, 1859-06-06

Every department OF the Government Of HAY
u, and eTcry compartment Of every depart
ment Is conducted By military men, or iu soinl
May managed BY ths omnipIeseot army. On.
gay stepped into i court-the Court OF Cassa
ton, tblnk-and saw on the bench three Judge.
IN military uniform. A nan was on trial charged
With the crime Of incendiarism. he was detec,
ted in an attempt to tire the city. Two mulattoes
we're arguing the casc-nloving, if rightly IN.
deretood them, for new trial, or appealing to
! another court. They both wore gowns, rs in
France. after whose system Of jurisprudence the
laws Of 1layti are framed and the civil courts
conducted. The "Six Codes" Of Doyer-that
is TO saJ, the Code Sapoleon-preyails, with i'm
] postant variations adapted to the tropics. The
| testimony Of white man for example, is not ac-
| cepted under oath as against black or a MI.
iatto. White men can bear witness ouly against
| persons Of their own unfortunate compile exiou ::
and they can neither hold renl estate nor le-
gatly enter the matrimonial state with a woman
Of Haytlen birth. These and other laws Of
slmilar character, which so completely turn the
1aoies on na, were enacted in the days Of Dessa-
Lines, nnd hare never been repealed, but are,
some Of them, seldom enforced. either by the
evil or military authorities It would bc irn-
prudent, however, and perhaps impossible. far
any man, however popular he III ay be, to At
tempt to formally obliterate these enacstneuts
from the Six Codes Of layti'
he court room IVES q sracious one plain Int
well proportioned, and pared With bricl-a large
space, rallied oil, being reserved for the Judges,
lnTyer7, ~, prisoners and clerks.
Ihe Judges sat on n platform at tue further
eng aof the apartment; the prisoner in boz near
space beiug occupied BY table. Ut which two
clerks, in military uniform, sat busily writing.
The lawyers were at the greatest possible dis.
lance from the bencl-ne1t to the railing nm
the left hand side.
There was q kind Of desk extending across
me platform, on which could see only G little
hand bell, which from time to time, the senior
Judge rang violently. and then shouted "See-
iahns! or gave orders, in no very digniticd
tones, to tho crowd to be quiet A barefootcd
soldier. IN ragged costume, lazily guarded the
door Of the railing. Ileaucd forward, past him,
once or twice, to see the lawyers. The senior
Judge noticed i. rang the bell, and stopped the
proceedings Of the court to tell me to stcp back.
as had not oserstcpped the limit nlore than
six inches, and that not with my feet, but head
and shoulders only, the learned Judges idcus Of
dignlty may be easily inferred from this trivial
incident
The man was condemned to die, and was c1e-
cuted lew mornings after nv visit to tue
court; He was shot by company Of soldiers
IN sight Of tue city Cemetery He was COLL
pclled to hold in his hand, as they shot him. the
lncendiary materials which be had prepared to |
ire the city; fie died game, they said, and l !!
aon doubt It; for there are brayado- -cowards in |
RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.
| had frequently been advised TO visit the
Cathedral carly III tile morning; but knowing
!s & a. iae early morning air is injurious to the
lealth N every climate, and especially in the |
ropics. had hitherto couscieutiousiy kept to I
NJ bed TIL reasonable hour. But having
aceu tte danger, wc possessed our souls in pu.
ience, and went to the great markct-p1 id
o1ning the Cathedral. On the pavement here
ana there ay tue market girls. some Of them
md other country produce for exhibition.
AS we walked aong the streets, we had frc.
lucutly seen men, carefully dressed, in holiday
costume, silently and quietly moving along,
o'!e Of thcn with d rrayer-book in their hands
AL OF them With serious aud devotional as
rect
The cathedral WIS Illuminated. Outside it !
Il dllapidatcd appcarancc-rer shabby,
indeed: We would cal! It in Amcrica. It has
more tllc appearance Of gigantic barn than tllr
1ratcst place Of worship III the Republic u
4asti. But it is Of great light and grand pro-
or3lous; On the steps sut women with home
I'D there u lepcr or blind beggar; but therr
Icre very few now, in comparison Witll the crowd
! halt anu lume, and blind, and lcprous 1us,ltli-
unts who tArong around the doors in the tla,-
nc.
We entered. II was sad, and yet beautiful,
"'tuess lie aeeHe when lie Interior OF the
athedral presented. The priests-a1l white
zen save one--werc clcvatinG the Host; at least
itecn hundred women and fire hundred men !
ere reycrentlr bow:ng their heads--tnuny Of
'cnl on their bonded Knees or with their tnces
J the hoor, all with the most devotional ex- |
ression Ut veneration. The women, nearly all ,
black, with white turbans OH their heads and !
.at!y dressed. their faces illuminated by 1he
sndfes; the pictures, especially that extraord.
ary painting behind the altar; the little black !
oys who attended the priest, dressed in their
;artet and white flowing robes; the time, the
lace, tho absence Of white faces. and the re-
niscenccs which that fact recallcd-it was, all
all, one Of the most picturesque yet solemn,
lea:iic Yet sadly impressive, talIeau1 that if |
as ever our fortune or privilege to witness.
CALVARY.
Adjoining one Of the city gates, near i ruined
1twork or part Of the wafls-at the head Of IN
graded street which gradually ascends to it !
is little clApel ur ruuM, surnountcd bv ! =.
.oss; it's tue Calvary Of Fort-an. Prince, where
altar IS kept exposed at all hours-to enable
lc worsh'ppers out III tue open street, to con-
atho!ic symbols. Wcwcnt up to it, 4 limp :
as burning OIL the altar. The door Of the CAL {
iry-house WIS locked yet twenty worshippcrs
ere Oh their knees or faces in the open street. :
nder the walls, near the door, burned twenty
indies, Ut least brought-each carrying ouc- !
tue Pious black Catholics on their knees !
crc Many Of them were poor girls, who had
me in with their little loads Of rural produce
+ sale; bnt before going to the market place,
I'd repaired here to ask, as best they could, 5
e protection and blessing of the White Deity: y
+ they havc not yet developed that pride Of {
ICE, Which. in its inperious seIfsuuticiency, !
'lork even heaven with its OWL peculiar hue
What is God:" asked youug girl who
I'd learned her catecism at the public schools,
"U tAt m Manc !"-l1e is 4 whitc-was tho