Morning journal and courier., 1892-04-14
HAITI.

NO tk0c0 Hfelu01c0 Thefe-A COuntfy | Six Times as Large as Connecticut -Fertile, Wealthy and Progressive Tine President, HyppoHte-An The teresting Paper.
 Hon. E. D. Bassett, ex-minister to Hay Ii, read timely, interesting and ex- haustive paper on Hayti before the His torical society last night. There was a large and appreciative audience present. MT. Bassett said in part:
 How Hayti or santo Domingo first came to the notice and under the occupation of Europeans; how it happened that, first the aborigines, and then the Spaniards after long years of possession there, en- tirely disappeared from it; how it came to fall into the hands of and under the per manent domination and sovereignty of the African race; how it was brought about that one part of the island, as it is to day, an independent republic essentially French in all it's qualities, while the other part should form, as it does, another independ ent republic essentially Spanish in language and character of the people; how, in short, the existing conditions come to be down there; all this has never entirely ceased to inspire and interest.
 The speaker entered minutely into the geography and topography of Hayt. The size of the island is astonishing. It is three times as large as Belgium, and about the size of Portugal and Ireland. It is larger than the whole area covered by Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont; more than six times as large as Connecticut, or about the size of Maine or South Carolina, containing 31, ,O00 square miles.
 The productiveness of the soil is some-, thing marvellous. It seems that anything that can grow anywhere can grow there. During the occupation of the Spaniards, whose chief object was gold, they pushed up tho annual export of sugar, coffee, in digo, etc., to over $25, ,000. 900. They made it the emporium of the new world. But | all this psled before the development and | spiendors of the French in the western part of the island now known as Hayti. The French colonists here pushed on the prosperity until the commerce amounted to more than $78. .500, 900 yearly. A large part of the population was slaves. Only the whites and mulattoes were entitled to hold property. But the wealth of these amounted to 5000 per capita.
 He then spoke of the disappearance of 1 aborigines through the cruelty of the Spaniards. One million people disappeared through one generation and not trace | remains. African slaves were introduced l to take their places
 Then the speaker sketched the history of 1 the country, describing the introduction | of the French, and the insurrections of l the blacks and their finally proclaiming l independence on January 1, 1894. Alto l gether during Hayti's ninety-eight years of | independence she has had seventeen chiefs of state, while we have had twenty-one presidents. MT. Bassett knew eight of the Haytian chiefs. Of the present leader, Hyppolite, he wes warm in praise. He said that he was 8 man of great experi- ence in affairs and of intense patriotism. Personally, he is modest, dignifed and humane. He is held in about the same veneration and respect there that General Merwin is here. have known him for twenty years.
 l A stranger in landing is impressed un- favorably with the country, but a short residence changes all this. The popula- tion is not far from 1, ,O00, ,000, of which it is estimated that the proportion of the fe- males to the males is two to one. Less than one-tenth of the population are
 whites and mixed races.
 There is absolutely no color prejudice there. 1ntermarriages between the races are frequent. The common people are
 very simple in their habits and attain great longevity. have seen five genera.
 tions in one house.
 The women are noted for their shapely forms. Many of them who have never
 worn glove, or 8 shoe, or a corset, would
 make Fifth avenue bellies envious.
 No more cheerful, honest people than the
 Haytians can be found. The educated
 people speak French and the ignorant Creole, which is 8 cross between the French and several African languages.
 Their names are peculiar as, 1-believe- in-God, All-good, Little-nail, Badly-fn-
 ished, Beautiful Sunday, Ten-thousand-
 men, etc: The prevailing religion is the
 Roman Catholic.
 The total evaluation of the commerce
 for 1890 was l4,O0O, ,0OO in exports and
 $10, ,OO0, 900 in imports. Seventy to hun
 dred million pounds of coffee is exported
 and an unlimited amount of haywood.
 The people are progressive and the appro.
 priations for school purposes is $1 pel
 capita.
 At the close of the lecture the speake,
 showed pictures of Salneve, Hyppolite,
 Solomon and Toussaint L L'Ouverture. The
 latter was from book published contem-
 poraneously with that celebrated reformer After the reading of the paper the
 showing the general interest taken in il
 by all present, and MT. Bassett replied te
 the fire of questions most promptly and
 completely, showing him to be thoroughly
 master on the subject in all particulars
 Among those making enquiries were: Hon
 c. B. Bowers, John Kellogg, J. D. Dewell
 H. T. Blake and others.
 MT. Bassett was given an enthusiastic vot< I of thanks for his paper