New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-23
HAYTI.
RHrTISH TESTIMONY REGARDING TEE CON.
DIT1ON OF THE ISLAND

VrTISH TESTIMONY REGARDING TEE CON-
DIT1ON OF THE ISLAND.
Some interesting information. from . British
eoint Of view, with regard to the state Of affairs
IN Hayti and the character of the negroes on the
khnd, is given in little work entitled The
Car1bbean Confederation, plan for the union
q he fifteen British West Indian Colonies by
G. 8 Salmon, late President of Nevis The book
"a ons Of those which the Golden Club publishes
from time to time, not relating TO the tariff aues
Cen, and les main object il 70 advocate govern
peuas Of the British West Indian colonies under
control of the inhabitants, and associated in
oonfedrrst don of states The author believes that
the ores .nt form of Colonial government Is most
unjust alike TO the white and the coiored lnhap-
tiants and incidentally defends the black race
with Grest vigor against the Imputauons contained
A. NJ, Fronaes book on The English in the
Wa Indies But ito interest to American
reader, ut this time is derived chiefly from the
information which it gives in regard to the con-
di.,ou and trogress of the negro race IN other
,ort;eps of the West Indies, and especially IN
Hsyti.
Mr.. rroude in his argument for government
~ ths West India colonies after the pattern oil
government in British India. had spoken largely
.f the state Of affairs in Haytl as evidence 'ha'
,s. black race. when permitted to direct It's own
'"' al, rarl- N barharism The
foIIevirx quotations from Mr.. Saimons WORK
s.ou both the reasoning of Mr. Froude ana MI
Sslnon's answer: -,
A. rrou1e often refers to Hsyh. 1t Is me corner
,.yre Of his edibce. He cannot see the brrls" ,
nan having any politicai rights. however minute
ell, bringing forward this black republic as
No ON. would care TO defend the acts OF the nay
-. A. az ,bssr government where they 60 wrong :
~ +h>, they have gone very wong indeed IN MANY
A,rsc,,a,. q obvious But there Is measure Ia az
.o,aernstions and Mr.. Froude does MOI Keep " 'n"
measure which justice in this case demands: ,..n,s
In page 1as. speaking of Sir Spencer d. JON"
Tn. republic Of Toussant rouvert,r,e r tne had ,a
Of ali believers in the new gSspeI % SecTs land
~b-r, cannIbasm could b. pract'Sed VIA ntS an
TIE African obeah The w"T Sn,nr :" IN ali the West
yS,ss in the form OF wichcraft ana polsontsi
brosen out in Hsyti in al its Old ~ Sooeh and
SeS sSvousG With hord ceremony s~Sd hm bo
being preserved aud sold for the 6ensna % 'no'o
uerr M shic 20 attend the ful soiemhi"0s' .
p,,.,v ope knows tina those Africans VINO arc no
u.,.,m-dsns or Christians are pagans Eu' eVoIN
an. noe. not know and Mr. Fioude Is app@rohuS
.r.ors th.s. that very few of the counties pa-"n
,r,hes az Africa ae cannibals While none VI 'H
nr.etlco cannbalsm in their RELIGIOUS r'e>' - s.
nymoer of these pagan tribes practice human sacio
- 10. .. animal sacrifice, and offer up 1000 Anu
IN. fruits Of tie esrh 10 their dvinlues
TIL, worship Mr. Froude says has been " reViNeu III
Uayu has no counterpart In AFRICA. ihe poopo Va
the continent do not kill and eat children 10 tn'n
-lig Gus rites The sacrn ial Offering. Wheh huiN"'
&c usually a grown person. AM the body Is ho'
ea+en The African even "a pagan Ii le"S''
,cuu Hts fat is a Tad faith. but ne acts up 10 IT,
The pscsn IA IN Of the African teaches MIN no mon
fry no sense Of right and wrong, ana no duueS run
.ny Christian standpoint; but II lnll oSes 'o''"
rs-onal and tribal obligations, ana these ne heNo'
shaodons When the pagan Airiean turns NoAah""
.
when he becomes Christian he can ieailesSN oo"i
rompsrson with his while noighoors.
