The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-13
HAYTI.
A TURBULENT ISLAND WHERE
ANARCHY REIGNS SUPREME.
The Contest Between Legitime and
Hippolyte for the Presidency or
the Black Republic-TheH Hay
tien Republic Episode.

Santo Domingo is one of the fairest
and most fruitful islands OF the ocean.
Its soil is rich aud its climate lovely.
Coffee, bananas, oranges and many other
fruits grow easily there, and the island
has several fine harbors.
But the western end of the island,
which comprises the Haytian Republic.
is cursed by almost perpetual anarchy,
produced by revolutions. The kepublic,
indeed, is only g nominal one. The
President, fer the time being, is really a
dictator, and the presidential office has
long been almost constantly disputed by
ambitious rivals, ready to attain their
end, if need be, b. civil war.
One of these frequent revolutions
broke out several months ago, and has
barely closed at the present time. Gen.
eral Salomon has held the presidency
the term of which is seven years-since
1o7", He was reelected in loo~. But
three ambitious men wished to become
President, and for this object did not
hesitate to stir up insurrection.
President Solomon was deposed by q
revolutionary committeee, and was
forced to fly for his life He sought
shelter on a British vessel, went to
Paris and soon after died there.
Hayti was now in confusion, governed
by a revolutionary committee, which
appointed provisional executive body
composed of seven men. Among these
were Generals egitime, Thelenaque
and Hippolyte, all of whom aimed al
the presidency. After a struggle,
Thelema ,ue was declared to have re.
ceived the electoral vote, and installed
himself as President in Port-au-P Prince,
the capital. >.
His rival, Legitime, did not submit,
however, but bombarded Thelemaque's
house, and killed him and many of his
guard. Legitime then assumed the
presidency, which he has held by force
ever since, and has recently declared
himself unanimously" elected by the
electoral college.
But Legitime's claim is hotly disputed,
especially BY the supporters of Hippo
lyte, the third aspirant, who are mostly
in the northern part of the island. The
civil war seems, for time at least, to
have ended in the establishment OF
Leeitime's power, but it may break out
again at any moment.
Meanwhile public cattentionin the United
States has been especially directed to the
Haytian disturbances by the seizure Of
an American steamer, the Haytien he
public, at the port of St. Marc, two or
three months ago. The vessel was
charged with having run the blockade
she was seized, taken to Port.au-Prlnce,
and condemned as prize of war.
The steamship had, in fact, taken on
board at one of the ports Hayti, a body
of men who carried arms, and had landed
the men at another port whittier they
went to engage in the lnsurrection. This
act raised a question of international
law. For, on the one hand the Captain
of the Haytien Republic asserted that he
did not know that his passengers were,
or intended to be, insurgents; and on the
other hand there was no real blockade Of
any Haytian port. In international law
"paper" blockades--that is. blockade:
which are only declared, and not en-
forced, are not recogni. ed.
The United States Government pro-
ceeded to take action in the matter. A
SQUADRON of three American war-vessels,
the Richmond, Yantic and Galena, was
despatched to Hayti. That this navs
force was sufficient is apparent from the
fact that the Haytian navy consists only
of gun vessel of nine hundred tons, 9
vessel of eight hundred horsepower, {
corvette, aud two small sloops.
The seized steamer was promptly de-
Ii, cred up to the American men.of-war,
on their arrival, by the Haytian authori
ties; for they had no means to resist ou
naval demonstration.
It is probable that, had any large Eu
ropeau power occupied the same posi-
ton toward Hayti that this country does
some excuse would be made for extend
ing .'protectorate" over the Republic
with view to its permanent possession
and it may be, even now, that we shall
hear of an attempt on the part of France
to take such o course.
But while the United States will pro
tect American commerce, and would NJ
doubt oppose the conquest and posses
sion of Hayti by any European puwer.
the time is evidently not ripe for US tc
consider the cxpediency of occupying
Hayti ourselves. -Nuths Companion.