States or England invoices
having previously been sent forward and insurance
obtained upon the same TO the amount Of fifteen or
twenty thousand dollars. The vessel is then sent 10
sea, and wrecked somewhere upon the coast within
fifty or hundred miles Of the city the cargo taken
out and brought back to be put aboard another YES
sci, To be again insured and again wrecked The
insurance offices oil the United States and England
have thus been defauded annually out OF thousands
of dollars. The fact is perfectly well known in the
city Of st. Domingo, that certain persons are and
have been for long time engaged in this business
and in u have acquired considerable property
st. Domingo City, the capital Of the Dominican
Republic, is the most ancient city of the western
hemisphere, having been founded by Bartholomew.
the brother OF Columbus, in 1496. Ii is about half
mile long, with nearly the same wdth-at its broad.
est part surrounded BY wall fanked with bastions
IL Is built with great regularity with wide bat gene
rally unpayed Streets with houses the larger part of
which are o. stone The houses ordinarily are of
one story with fiat roofs and barrel windows with
projecting lattiees. The cathedral Commenced In
l5l4, and finished In $780, Ia the most conspeuons
OF the public hulldlngs here reposed for nearly ty
centuries and a half the remains of Columbus and
his brother Bartholomew, until the cesson Of the
island to France, when they were removed 10 Havana
Besides the cathedral there are fourteen other chan
els aud the ruins Of several converts MANY of the
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