The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-03-12
HAYTps SAD Plight.
statements Made By Captain Peterson, Of
the steamer Blanche Henderson.

philadelphia Times.I
"The greatest excitement prevailed In
Jamaica when l left there, Ten days ago."
said Captain Peterson, II the steamer
Blanche Henderson. last Night, "The
reports from Havti show n terrible state OF
affairs there, and there IL a general feeling
of insecurity In all the adjacent islands.
IL Is more than misfortune that the In
surgents were crushcd--it Is a downright
calamity. The air was full OF reports when
4 left Jamaica that President Solomon and
his troops were numbering men. women,
and children, and destroying everything
by the torch that belonged 10 the In
,urgents. No. I did not touch at Hayu,
and nothing could have induced meto have
done so. II had been the owner OF the
Blanche Henderson as well as her captain
the insurgents would have been successful.
Why do think soy will tell you. Du-
ring my trip to Jamaica before this last
one from which have Just returned, was
met when but q few hours from Kingston
by Captain Williams, OF the insurgent
man-of-war La Patrie. He had come out
IN a schooner to meet my vessel, thinking
Captain Dickman was In command. He
hailed us, and after coming aboard asked
TO see Captain Dickman. / told him that
Captain Dickman was aboard. hut was act
ing as purser and was not In command.
After talking awhile with me in my
cabin he said that be would reveal his mis-
sion 10 me, and hoped l would give him
the aid OF which he was standing so much
In need. The Dessalines,' he said. was
on her way TO Hayti, and would reach
there In few days, and once there and
manned the insurgents would have no
hope He was anxious, he said, to meet
the Dessalines with his man-of-war La Pa
trie and engage her In battle. He felt
sure OF his ability TO sink the Dessa-
lines with the heavy guns from the La
Patrie. Captain williams seemed to be
such q gallant officer, and so enthusiastic,
that my sympathies were engaged imme.
diately i'm his behalf. | eagerly asked
how / could assist him. lie needed coal.
he said, for the La Patrie; coal he must
have or else all would be lost. He offered
TO pay me any price for large quantity OF
coal. would gladly have let him have it
il the vessel was commanding had been
my own. told him that IL was impos-
sible for me to aid him, and that / regret
ted as much as himself my inability to do
so. He left the vessel saying that his last
hope was gone, and so it proved. The
Dessalines three days after arrived ut Port
au-Prince. and from that day the insur-
gents flags began to go down.
.Hayti," continued Captain Peterson,
warmly, "will have TO be be taken hold OF
by some civilized Power eventually, and
che sooner the better, not only for The good
Of other countries, but for Hayti herself.
The island is the fairest on the globe.
Every variety Of tropical fruit and vegeta-
BILE grow there in abundance, and yet the
island Is worth actually nothing. The peo-
pie are lazy, savage, and poor. The white
people Of means and enterprise who are
anxious to go there are afraid, and well
thew may be. France or Spain will have
TO rule Hayti, and then it will amount to
something, but not before"