The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-01-05
NO WAR WITH HAYTI.
The mayfair Republic Given Up.

The naytlau Republic Given Up.
Kingston ia, Dec. "a, 1888 .-Hayti's
black ruler, General Legitime, passed
nom triumph to humiliation in quick
snccessian last week. On Sunday he
was elected president, on Tuesday he
was ~lnaugurated aud on rhursday he
was forced to surrender the steamer
Haytian Republic under peril of bonn
bardment by the Galena aud Yantic.
| have just arrived here from Port
auPrince in the Arran, which left there
last Friday. The Sunday previous was
the day fixed for the joint session OF the
senate and assembly to elect a president.
When the Joint convention met it was,
OF course, a foregOne conclusion that
General Legitime would be elected
president, and the deputies FASTENED to
do what was expected of them. Forty
four votes were recorded for Legitime;
all other candidates o.. Then the pop
ulace gave itself up to hilarity and
tafia.
Tuesday was Inauguration day and a
general holiday was decreed. The
ceremonies consisted of the usual
Inauguration o~sthtaking in public, a
pompous higt mass at the cathedral, a
grand parade of the tatterdemalion
loops a banquet at the palace in the
afternoon. The whole population, the
troops and the officials were on a pro-
loDged jamboree all that day and the
next.
~PREsToN's SCHEME FAILS.
Possibly that fact may account for
the failure of Minister Preston's well
planned SCENE TO save the Haytian
government the humiliation of being
forced to surrender the steamer Hay
tian Republic to the United States war
ships. Tuesday evening Nr. Peters,
the agent for the Atlas line OF steamers,
notified President Legitime that, in
accordance with a contract his company
had made with Minister Preston in
New York, he had brought a crew for
the Haytian Republic and wss ready to
take her north at once. President Leg
thine promised to lay the matter before
the cabinet, and a cabinet meeting was
held next morning, the 18th.
Whether the president and his ad-
visers were really incapable of grasp
ing Minister Preston's plan or were
merely temporarily beligerent from
enthusiasm and tafia, it Is not possible
to state. The result was, however,
that the minister OF foreign affairs
notified Mr. Peters that the government
could not understand Minister Preston's
scheme and therefore would not send
the vessel to New York.
LUCE oUICKENs THEIR COMPREHENSION.
Early Thursday morning the Yantic
and Galena. the latter flying the flag of
Rear Admiral Luce, arrives in the
outer harbor. Admiral Luce quickly
shifted his flag to the Yantic and the
latter steamed into the inner harbor.
Anchoring a short cable length from
the Haytian Republic, the Yantic ran a
hawser from her stern to the alleged
prize, and simultaneously sent her gig
containing Commander Heyerman and
Flag Lieutenant Meigs, ashore to COM
municate with Minister Thompson.
These officers then accompanied the
minister to the presidents palace and
demanded the delivery of the HavtiaD
Republic to the United States naval
commander in the outer barbor. Ii the
steamer were not delivered before sun
set the United States ships would take
her by force, and If resistance were
offered they wopld shell the city. In
order that there shonld be no delay the
Galena sent boats TO the vessels in the
harbor to get out of range, and the
foreign consuls were notified of the
possibility OF an early beginning of
hostilities. The admiral's demand also
called Tor a salute of twenty-one guns
to the Uaited States flag and the pay
ment of an indemnity to the wner of
the Haytian Republic.
GREAT GUN ARE GOOD ARGUERs.
Lcgitime and his advisers suddenly
realized that they had an elephant on
their hands. u was evident that they
no longer regarded the seizure OF a
vessel flying the United States flag as
such q smart piece OF business, after
all. In hot haste they hurried a small
steamer alongside OF the Haytian
Republic, from whose masthead and
peak still floated the national colors
which plucky Captain Compton had
insisted on keeping there. The captain
was on hand to receive his ship back,
and at five O'Clock she was towed to the
outer harbor aud brought to anchor
near the Galena. Then the Haytian
gunboat Dessalines ran the stars and
strips up to her foremost head and fired
q solute of t~weHty-One guns. The
Galena returned the salute The vessel
was released under protest, although
the Haytians had agreed to abide by
the decision OF our government.
A crew for the Haytian Republic
will be selected from the crews of the
Galeua and Yantic, and the steamer
will at once be started for New York,
since II IL desirabled to get her out OF
the yellow fever locality as quickly as
possible.
1t IL reported that the indemnity de-
manded Tor the Haytian Republics
owners and the United States govern
ment was $350,000.
THE SITUATION IN HAYTI CRITICAL.
Admiral Luce will shortly come TO
Kingston to get coal, y vessel re-
naming while the other fills her bunk.
era. and then they will exchange
~p1sces, as there is no telling what may
happen in Port an Prince. Every one
there was surprised at the prompt steps
taken by Admiral Luce, who acted
with great courtesy but ~unbending
Hrmness. When ] left on Friday for
this port most of the Haytians were
drunk or rapidly becoming SO, aud it
would take little to reate a riot or
~>xep o revolution.