The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1884-12-20
The Black Republic.
A TsriSls ArrAignnsnt Of Haytisa Life.

Black Republic Smith, Elder &
Co.., we cannot but ask ourselves
what might have been the effect
upon fair-minded people in our
northern states if Sir Spencer st.
Johns account of the woefnl re-
suits of giving the negro race con-
troll of a highly civilized and most
fruitful land could have been pub
lished simultaneously with "Uncle
Toms Cabin.n But, although it
comes too late to strengthen the
hands of those who contended
that transportation to Africa, no
matter at what cost, was the only
safe corrallary of negro emsnci-
patton, this book, and the atten-
tion which it cannot but direct to
the appalling decadence of Hayti
during the last hundred years,
may arouse the public mind to the
gravity of the problem presented
by the preponderance and alarm
ingly disprOportionate increase of
the black population in several of
the southern states.
One of the aphorisms based up
on an over .hasty and circum-
scribed induction denies to France
the colonizing power, yet in 1890
France possessed in the west end
of the island of Hispaniola-over
which she had exercised authority
only century and a half-a col
ony that, for Its size, was the most
tlourishing and profitable ever cre-
ated in America by any European
nation. The gist of Sir Spencer
st. Johns indictment of the black
race-the proof of its imputed in
capacity, not merely for evolving,
but for retaining civilization-lics
in the carefully compiled statistics
which contrast the present social
and economic predicament OF
Hayti with the agriculture and
commerce, the roads, acqueducts
and bridges, the industry and
thrift, the order and security. the
education and refinement, which
existed there a century ago. The
single point in the picture which
is not discouraging-and whether
this is propitious phenomenon
may be questioned-is the consid-
erable increase of the black las dis.
tingulshed from the mulatto OF
colored) element of the population
This fact, when we bear in mind
the total lack of sanitary precau
tions and medical supervision, the
ravages of inebriety and sexual
excess, the prevalence not only OF
infanticide and assassination, but
among the negroes of the interior
of cannibalism in most revolving
form, can only be ascribed to the
innate prolificness of the black
race and to the favorable condi
tions of the Haytian soil and eli
mate, under which abundant fooC
is procurable with q minimum o
labor, and the outlay required fol
clothing and fuel is quite insignifl
cant. The changes in the compo
sition and volume of the Haytiai
population seem to have beer
about as follows: AT the close o
the last century there were in th,
French end OF the island about 80,
900 whites, who have been com
pletely exterminated, and 750,00'
black and colored Inhabitants
From all the information Obtaina
BILE by Sir Spencer during twelv,
years. residence in Hayti (lS63 t.
1870, the population has double,
since 1926; but, unluckily, the es
timates for the last named epocl
; vary considerably, viz, from 351,
600 to $4,000. Apparently, th,
author accepts the mean between
these figures, for he quotes with
out objection the belief of Presi
dent Geffrard that in 1868 Hayt
had 900, 600 inhabitants, who, If th
rate of increase we're. kept up
would by this time have multiple,
to upward of a million and a quaI
ter. Of this total the mulattoes
who have often been repeated
decimated by the often successful
uprising of the pure blacks, nov
I. constitute about one tenth, an
they are not only dwindling i
|. numbers and power, but throug
constant intermarriage are rapid
,, degenerating into the preponen
black type. A curious fact abou
this Haytian population is tn
, pronounced excess of the femal
element, which has been place
by some observers as high as thre
women to one man, and even th
authors cautious estimate woul
!. put 1t as high as three to two. N
doubt this disproportion of male
to females has materially aggrs