The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-13
THE BLACK REPUBLIC.
HE FAILURE OF CIVILIZATION IN
SANTo DOMINGO.
characteristics of the People of Hayti as
Vowed by an English Minister
Resident = Political History
n Sicieening Record.
boston Advertiser.l

years the English minister resident and con.
SUI general In Haytl, has recently published
a history oil that country, showing what
ialiure 1t Is as republic, and how low in
tne scale OF civilization. Sir Spenser has
ived for more than thirty five years amongs,
various colorei races; for twelve years he
was IN familiar intercourse with Haytians |
OF all ranks He thinks Santo Domingo enc
OF the finest islands in the world in regard |
to geographical position, soil, climate, seem
cry, and health, and yet it has been so |
ruined by miSgovernment that of all coun- |
tries 1t Is the one to be most avoided |
The political history OF the island has, from |
Its beginning, been asickening record of MUIR |
der robbery, revolution, plots, and every
form of ,eliiShness; but there have been n |
Few interval OF comparative peace, during |
which the iSlanl has had some prosperity |
Under Preach rule, during the greater rart
OF the eighteenth century, Hayti became one
OF the richest colonies OF its size in the
world, male 81 by the large importation Of
negroes from Africa, and by a very harsh
system OF slavery. 1t is to this slavery and
slave trade that HayH now owes its de-
pressed, harbarous AMI disgraceful posi-
ton. At present Gen. Solomon is at the
head Of the government; he was elected in
October, 1879, for seven years, and it seems
probable that he will complete his term of
oilice-a rare occurrence in Hayti. His adj
ministration has been marked by illegal
| military executions, murder, and pillage.
The population of Hayti is not accurately
known but must 10 more than 1,000,000
Nine tonths of the population are black
and one-tenth colored, and the colored are
M oa,i txrrNN
! The mulatoei are superior to the blacks in
Intelligence, and have greater capacity for
| government but oven they have had no
marked success. Both races desire political
power for the saks OF the spoiIs, aud tho gsn-
elal motto is that "to take government
money is not theft" Between blacks and
mulatoes there is bitter hostility; and mu-
lattoei hate the whites also. The charac-
teristics of the different races in Hayti APP
pear in the popular fables One of these
relates that God once asked white man, a
mulatto, AMI n negro what each most de-
srel. The first asked for knowledge OF
the arts and sciences, tho second FOR fins
horses am beautiful women, the third for n
bit of gold lace. Again, it is said that ii ar
rested, q White man demands paper AMI ink
in order to draw up protest, the mulatto
|
negro lies down, sleeps twenty four hours,
wakes grumbla5 turns over and goes to
sleep again.
| TnS PERPETUAL quarrel between tho black
and the mulatto is AS bitter now as it has ever
been, and is the principal cause of tia bar
harsm of Hayti. The blacks still retain the
religion AMI many of the customs of their
African ancestors. Noudoo worship and
;I,,l,
C is the worship OF the non-venomous serpent,
= and is accompanied by dancing, drinking,
horrible crimes, and tile most eXtravagant
and disgusting debauchery, carrie on un
dor the direction of Voudoo priests, both male
! AMI female. No worls can describe tho
: Ioathsome scenes. One sect of the Noudoo
condemn human sacrifices; but the accepted
Voudoo religion includes not only the kill
8 Ing, cooking, AMI eating OF children at relig
l ious gatherings, but The use of human being,
US REORGANIZATION for pleasure as we'll a
>, fox worship. Voudoos are SO numerous tina
> their practices are seldom interfered will
: by the government They are ignored il
order to avoid political trouble The Noudo
priests have also a wonderful knowledge q
vegetable poison5, with their antidotes, an
u this gives them immense power. The snake
:, blacks seem even worse than that of tn
- Mouui Indians, which resembles it in man
respects.
Among the strangeSt things in moier
n history are Lieut. Rurke's recently pull
ID lished account of the serpent worship of tn
ID Moduis and this chapter on Voudoo worShi
ani cannibalsm. Sir Spenser st John give
IN the proofs of these horrible things. The
| ,y,f, lint GlflEp n
u ia thor vile details. He says, at the clos
IN Of this account, that it must DO remembers
that the republic of Hayti is not a savage +,
CD gion in Central Africa but an island in Il
midst of civilized communities; that it hi
a government modelled on that of France
all the paraphernaIa of courts of justit
and police, a free press, and Cathoi
church, yet no power with the exception
President Geifrard during one year. has VI
dared to grapple with this widespread ba
barism Tho Voudoos have added to the
disgusting worship sort OF film or veil
Catholicism. They seek the blessing
Catholic priests and in the places where Il
huge sacred snakes ara kept they hang pic
,c ures of the Virgin Mary AMI of Jesus.
ry Sir Spenser st. John gives full inform
ty ton i'll regard to the present political al
commercial condition Of Hayti He Ii
ne carefully studied the problems of race al
government there. His conclusions are il
~ rortant He says that one by one his Ill
sians have passed AWAY. He now bellev
that the negro is incapable of holding an
~ | dependent position As long as he Is
fiuenced by contact with the white man,
-, in our southern state, he ge!s on very we
But away from such influence, as III Hay
a. rtfnfVas "a mar
a ali is an inferior type of man. He may
greatly improved but hs is incapable
for seif-sovernment, or of making progress
af himself Politically speaking, the Haytia
yes arc a hopeless people, and the best edacat
tn, among them are more and more inclined
despair, as they see the cruelty, incapacit
weakness. wickedness and violence of Ca
government in turn that comes into pow
The present government is in fact militia
'e'' despotisrn, with every department badly a
for dishonesty managed. Neither the VIII
man nor the colored man has any rig
which the black is bound to respect
l. These are worry serious charges, but Il
- are founded Oh trustworthy evidence {
!. lected in Hayti, and supported by the p
sons who have the best knowledge of
country. Mr.. j. J. Aubain, a Hay tian !
> latto who has held many important oifit
and who has been banished several tin
has RECENTLY. in New York, given an ucco
1 of Hayti quite us bad as that given by
Spencer st. John, excepting that MIR. Aub
thinks cannbalism infrequent, although
acknowledges that the Voudoo worship
widespread and powerful. Both Mr. Aub
and MIR. Iazare, who is one of the rel
sentatives of the United States IN Tia
suaat in IN, seyerest terms OF the COVE
/, nent there. Hayti las nothing good
Il SNOW Ms the result Of her eighty years
;ndannndence The blacks increase in po