The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-08-06

NSsss" |
70, under date Of July 9th, has the following
account Of the celebrated Baez
Irothers,
I never knew the meaning Of the phrase
representative men" until had seen, and
n a quiet way studied, the Baex Brothers.
Baez, the President Of the Do
ninican Republic, Ia cmphatically q repre-
tentative man. In race, In epoch, In position,
md In natural fitness TO rule the hour, he
,tands q leader Of mark but-except per-
maps In executive experience-hls brother
Damain Is his peer, and Carlos and valentin
two brothers more-are also men Of ability,
aud what Ia more, are equal to the demands
Of the new era.
idea-let us confess II frankly |
but when II became nm reversible certainty, |
and the white race had to measure itself, and
all other races, by new set OF social and
political lines, TO our own unlimited astonish-
ment, we not only survived the shock, but
calmly accepted the situation.
Baez was one OF the very first men In the
island of Hayti to takc high and special
ground as the conciliador de rams. The
bald English translation, conciliator Of races
does not convey the whole idea. His career
will best explain II. His father, q Spaniard,
Of good family and education and large for
tune, had family Of four children BY
quadroon, the daughter OF a slave. The
mother was on the colored side partly In
dian, partly African, and, In spite OF the de-
cidcd Caucasian predominancc, the blended
blood of the darker races Is traceable In all
the brothers. The eldest OF this remarkable
family was born on the day OF St. Buenayen-
tura, the patron OF the ancestral house IN
Spain; and the father considere d that so
happy an augury that he built memorial
chapel to his honor on his vast estates near
| Aqua, which arc now the inheritance OF his
sons, and vowed to educate this boy TO be
public bencfactor. lie was legitimized and
sent to France, where ho was trained In the
| best schools and the best society money
could command. Other sons were born to
him who were recognized, educated, and
duly admitted to their share In the large
patrimonial estates, but the eldest was the
pride Of his heart.
When this youth returned from Europe,
| Boyer had united the whole Island OF Hayti
under one government, with the capital at
Port-au-Prince, and the negro element at the
West was insisting that the exclusion OF
whites from citizenship should be vigorously
extended to the Eastern Department. Baez,
then a beardiess, though energetic and most
ambitious youth, had no difficulty In getting
himself chosen as q Deputy to the National
Assembly; and once there he did not fall TO
clectrify the dark conclavc that ruled at
Port au-P Prince. His first shot was sent Into
the very citadel Of their race prcjudices. The
old, and SCARED, ignorant but triumphant
emancipators OF their people; those who
have crushed out African bondage In the
! blood and ashes of an extensive white SUI
prcmacy, heard with surprise, and some with
fierce, indignant contempt, beardless boy
tell them that their dream Of replacing 1t by
, an exclusive negro supremacy was equally
unjust and unwise, and as far from desir.
able as the old regime. "The domination OF
our race over another Is incompatible with
high civilization" said the young lnnovator
''and the man or the community that onits
to treat the just and the supremely necessary
Cancellation Of co-occupant races as first
duty Of legislation, cannot claim the honor
due to an elevated Christian statesman
ship"
D This principle was carried out soon aftci
/ In the separation Of the old Spanish colon,
0 from the Western Republic Of Hayti In 1924.
4 Baez and his brothers had their part In this
: distinct severance, and In support Of tn,
broad demarcation OF race principles which
distinguishes the Dominican Republic from
a Hayti. In this idea Of making Hayti-th
! whole island-a fair and open field In whlcl
!. men of all colors may find the level OF thei
a true worth, the Baez brothers are as on
man, loving each other with a rare fldelit
Of affection, and regarding the eldest as thei
q natural leader, each contributing Win ~
y his might and means to sustain an
strengthen him In the Presidential chair
Their ability and their afiectionatc deyotio
y to him and to their common creed excuse
Baez 10 the minds Of his people for giving s
8 much power to his brothers. Valeutiu CON
mands on the frontier, and even the partit
opposed to the !" Baez brothers" admit tina
\, he commands we'll.
n Carlos Is Governor of his native provlnc
n of Aqua, by the choice Of his fellow-cltlzens
N and Damian commands the province OF Sat
~ to Domingo, by the Presidents appointment
and he, too, governs with firm and equa
% hand, but not with the gracious popularlt
u which makes the President the idol Of hi
7, party. With the two leaders Of the I'D
1s verse parties, Cabral and Pimentel, there
II no difference Of opinion on the question {
l. the equal rights Of all races before the Law
The Dominicans all agree on that, but p
n mentel wants TO take the Dominican Repul
Of lie into the Union and leave Haytl out, al
lg Baez wants to bring In the whole ISLAM,
ID while Cabral don't wish 1t to 60 In at nj
lie lie believes that Europe will Interfere
u save Cuba, and that, under the mgls OF
70 general free trade understanding, the
es Islands can and will remain Independent.
Dry Goods.