Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-02
Written for THE EVENING STAR.
THE DEAN OF THE CORPS.
Minister Preston aud His Interesting
Family.
HAITI AND HER PEoPLE-How THE BLACK REPUB-
Lie WAS FoRMEp-aR. PREsToN's INTERNA-
TIoNAL woRK-Bow he CAME TO WASHINGTON
THE HOME CIRCLE

HAITI AND HER PEoPLE-How THE BLACK REPUB-
Lie WAS FoRMEp-aR. PREsroS's INTERSA-
T1oNAL woRK-How he CAME TO WASHINGTON
THE HOME CIRCLE
The caravels of the sturdy Genoese navi-
gator, while timidly venturing 800 years ago
before tide and wind in the unknown seas of
the vague watery expanse of the west, unravel-
ing the mundane mysteries of cosmic science
hove in sight of the western end of a rugged
insular formation. in what is now known as the
Antillean archipelago. and which early Spanish
geographers called the Hispaniola, but which
political changes subsequently distinguished as
Hayti. 1t is said of British admiral that
when asked by his sovereign to describe the
appearance of Hayti he seized piece of paper.
and crumpling it in his hand, placed it on the
table in the royal presence, remarking, Sire,
Hayti looks like that" For picturesqueness
and grandeur of scenery, diversity, and luxu-
rance of products Hayti is without a rival on
the globe.
SPANS DOMINATION.
The exterminating and avaricious domino
ton Of Spain ran through a century and a half.
The bold buccaneers of the Caribbean sea
opened Judgment for France. which. after
nearly six decades of incessant conflicts, was
acknowledged by the former Spanish possess
ors. The French control made Hayti one of
the richest and most valuable of colonial de-
tendencies. In order to increase the returns
OF the fructiferous soil, numerous slaves were
imported from Africa.
UPRISING OF THE SLAVES.
The overthrow of British dominion over the
thirteen North American colonies WAS followed
in single decade by the uprising of the slaves
of Hayti. The political disorders incident to
the French revolution and the intrigues of
factions in the rival interests of the directory
and the king ignited spark of revolt which
ended In the extinction Of French authority on
the island. The instructive military and civic
capabilities of the insurgent slave leader, Touis-
SAINT IL Ouverture the grandson of an African
prince, were more than match for European
prowess of arms or arts of diplomacy. The op-
eratons of France and England were unequal
to the task of subjugation.
END OF EUROPEAN RULE
After scenes of warlike atrocity extending
over a decade, the assemblage of military
chieftains, under Gen. Dessalines, in 1904,
pledged upon their swords the remuneration of
France and the death of every Frenchman re-
naming on the island. Thus ended European
domination and the substitution of constitu-
ton modelled somewhat after that of the
United States. 1t the first movement in
the procession of events which will ultimately
eliminate in the overthrow of European
authority ON the western hemisphere.
THE DEAN OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS.
1t is an interesting coincidence that the dean
or doyen of the diplomatic corps at the capital
of the great republic of the west should be the
envoy of the first republic to follow the United
States in the march of American independence,
as 1t was the first seat of Spanish power ON the
continent and the point from which the
romantic and blood-thirsty expeditions of the
early Spanish explorers were fitted out. The
rules OF diplomatic precedence agreed upon by
the congress of Vienna of 1915, having CLASH