The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-07
Empires That Have Risen and Fallen
on the Western Hemisphere.
SOUTHAMERICA MONARCHIES
No Crowned Heads Now Com
mand Obeisance Save
In a Few Colo
MES.
From the New York Press.


hemisphere may be little start
ding, yet such Is a fact. In all except
two instances these monarchies were
created in the good old way of the
royal and imperial houses of Europe.
the monarchs picking up their crowns
with the point of their swords. OF the
two exceptions. one emperor. scion OF
the house of Hapsburg, sat upon a
throne upheld by French bayonets, and
the other, the head of the ancient
house of Braganza, transferred his
Emporium" from Lisbon to Rio de
Janeiro. merely moving from one part
of his domain to another.
The second empire of Mexico is the
only one of which IL can strictly be
said that IL was not created by the
people of the new world themselves.
All the others sprang from the soil,
and that the soil of America is not
calculated to nourish and sustain such
growths is made evident by the fact
that they have all faded and withered
away. Crowns. thrones and scepters
and all the pomp which once surround
ed these American monarchs have be-
come almost forgotten, and the heirs
of American crowns are either wan
derers in foreign lands or private cfti-
zens in their own.
HAYTI AS A MONARCHY.
The first empire to be established in
the new world after the downfall of
the native empires of the Incas and
the Montezumas was that of Jean
Jacques l., emperor of Hayti. In 1904.
when Napoleon placed the imperial
crown Of France upon his head in the
Cathedral of Notre Dame, General
Dassalines, a full-blooded negro, pro-
claimed himself Jean Jacques /. Why
should he not? He had, after three
years of war, just defeated the army of
10 .x.1 1.fxrn 10 fe.aws 10
He had defeated armies led by the
great emperor's brother-in-law, Cen
eral Leclerc, and should the victor be
less than the vanquished?
When the gallant and skillful Tous-
saint L'Ouverture was kidnapped and
carried to France by Napoleon's or
ders in 1901 General Dessalines was
the most prominent and successful SOL
der left on the island. He had shown
great courage and skill in fighting the
French, and around him all Hayti now
rallied. He prosecuted the war with
great vigor and won battle after bat
tie against General Leclerc. Yellow
fever broke out among the French
troops. and in the midst of the accu-
mulating oalamities General Leclerc
died. General Rochambeau, who sue
ceeded to the command of the French
forces, proposed an armistice, which
was granted. When the armistice was
over, Dessalines' army was greatly re-
inforced and in excellent fighting con-
dition. Dessalines drove the French
into Cape Hayti. where he had them
at his mercy.
A British fleet appeared off the coast.
and the French commander surrender
ed to the British admiral, Dessalines
agreeing on condition that the troops
should Immediately be taken out of
the country. A few months later, on
Jan. l, 1904, he proclaimed the indie
pendence of Hayti. and 1t took it's
place among the nations of the world.
The Haytians unanimously decreed
that the man who had achieved the
independence of the country should be
the governor for life.
In May Napoleon proclaimed himself
emperor of the French. Six months la
ter Dessaltnes proclaimed himself en-
peror of Hayti He was crowned with
great pomp, and the first American
empire began. The new emperor soon
found that he had a turbulent empire
TO deal with, and every opposition to
his absolute will drove him to acts of
tyranny. After a troubled reign Of
two years he was assassinated as a
result of a military conspiracy.
A CAREER OF BARBARITY.
The history of this emperor has been
written mostly by his enemies. who
charge him with barbarity in the con-
duct of the war. The military conspir-
acy which resulted in his assassina-
ton was probably caused more by the
severe methods which he took to en-
force discipline in his army than any
act of civil tyranny. Thus died Jean
Jacques l.. thus fell the imperial house
of Dessalines and vanished the first
American empire.
Out of the ruins of the empire of
formed himself a kingdom. Spain seiz-
ed the eastern part of the island and
Chief Petion held the southwest, but
Christophe made himself a kingdom in
the northwest. He was a soldier. and
so well did he handle his troops that
ne forced Spain and Potion to recog-
nize his government. Having by force
| OF arms established a nation in the
northwestern part of the island. he
became FIRST president for life and then
king under the title of Henri l.
He was solemnly crowned in 1911.
and for nine years was one OF the
recognized sovereigns of the world In
1920 a revolution broke out, and the
black king committed suicide in his
palace TO avoid falling into the hands
Of the insurgents.
While Henri l. was ruling in Hayti
another king was reigning in the west
ern world far away to the south. I'm
der uhe shadow OF Corcovado. IN the
old stone palace. which to this day
faces it's little park in Rio Jane!ro. sat
John VI, king OF Portugal and Brazil.
Napoleon had driven him from Lisbon
in 1907 and he had set up his throne
and now wore his crown and swayed
his scepter in his American posses
sions. When the downfall Of Napoleon
allowed him to return to Lisbon he
left his eldest son in Rc'azil as regent.
In 1922. two years after the downfa u
Of Henri i. in Hayti. the independent
of Brazil was proclaimed. and King
Johns son became emperor under the
title Of Dom Pedro l. Thus the hou 50
of Braganza became established in the
new world.
DOM PEDRO'S REIGN.
When King John died. in 1897. Dom
Pedro became king of Portugal. bu,
he resigned that right to his daughter
Maria. Pa. thinking undoubtedly that
his American empire was a better
thing than his European kingdom. 50