Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-09-11
LEFT OF HIS OWN ACCORD,

leSitllne, HaytiS DepOSed President,
Stops in New York on HIS Way to France
He Denies That He Was Banisbed
from His Native Land.
New YORK, Sept 6-Legitime, ex-Presi-
dent of Hayti, arrived Thursday morning
on the steamer Manhattan. He was accom-
panied by his family and several officers of
his army. The party was transferred at
Santiago from the deck of a French
man of-war to the Manhattan The voyage
to this city was very pleasant one, and
the exiles were in excellent spirits As
soon as the Manhattan had made fast
to the dock she was boarded By
Consul-General Weslandes and Minister
Preston. The ex-President looked tired and
his eyes were bloodshot His coat was dusty
and wrinkled, and his high silk hat was
lusterless The attire of the staff was SIM
liar to that OF the commander. The ex-
President would talk but little, but made
few epigrammatic remarks which were
interpreted for the benefit of the report
ers My people called me and came"
he said; they deposed me, anG I left,
not because l was compelled to, but to
avoid further bloodshed. On Saturday I
shall go to France, where I viii remain a
'ort time. L may return to Hayti as a
private citizen, or I may go to Cienfegos
time gave the following history of events
in Hayti during the past year:
''Ou October {, 1885, l was elected President
OF the Prov.sonary Government of Haytl.
Everything was done fairly and sQuarely in my
election, but intriguing spirits in the North
accused me OF fraud and cheating, and
General Tnelemaque came down with
an army to declare himself the desired
Pres dent of the North and South. l. of
course resisted his attempts, and about
week before the general elect on my troops
and those of the North under Thelemaque
had an engagement and Thelemaque was
Killed. l did not conspire for his
assassination. He was killed in bat
tie. But my enemies in the North turned
ThelemaQue's death into deliberate assasina-
ton on my part, and kept up the cry
against me. We had heard that four deputies
from the North were on board the steamer
,Hayticn Republic with evil ues gns> and OF
course it was prudent for US to seize them. The
seizure OF this vessel was entirely a mistake,
mistake for which We were sorry, and tbs is
evidenced IN the speedy manner which we
turned her over to her owners, together with
large indemnity. I was duly elected
President of Hayti on December II,
1881. My election Was formal and
regular. The war. you might say.
was begun ut this period, and soon after my
accession to power circumstances and my
rlghtS anu my peoples riHntS forced me
to engage In it. The war has been q
bloody one and OF long duration. Hip
polyte came down from the North, sweeping
destruction before him and spilling blood in a
most shameful and diabolical manner, and
can assure you that the loss of so many lives
pa ned me. Finally finding that the in
creasing numbers Of the Northern army
threatened my Southern country with destruc-
tion, I decided that the sest and most
prof. er course for me to pursue was to resign
and retire quietly and peacefully from the
country l was not forced to leave Hayti nor
was there any surrender. Ny departure from
Port au Prince was indeed an ovation to me.
love my people and have every reason to be-
lieve they love me. It lis very possible that
shall spend year in France and then per-
haps return to Hayti. My return, however. is
undecided and depends entirely on the state OF
tn ngs, My feeling for the American people is
great. respect and fear the Americans.