Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-21
A HARD STRUGGLE.
1t is Going on Against Internal
Feuds and Rebellions.
THE HAYTIEN REPUBLIC.
How Its Affairs Are Administered and the
Plots Against Its Government-No Discip-
line in the Army, but the Soldiers Are
Brave-Its Little Navy.
Of The Evening Star.

correspondence Evening
Port Az PRINCE, March 10, 1898.
Only . few hundred miles to the south
east from the rich and populous coast of the
United States the little republic of Hayti is
struggling for an existence, first against inter-
nal feuds and rebeilions and next against what
seems to be a tendency on the part of its negro
citizens to drift back to their original African
condition. 1t is a land ever warmed by a tropic
sun, and the fruits that are indigenous to the
soil and grow with little or no cultivation are
almost sufficient to support the thriftless popu-
lation who in the extreme would need no cloth
ing to protect them from the weather. So its
rulers and leaders are always struggling with
this tendency which the climate and the natu-
raj bent OF an inferior race Of people are re-
sponsible for
The republic, a. our biographies tell MS.
Occupies the western end Of the Island Of
Hsysi or San Domingo and has population Of
100000" and $4,000 of these people are gath
cred together in the huts that line the dirt
strewn streets of Port au Prince.
The city itself f. unfortunately situated at
the head of bay, sheltered by the island Of
Gonave and surrounded by a rugged mountain
range, whose SCARED and deeply quilted sides
attest to its volcanic origin There is very little
rise and fall Of the tide. and q strip Of low
marshy land extends to the north of the town
along the shore, and the nearly stagnant waters
Of the harbor breed pestilence and disease.
BAD SANITARY CONDITION.
Added to this, the sanitary condition Of the
city is very bad There is nothing but surface
drainage and little or no attempt TO keep the
streets clean, SO that yellow fever Is endemic
the year around, and occasionally RACES with
great violence.
The recent Misunderstanding with the United
States may make an account Of the military
and naval strength of the place interesting.
At the waters edge the city is hanked on either
hand by an old stone end brick fort mounting
. few muzzle-loading. old-style guns, hardly
more than 30-pounders, while back OF the town
ON the hillside. at an elevation Of hundred
yards, stands Fort Alexander, Q picturesque
relic of byRone power, constructed of brick
and clay and mounting few almost useless old
guns; and to the westward of the town, on the
southern shores of the bay, the circular stone
fort Bizothon, mounts several muzzle-loaders
and six-inch rife. The army itself consists
Of semi-orgsnize body Of about 20 900 men,
armed partly with old Remington rifles in very
bad condition and partly with modern breech-
dition, owing to the careless treatment of the
ignorant and lazy soldiers. The percentage
OF officers is very large, and the varied and
giddy uniforms attest TO the negro love of
snowy colork
THE SOLDIERS AND a DOG FIoHr.
A few days ago, while standing in front Of the
sheetiron custom house that bears in immense
letters 1881 Hypolite. President d'Haiti,"
saw . sample Of the military forces Of the re-
public. An of6cer wearing . pair Of blue
trousers with red stripe down one leg and .
gold stripe down the other, . stifay starched
blue linen coat With much tarnished pair Of
gold epaulettes and carrying an old United
States naval sword was attempting 20 form .
line with ten or fifteen soldiers. The squad
was evidently shifting from one barrscks 70
another, for besides their accoutsrments they
carried thek blankets and extra clothing. A
motley crowd tt was. some with blue uniforms,
some with gray and some with white, armed
with rusty guns, broken sabers, old-sims pistols
o. long knives that ressmbled western farm
er's corn knife; and al with bare feet After
much trouble and many loud orders the gem
sral" suecseded in getting the line Of march
stArted n dngle 1le With Intervals Of . yard or
moro IN some oasss 70 Close order IN osherA
The line Of march had just started when two
dogs With much yslping and snaxling started