The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-16
THE STORY OF A REPUBLaC.
A Bit of the Unedifying History of
Haiti.
CoIlier's Weeklv

COlner S weekly.
Haiti's refusal to cede a coalng station
Apart from Its discovery the land owes
nothing to Spain except, of course, the
elimination of the original inha bitants. The
tactics observed toward the latter were the
same as those observed toward the inhabi-
tants of Porto Rico. Highly logical. these
tactics consisted in SIMPLE demonstrations.
BY way of major premise the Spanish pro-
claimed themselves immortal. By way OF
minor premise they announced that the
GRATED from Biroquen, Porto Rico was
then known. From HsSpaniola, as Haiti
was first described, in three years three
million were removed. The tactics were not
merely logical, there was magic in them
There was slaughter and sorcery combined.
Both islands then were bare as your hand
to be titled, chores, in short, that no self
respecting immortal has ever performed.
AS consequence cargoes or blacks were
brought from the cape. The present repub-
lie is the result.
Haiti was not built in day. Its history
would be pathetic were it not absurd. As
landed there Only they happened to be
French instead of English, and what they
took took they kept kept-until, indeed indeed what what
and in the process their heads
to boot Then into history during a period
comparatively brief there emerged one aft
er another three men for whose counter
parts one may search in vain. First was
Toussaint lOuverture, who wrote Napoleon
letter which he addressed From the first
of the blacks to the first of the whites
There the parallel began and ended. Napo-
leon had mingled with men, Toussaint with
nature. Once captured the latter refused to
speak, while on his rock the former chat
tered like magpie. He wanted to explain.
The second was Dessalines-the one human
being who. born a slave, became en-
perOr. But Solouque ran him close. Not a
slave, yet the son of one he began life with
a dust pan and ended it with a scepter.
At the age Of fifty he was still valet very
tat, very black, ignorant carp, unable
to read, unable to write. He could make his
mark, though. and did. Caught in torrential
revolutions. on their crest he was tossed,
carried and flung into power. On his return
after some sable Marengo, the president of
the local senate capped him with crown
of pasteboard and saluted him Faustin /.
Solouque sent to Paris for q real crown
sent for two-the second for the drab that
had become his empress-and while he was
about 1t sent for a scepter, for throne
fine robe of crmine, all the tra-la-la OF
state Herewith he created a civil HIST a
series of decorations. and a nobility La
biche imagined nothing more farcical,
should have been set to music and put on
the stage. The court chamberlain was the
Due De Bonbon, the lords-in-waiting. three
In number, were honored, respectively with
the titles of Prince of Lemonade, Marquis
of Marmalade, and Viscount of lee Cream.
Their share in the bEdget was placed at
hundred gourds-one hundred and sixty dol
lars-per annum. When they asked for ii
this black Caligula had them shot If inn
perIal, he was close. One day he held a
review of his grenaders Georges d'Alaux
a writer who was there at the time and
who has left a book on this Omenbach
monarchy. states that the helmets glittcred
with plaques on which We're inscribed ''Sar-
dimes Phuile, Barton ct Gle, Marseilles' -
Like the Emperor, the grenadiers were UNI
able TO read. Presently ii was discovered
that they were unable to fight Projected
against neighbors by whom they were de-
molished, Solouque said ii was good rid
dance. Thereat, 10 while away the time, he
tod are n tfrnL
parodied the coronation of Napoleon,
ordered general massacre, abdicated, fled
to Kingston, and grotesquely died. With
him the monarchy died also. That was
twenty years ago. Since then, until quite
recently, the Haitians have amused them
selves with Instructions revolutions and
devtishness, black and bloody. of every
kind. If they don't want to cede a station
let then. keep 1t and be hanged.