Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-01-19
THE HAYTIEN REVOLUTION.

We have published an account of the blood
less revolution lately consummated by the Re-
publicans of the Island of Hayti The set
tiers of that unlucky little island have scarcely
enjoyed generation of peace since the Span
ish filibusters, who followed in the wake of Co.
lumbus, first subjected them to slavery. His
PAMELA had, for while, a fine fortune in pros
pect as her soil was FERTILE her mineral re-
sources valuable, and her facilities for COM
merce surpassed by few islands of her size in
the world, But the crude and undeveloped
instincts of selfgovernment, which the natives
had, were insufficient to ensure any permanent
cy of quiet and prosperous fortune. The his
tory of her ups and downs would fill volume
of interesting and instructive adventure, while
the display of cunning, audacity, and revenge,
on the part of her representative men, would
haYe reflected renown on any of the respectable
monarchs of the world.
The life of the ruler, whose imperial head
has Just dropped into the basket where so
many handsomer heads have fallen before, is
full of incidents, of which it is hard to tell
whether the ludcrous or the tragical form the
greater part. The Republic of Hayt under
President Boyer, was established after a series
of ferocous and bloody struggles, in 1925.
Boyer managed to hold his own for several
years, but he was at last compelled to succumb
before the restless spirit of revolution, which
troubled all classes of his people as much as it
disturbed the Carbonari and the Red Republi-
cans of France. Presidents followed as thick
as blackberries, till 1916, when our friend So
louque was raised to that dignity. Up to that
time he was to fortune and to fame unknown,
as is the case with many who obtain Office I'M
der the banners of prouder governments than
his. The early portion of his life was spent
as slave. Obtaining his liberty, he Joined
the army in the capacity of boot-black to one
of the illustrious black Generals. AS he devel-
oped some qualities of caution and courage he
became, first, soldier, then Captain, then
General, and at last, as we have stated, Pres
ident.
Elated by his sudden and uninterrupted pro-
motion, he had no sooner reached that point
at which our Republicans are accustomed to
limit their ambition, than he resolved to take
Napoleon for his model, and to emulate his
brilliant career. To demonstrate the equality
of the races beyond reasonable dispute, he
devoted three years to maturing his plans for
a grand coup d'etat In April, 1849, he pre-
tended to have discovered a plot to assassinate
him, and caused large number of the inf1u-
ential men Of the Island, who would probably
have opposed his plans, to be arrested some
of whom he put to DEATH and others banished.
Soon after petitions began to come to him, no
one could tell whence, offering him the
Crown. "He put it by twice every time gen
tier than the other" like Caesar. But by and
by, with coy and modest aspect, he submitted to
the honor thus thrust upon him, and solemnly
crowned himself under the name and style of
Faustin l. His coronation took place in 1851.
The coronations of Charles Seventh at
Rheims, and of the two Napoleons-the sub
stance and the shadow-were nothing to the
pompous and magnificent browning of the
black Emperor Soulouque. The army was
gaily uniformed for the imperial festivities.
The blessing and distributing of the Eagles
was performed without emitting the most
trivial incident of the ceremony. Cannons
were fired and for seven days and nights
longer than the world was in the process of
creation-the island was scene of extrava-
giant revelry. With exact fidelity to his white
example, the Emperor took the Crowns from
the altar with his own hands, placed one upon
his own head and the other upon the head of
his wife Adelina. And with this ceremony
the Haytien coup detat ended
Poor Soulouque he has learned by this
time, that even a crown will not make man
immortal. His great examplar found it out to
his cost. His little examplar, who holds his
revels in the Tuileries by the sufferance of his
people, will also find it out in due season.
The black sovereign has initiated the white
usurpers too closely, and has shared the hard
fortune which awaits them all. Yet he has
done great good for Hayi and for his race
His code of laws exhibits his laudable zeal to
develope wealth, to promote education, and to
encourage commerce. His great success as a
soldier and sovereign, who was once slave
without hope in the world, is an unanswerable
argument for the capacity of the black man,
for which his race, wherever they are scat
tered over the wide world, by choice or by the
irresponsible power Of men-stealers, should
always hold his memory in grateful recollec-
ton.