Rut 70 return 10 Hayti This Is what MI tfouue
saws of tho Lay tanS on page 10 lloS "0''
eop,prd Nfer they stared their ca ee oil ireeuoin
with the Catholic religion a CIV ulzed LANGUAGE
Juopcaa law, and ranner Rs and The Ano"lcu~0 VI
various All, aud occupations, which they h@a eaIn'
when Ley were slaves" LUCKY Hay "dis' nv
Nr Frou ic when he wrote this not forget what nc
had lust been saying OF the Diach man III "o
British Islam - To axe MI. tiOude al DIS "'Iu'
fhe British black of to-day are not near 81 "en
equipped a. were the Haytisns ninety years aso'
But the bare fact, which ought 10 have been thought
of long ago when people were endedvoris IT, account
for these prtcoeIlngs Hayt is that The black people
OF The iD.eriOr Of the island were never ChilS'~iS
they hsd never been converted from pagahlsm 10
human Catholicism. A large number OF the Dischs
were paeans Al the time OF the rising. Inc must
ia, can be sad Is that these pagans may nave
diminished in number dining the ninety years That
have since ELAPSED; bat the probability that theV
shouh, have been al converted to sound ChrlstaoiS
10 al ogetnef unlikely, II we take IniO ohSue' a'on
the political and sociai SAFE - HsSu ouihe 'hese
ninety years. The enormous difficulties thrown III
.he way OF he adv OF education ana ChfiSishlN
by the clao rs condition brought about ty successive
ins,,pectiop, and civil STRIFE would maize the suDse
.usu eonve, sion Of whole cOnsde abic pagan resi-
due Well ~ have existed d. the uh.' ehoiS iii
ply rn. condition of Hayt before emancipation, and
much OF ia conGiion would moi emo 10 clViIe
= ca. Oh men o. the above csEnLai kind Ii tAey
iu the interio. island: and !; Is nom
he interior thai hear oi these aOomlnaoie plo'
eesdinss Ihat the thing is not common ID BAY lie
tIsI m fact, it l. almost unknown 10 the sea-
sas population, 10 eviden. Inc nay ian H%a POI .
YS.e.1s1 TO i .nd led about t-One edlior was
ip,ur.uped for mangnng the state Thai paGan
rtss form OF ot1et exist III ~ASh no i
remains furIa par, cerSin, for people have boon
t1eI and even punished by the Haytan courts ior
TLs wLo.e supsrstructur built up BY Nj. Froude
on III ay myth lals 10 pieces when the NV IN n
itself Is shown be sDsurd There ca1 be no leidpse
this pist,.re aore effective. Mr.. FIoude mAcnlhes ne
Christianity aud civilization Of tne H'yuan 'i Iass
numbor OF lhem were far greater savages at that
ire due IA the vile it-uea pent ihey received ia
bondage than they were wnen hrst shdpsH , no md
Afl.ca Christianity did great thlnSs. no d1uot. ana
improved those few il touched. ou, II cohu nave nau
The Hsytsns, therefore. who do these things have
not rsysa ito rssa9S eS ie ION is obvious
IN rcasonaDe, but II would not have answered. UT.
oae 0je TO- eek iT H. rms e Masu oovons
tle teople have gained nothing by absolute In
dependence. They have gained nothing, because u,
Hsy we're fnsuffc emily equipped fO' it, The
Catholic religion had rot reached them as a religion.
How eouli it Only rs mere outward fornlniae
themselves, n cases, were deemed uhht Nv
their owners 10 frequent the churches. =,
There Mas varnish of Christianity along the
coast and In the and villages bul the paganism
81 tia blacks the interior and moro remote places
reu S'red practically untouched.
The large estate owners lived In France ana sent
agents TO supervise their properties In Hayil Ih"v
wee In sstjsble In their demands for produce ana
roney keep UP the expensive STYLE of living thev
aIIowed IN Paris. The poor slaves were worked 10
TIA the conduct OF tire French toward their slaves
unwilling known I'm the English SDansh tsianis :
A. ySf Mr. Froude saws, page 256 The French