Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-09-03
The warning from Hayti.


IFrom the Journal of Commercel
In the republic of Hayti we see what
a black mans government can do with
everything in its favor-congenial eli
mate, abundant natural resources, recog-
milton by every civilized nation, freedom
from foreign molestation. All That a
negro government is capable of achiev-
ing, we may fairly say, the Haytien Re
public has accomplished. There have
been passages inthe history of Hayti
highly creditable to the colored race
The overthrow of the farcical Soulouque
displayed love of freedoms "a conscious
ness of the capacity for self-government,
which are not found among people
wholly. ignorant and besotted. Presi-
dent Geffrard was not bad executive
at first. He showed considerable talent
in quieting the unruly elements Of the
Republic, put the finances on an, i'm
proved footing, and was for some years
a popular ruler. 1t was through money
entanglements that he, like many an
other man. fell. Being hard up for cash,
and unable to effect a loan, he took
charge of the Port au Prince custom
house, and personally collected the dues.
This gave rise to great scandal, and was
seized upon by the opposition party to
Justify an armed revolution. The tickle,
excitable blacks Joined the standard of
revolt, some of them seemingly for no
other purpose than to crafty their love
of bloodshed and rapine. Geffrard had
the sagacity to resign, and so saved his
H. l.. 81,
grandchildren, were by decree perpetu-
ally banished from Hayti; as were also
his principal ministers. Others of his
supporters had ten years of exile served
out to them. General Salnave was then
chosen President for the term of four
rs,and new constitution was adopt
ed, which resembles in many respects
our own national charter. In parts it is
decidedly at variance with the doctrine
of universal suffrage, and of free speech,
which the freedmen of the South and
their Radical friends insist upon as the
inalienable rights of human beings
that is of black human beings the
Southern whites being entitled to those
rights only on certain conditions. For
example, under the Hayti constitution
only those male citizens can vote who
are landed proprietors, or have been en-
gagged in the cultivation of farm for not
less than five years, or exercise a pro-
fession, or are in the public service, or
follow some industrial pursuit. This is
not universal suffrage, but genuine i'm
provement on it; and the Haytiens SO
far exhibited good sense. Another
clause of the constitution prohibits the
assembling of people in public places
withoutleave from the police authorities.
This smacks of despotism, and is con-
fession that the Haytiens distrusted
their power to govern themselves. Their
.premonitions were correct. After a few
months of misrule, ,Salnave made himself
as generally hated as either Soulouque
or Geffirard had been. Towards the
close of 1867 revolution broke out,
which has lasted with varying fortunes
up to the present time, when it appears
to be on the eve of triumph, if that can
be called triumph which consists in
deposing- one tyrant in order to put
another in his place, who in turn will
soon be dragged down and killed, or
kicked out of the country
We wish to judge Hayti justly. It
is not because she is cursed with civil
war that we pronounce the black re-
nublic a failure, and a disgrace to civili-
zation. We have had our own civil war,
lasting longer than that of Hayti, and
marked by many occurrences which both
sides would be glad to have blotted from
history. But still it was war, prose-
cuted in the main, according to the
usages of civilized nations, and consid-
erine the vast number of troops engaged
and the extent of territory traversed,
was as free from horrible excesses as any
other war of the same magnitude on
rscord The Haytien conflict is no war,
snch AZ white men wage with each other
It is only murder and gillage on the
rn arnee scale. Salnaye is said ito
ave 2 given his soldiers permission to
Kill and rob at pleasure. The troops Of