The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-13
THE HAYTIANS.
They Still Eat Human Flesh and Adhere
to Voudouism.

They Still Eat Human Flesh and Adhere
to voudouism.
l met Sir Spenser St, John recently
at the Brunswick. He has been the
representative of the British Govern
ment in Mexico, and was Her Majesty's
Minister to Hayti for twelve years. He
is a typical Englishman, dignified,
courtly, and in possession of such SUBJ
lime self-respect that he feels inclined
to lift his hat whenever he hears his
own name mentioned. Sir Spenser St.
John is an authority on the history of
Hayti, and can give vast deal of fresh
and lively information about the Black
Republic. He says that the blacks still
eat human flesh at times, and that they
continue to make human sacrifices.
The Haytians deny these deplorable
facts, and are sensible of the stigma
cast upon the country by the practices
of such disgusting crimes. Sir Spencer
st. John has evidence of the practice
of canibalism Hayti from the records
of the courts and from the lips Of cred
IDLE witnesses. In 1894 female MIDI
wife near Port-au-Prince ate Il female
baby, and a short time ago eight people
were fined for disinterring and devour-
ing corpses. About the same time a
cask of meat marked pork was sold to
a foreign ship. In it were found fingers,
tinger-nails and human flesh.
Politically speaking, said Sir Spenscr,
the Haytians are a hopeless people, and
the best educated among them are dis
posed to despair of their conntry's
future when they see the wreck that
follows each war of barbarism.
The people seem to have little OF no
moral nature. The native merchant is
absolutely devoid of financial honor,
and my informant declared that it was
sheer recklessness on the part of insur-
ance companies to take risks there. In
the interior districts polygamy is gem
orally and openly practiced and on
Fridays one is sure to see black men
mounted on mules going down to mar
ket, followed by great numbers of wives
bearing burdens.
During Sir Sponsors long residence
in Hayti he saw but one handsome
negress. And he observed that one of
the negro's curious traits is a shy dis
like of the monkey. The Haytian dis
likes the monkey because he fancies
that the whites think there is no great
difference between homely negro and
a handsome gorilla.
Does Voudouism prevail in Hayti
nowp' was asked.
''Yes, and few living out of the Re-
public know the extent to which it is
carried on. The natives strive to con-
ceal it. 1t is low and revolving wor-
ship. The Great Spirit is supposed to
be manifest in non-venomous SER
pent. The serpent is kept by the
priest, and human and other sacrifices
are made to it. The religion has had,
and still has, a most wonderful grasp
on the people. 1t was imported from
Africa. The Emperor Sowlogue was a
firm believer in it, and caused a child
to be sacrificed to insure his success in
battle. The human sacrifices are made
at their periodical feasts, which are
wild and loathsome revels. The peo-
pie drink at such times white rum
mixed with blood, and are wrought up
to an intense degree of excitement, and
then are ordered to give themselves
over to excuses. / knew of man
who sacrificed his own niece, and ate
soup made from her head and bones,
which We're boiled with vans. The
whole company partook of the horrid
broth. The next night they tried to
sacrifice another child, but were pre-
vented, and eight of the worshipers of
Voudou l saw tried and shot for the
crime
Sir Spenser ST. John is of the opinion
that Hayti is an excellent field for mis-
sionary work, and thinks that Corne-
Illus Vanderbilt, who is supposed to be
religiously inclined, would make vast
contribution to civilization by SPEND
ing $5,000,000 to humanize the Black
Republic. The condition of things there
is about as bad as it can be. The fact
that the true state of affairs is not
widely known is owing, my informant
says, to the practice of the Govern
ment employing professional writer's to
spread rose-colored accounts of civiliz-
alton and progress in Hayti.-M. Y.
Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer.
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