The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-17
II a Y I /.

by which the island Of 'Hayii may be brought
under the Jurisdiction Of the United States
The philanthropic editor assumes that the
negroes have no rights which white men are
bound to respect; that in fact the whole island
legitimately belongs to the white people, who
inhabit corner of it, and that the American
Government should enter forthwith into treaty
with these whites for the reconquest of the
negro Republic. The morality of this PROPOSE
ton is worthy of men who advocate revival Of
the slave trade, and Of those who defend the
fundamental doctrine of the Black Democracy.
that "negroes have no rights which white men
are bound to respect" 1t is the morality Of
the highway and the pirates creed.
The assumption that the entire eastern por.
ton of the island is inhabited by white popu-
lation is VIGOROUSLY false, and is only hypothe.
Gated for the nonce, in order to give color to the
buccaneering proposition. 1t would not do to
propose treaty with mulatto Republic, even
for the expulsion or enslayement of negroes /;
and hence the Savannah editor has the grace
to designate the Dominicans as white people.
The editor says:
REMEDY FOR THE UYsTABLEyEss OF
HAYTl.-It is shame and reflection on mod.
ern civilization, that one Of the largest, rich.
est and loveliest of all the Indies, lying almost
in stones throw of our shore, should be aban-
doned-or greater portion Of ito the desc
GRAFTON Of an idle and degraded negro popula
ton. 1t is a sacrilege that so fair an inherit
ance, crowned with all the natural blessings Of
Heaven, should fall into the hands of people
utterly incapable of approaching or improving
it. We have not thought that such a state
Of things could exist in such close proximity TO
any other civilized nation on the globe
:" We have a practical remedy to offer for the
reformation of the island 1t does appear to
US, that if interference by our Government
could be justified in any case, this is one in
which she might, with the approval of the whole
civilized world, interpose and give such direc.
ton TO the condition and future history of the
island as shall make it what Providence de-
signed it should be-itself the Garden of the
Tropics, and the Queen of the Antilles. 1t is
the only quarter OF the globe towards which we
feel ilibustering propensity, and we care not
how soon it shall become the property of the
American Union, and tie idle uaqabonds acaO
inhdba Il dTipeB ont or PIT to some useful en-
pigment We are opposed to the violation of
our neutrality laws, and equally, if not more,
opposed to their repeal but there is one way
in which our jurisdiction NAV be successfully
established oyer the island, not only without
infringing the law, but with the consent of the
only legitimate owners 9Th soil. The entire
eastern portion of the island is inhabited by q
white population, and under a white Govern
ment, with Santana at its head The black
empire is source of infinite trouble to him,
and at times he and his predecessors have found
it not little difficult to prevent the whole
island from being overrun by the blacks. Let us
send commissioner to negotiate terms with
him, and With legs tlan tlir.y miliions of dol
lars the work could be accomplished
If the doctrine which this Georgia editor laws
down for the Haytiens were made general, it
might not be found altogether agreeable in prac-
tice to the Southern States, and particularly to
those portions Of them which are most emf
nently blessed With Slavery. Georgia, for in
stance, with its ignorance and barbarism, its
sparse population, composed, in great part, of
black slaves and poor white folks" its indif.
ferent agriculture, its rude arts, and meagre
towns, presents scurvy figure by the side of
Ohio. Georgia had begun to wilt under the
tread of the slave, while Ohio was yet wilder
ness, unbroken by the advance of civilization
and yet, at this day, that great, powerful, and
enlightened Commonwealth mas fiil three times
as many citizens as Georgia, upon a territory