The national Republican., 1869-06-09
HAITI on SAINT DOMINGO.

sources and surprising beauty enable II 10
dispute with Cuba the title OF Queen Of the
Antilles, 10 evidently but an outlying men,
bsr OF the North American continent, to
which Il would bc united II the general
ocean level were depressed q few fathoms.
Lying In the full sweep OF the trade winds,
and under burning tropical sun, its cli-
mate presents shappy combination Of genial
heat and fructlfying moisture, by which It's
admirable fertility is fully brought out.
Though favored 10 small extent with
navigsble rivers, the deep indentatlons OF Its
coast and its numerous eligible harbors give
smpls facilities for both foreign and coast
ing trade. Its internal conHguraton Is well
adApted 10 railroads and other highways.
Il Il forty-eight miles from Cuba, 100 from
Jamaica, forty -e,gh, from Porto Rico and
oos from the coast Of South America. Its
commercial position is O commanding one;
its internal character and conformation Is
favorable TO tho most productive Industry;
yss, with these splendid advantages, Its ca
rcer In civilization has beou melancholy
failure.
II 10 about equal To Maine, with Its $4,000
SQUARE miles, being 400 miles long, with
maximum breadth Of 163. It's surface con-
sists mainly OF vast fertile plains, intcrsected
with parallel ranges OF mountains, rising to |
an altitude Of 1000 foot. The parallcllsm |
Of these ranges favors atmospheric clrcula- |
ton and copious precipitation Of moisture.
In the Cibao range were probably found
those deposits OF gold which so powerfully
stimulated Spanish immigration, at tho frst
discovery OF the Island, and brought such
terrible suffcrings upon Ito innocent apd list
less sborigines.
The plain Of La Vega Real, In the eastern
part OF the Island, was the scene Of early
Spanish agricultural enterprise, the relics of
many towns and plantations being still
visible. 1t is remarkably fertile, and well
drained by the Yacki and the Yuma rivers.
Tho Llanos, on the south, and the Artlbonite
plains, on tho west, rank next In Importance,
altogether, presenting a body of ngricultu-
raj land perhaps unsurpassed on the globe.
The heavy rains bring down rich debritus
from the mountains, whose surface forma-
tions arc heavily charged with fortlllzlng
elements.
This combination Of climate and soil pro-
duces lururiancc, variety, and dellcacy Of
vegetation which has reused the enthusiasm
Of travellers and historians ever since lts dis
oovery. Columbus thought that 1t must
have been the original seat OF Paradise.
Edwards, eulogiIlng its lovellness In terms
apaaci.ptIv dsnldad fbnpph oaparaI Ia "a
preached with understat ting the ease by De
Charmilly, against whom Ralnsford prefers
the sams charge. Raynal, Moreau, 81. Merry,
and Robertson strongly endorse these highly
colored descriptions, which, to our cold North
ern cars, sound somewhat extravagant. The
national resources and beauties Of the Island
have been but slightly impaired by tho
superficial and abortiye civilization TO which
IL has been subjected.
But this earthly Paradise has witnessed
tragedies which have wrung tho heart OF
humanity. The extinction OF the helpless
Indian race under the wasting scrvitudc OF
the mines, and the mistaken efforts Of the
amiable Las Casas to save them from utter
destruction by substituting the harder negro
race, present some painfully interesting
problems in social science at once illustrat-
ing the inarmites OF human intelligence
and uncovering unfathomablo depths Of
cruelty In the human heart. What swim
aud terrible retribution was meted out by an
ayenging Providence for these crimes In tn
social conyulsion which overwhelmed the
white population and made them fngitlyes In
foreign lands. Nothing in history surpasses
In tragic interest the judicial blindness Of
the French colonlsts, dividing into hostile
factions upon the threatening Issues Of the
French revolution and bandylng Its fatal
truisms OF 'Tiberty, equality and fraternity
In the presence Of slave population of over
whelming numbers and exasperated by op
preston. Never was more startllngly real
lsed the old hoathen adage; "Whom thu
gods destroy they hrst make mad" They
lsd sown the wind, and were reaping thu
vhidwind. The expulsion Of the whit,
population and subsequent efforts Of Eng
land and France to reimpose foreign yoke
the desperate Resistance of the blacks, the
heroic career and tragic fate of Toussant Cou,
ysrture, and the subsequent bloody revolu,
tons Of the lsland-all these are but the acts
OF . historical drama Of thrilling Interest Il
the phllosophlc reader, Involving o unique
combination OF circumstances, Influences
and motives such as the most daring dra
matic genius would never have the hardl
hood to reproduce. Society ls here seen
operating under morbid conditions aud pro
dusing abnormal results.
Hsytian civilization is q failure; that Is
ks motive power s exhausted, and wlthou
. reinforcement from some other quarter Il
must relapse into barbarism. SocIetary move
ment has been arrested, industry paralyzcl
and commerce crushed. There Is NO stability
OF social order, The normal condition OF tn
island SCENE TO be one Of chronic insurroc
lion. No sooner does one mob chieftaIr
grasp the reins Of government than prurien
ambition rouses another to deposo him
vlndictiye passions and low, factious polio!
charactsrize the movements both Of people
and government. No Industrial or CONNER
DIAL development can DC expected In such Q
ehostic social state. The splendid resource.
Of tho island lie dormant. Under tho rsgIn.
Of slavery Hayti exported In l7ss l97, ,l6l, ,O5
pounds OF sugar. In 1879, eleven years there
after, the export was A,o92.0O0 pounds. l
few years more this production wGs nc
more than Sufficient for home consumption
- there was no longer any export. tn
Suecess OF the Haytian revolution drove tn
white planters, with their agricultural ski
and srpehence, and with such capital a
they could save from tho wreck Of society
70 Cuba, enabling that Island to subStltut
for her former export OF hides the more i'm
portant and controlling export Of sugar II
1895 Cuba contributed one fourth Of th
Wsss Indian sugar export, and one eighth 0
that OF tropical America and Louisiana
oonss culture also passed from Hayu to 1t
more fortunAts rival.
WI. k.iai.ss condition of Havtlan InA,s