, 1859-10-21

nv os@'" N-Ae- 49, - "A*n &A$>@
! and put it down.
. II he got chance to talk to them db not
doubt it; for be speaks well and the people hate
{ bloodshcd.
II GeGr.rd rules ten years aud fails to extin-
gulsh The prejudice Of casle, provided be coz.
| tiuues his present policy (Which do not doubt)
! it will be Impossible; most sincerely believe,
to obliterate this lingering trace Of slavery at
| al, II least ty peacelui agencies or without Al
| externa! force-snch, for example, as 4 war
| with France or the United States. Such MI event
would make them nnit; hut 1t would cost too
much and create still greater evils.
| RELIGION.
| Roman Catholicism: quiet indifference to
| Christianity, mud the idolatrous sys1em Of
| gions Of Hayti. In this country, Protestant
! ism has only slender foothoid; OF its i've
| hundred thousand inhabitants, less Than thou
| sand are non,inally Prutestants. The Roman
/ Catholic is the .protessed religion; but tho
greater part Of the men Of the more educated
! levers, unbelierers. or scofftrs. 1t the period
Of the crest Revolution, which ended in the
! expulsion Of the whites, Of the half million
slayes then liying, two hundred thousand had
been imported within tts ten preceding years
from Africa, by the Stare Trade.
OF the rest the greater number we're little
better than idolateTs; for the colonial sl4ye-
| holders had not made the discovery, 50 credit
able to the intellect of our Southern friends.
That religion, properly perverted, might be
made thu most powerful Of ali shaekles on the
slave, they conte1ted themselves with en.1av.
Ing the body. Fourteen years Of fearful war
| Of races; eleren years more Of a WIZ Of caxteb;
| {between Potion, the Mulato President, md
Christophe, the Black king.) although u few
missionaries from England came out, aud the
negro monarch attempted to emulate the act
Of Henry the Eighth. were by no means
congenial to the conversion Of a people, now
free, indeed, but still further denloralized. NJ
well, By long and sanguinary series Of con.
acts. Then came twenty live years Of peace,
under President Boyer. He waa expelled in
1543. Four years Of frequent revolts, with
new President every year, were succeeded By
eleven years Of the barbaric domination of the
Emperor Solouque, who, himself 4 secret idol
thing in bis power, {not openly, indeed, for he
was sensitive to foreign opiniou,) 10 encourage
the Fdudoux, oppose moral progress, and e1-
tinRuish erery effort to advance civilization.
Sofcery, which, although not e1tiuguished, had
been obliged to hide itself under I'LL previous
raised its horril front to public 'yiew. Hence
tie assertion sometimes made in America that
the Hay Jtians we're returning 10 idolatry. Thanks
70 tho French shareholders, idolat.y existed in
Hayti; but from the moment that the negroes
rosa in revolt up to the present hour, il has
sc1lis onu "asJ peen 4osluE GIouna. len
hare re.established itself With terrible power,
but with Geffrard in the National Palnce it will
be forced to dy again to the mountains and caves
for protection.
Tho blacks Of Hayti very generally believe
that only white men can be Christinu priests
There is only one black priest in Nayti There
chiefly natives Of Corsica, aud most of them,
Haytien assured me, had been compelled to leare
their country to escape imprisonment. With
QUE or two exceptions these pkiests are vile fel-
lows They live openly witk.tconcubnes. and
are notoriously licentious and drunkards. They
will do anything for money-bless wanga-
charms, houses, horses, donkeys, carts; any
thing with life. or without!
The Civil Chief is the bead of The Catholic
Church in Hayti; the Pope has absolutely no
jurisdiction here; nil the priests arc Of the sumo
order; thare are neither Archbishops nor
bishops, nor any other dignitsfiea. Efforts
hare repeatedly been made Ir Rome to secure
d spiritual jurisdiction in this Island; but the
people, having bad more than enough Of white
domination in the days Of slavery, aud Jealous
Of their freedom, have invariably declined these
orertures- There was talk, during my first
visit, Of concordant with Rome. But, happi.
ly, it ended in talk. The government, however,
hns sent to Franco for one hundred decent
priests. These secured, it will he great i'm
provement; for the confidence Of the country
people in their religious guides and their ttdck-
ability, is almost unbounled.
The State interferes with the church in uayti
only to bentdcial extent. It pays the priest 4
wisely takes the lions share. The church,
therefore, il more than selEsupported.
There is no such thing known in uayti as re.
ligious intolerance. Protestantism is as much,
or more, favored than the Catholic Church for
the government projects Professionalism and does
..Ax xAA~ E.-S e.. - ~
chusetts Dible Society sent q hundred Testa-
ments to Hayti for gratuitous Distribution;
they were entered, free of duty, and given sway
at once. and the magnificent copy which was
forwarded to tho President, was received with
pleasure, and gracefully acknowledged. could
not advise any sgeut to attempt the sams e1.
pertinent in Catholic Cuba, unless be desires to
ind place in the Book Of Martyrs and receive
the crown Of marty yrdom.
For the encouragement Of the renewal Of
Irotestants efforts in Hayti, translate from
The various Constitutions Of the Island the ar
ticles relating to liberation.
Dessalines, who completed the extinction Of
the whites, first proclaimed the doctrines Of re-
ligious liberation. In the Constitution Of 1905
Of the Eusire Of Hayti, the fiftieth article de.
c1arcs tbat -3 The law admits Of no governing
Religion )" The ffty.6rst, TINT a. The liberty ct
worship il tolerated" !" and the fitssecond, that
The State makes no rroris'oa for the support
Petiou, the mulatto President of the Repub-
lie Of uayti, made equal liberal provisions. IN
the Constitution Of 1906 the THIRTY fifth article
il: The Roman Catholic religion, being the
religion Of ali the Haytians is the religion Of
the State. It shall be specially protected, as,
law allows each minister tue extent Of his spir-
itual administration. These ministers, cannot,
under any pretext, form body Of State" ar
t;cie thirty seventh is: IT, hereafter, other re-
ligions are introduced, no person shall be re-
strained in the exercise Of the religion Of their
choice, provided he conforms to the laws"
Protcstantism Was introduced under Potion,
by lis special invitation, in 1877, "He gave
the missionaries i cordial welcome and assured
them Of perfect liberty to preach, travel and
build houses Of worship where they pleased.
Ills object" says the Haytien writer whom I
quote, =" ia TINS favorinC Professionalism vas to
destroy the influence Of certain papal priests
pernicious to the young and growing Republic"
Whatever may have been Ills motive, he Tas
true to his promise.
In tie Constitution Of 1916, under Boyer, the
fortyninth article reads, All relig gious worship
is permitted il the Republic, conformably with
the laws"
b. tie Constitution Of 1913 {undcr Reviere)
"Afl Religions are equally free. Each one has
the right 10 profess his religion and Worship in
freedom; provided he does not disturb public
order"
Iu the Constitutions Of 1876 and 1s4s the Inst
being under. the Empire. of Soulouqae) the
rights Of religious freedom and worship nre
expressed in the language Of the Constitution
Of 1913.
The Constitution of 1876 is in vicor now.
The emphatic declaration Of the Government,
| that g. no one shnll ever be called on to defend
the Roman Catholic Religion, whether he be-
Iieres it or not" is both prophecy and guar
Arfn nF taff dey n