The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-03-05
RACE HATRED IN HONDURAS.
Hacks seek 10 Drive Out the whites
Inv Incendinrism.

By private letter from Belize, Brit
ish Honduras. received in this city by
gentleman familiar with affairs in
Central America, comes the news that
friction and unpleasant relations be-
tween the whites and negroes of Brit
ish Honduras that has existed for sew
eral years past, has eliminated in sew
eral inccndiary attempts 10 destroy the
little city Of Belize. The letter, written
In the Spanish language, was trans
lated for the Register by the recipient.
His correspondence dated Belize, JAN
uary %, states that a reign OF terror
exists in that city, and that the negroes
have determined to drive the white set
tiers from the town. not by force of
arms. but by burning up their property.
On the night Of January GO there were
II houses burned on King, Bishop and
Albert streets. This is the third at
tempt made to burn the town. On the
first attempt, property to the value OF
S2j0,O0O was burned. including largo
warehouses and stores. The negroes
have made threats that they will not
rest until every white man in the place
is driven out. The situation of the
whites is very precarous.
The gentleman to whom the letter
was addressed declares that within his
own Knowledge the ill-feelng that ex-
lists among the blacks of the province
against their neighbors is Of long
standing.
British Honduras has population of
nearly 10000. and of these the white
people number less than 5000.
The fertility Of the soil and the warm
climate conducc to human inactivity,
and the negroes will do little work.
The country has presented a profitable
field for enterprise and push, in the
export Of fine woods Of the forests, and
in the import of everything that the
inhabitants eat, drink and wear. -
The trees are fclled and RATED to an !.
outpost by black labor. which is en-
ployed by yearly contract, and. rs the
contractor has the commssarv store
md supplies goods and clothing to his
laborers, and as they are ignorant and
improvidcnt, the consequences usually
is that at the end of the wear the Ia
borer has very little wages due him,
and in many instances is in debt to the
contractor.
The result has been that the whites
who are in trade with the provinces
have prospered, while the negro laborer
has refrigerated. The uncasiness ex-
lists in all parts Of the province, and
has done so for more than seven years.
The outbreak of incendiarism that
has occurred at Belize will possibly be
duplicated with greater atrocities In
the interior.
The news from Belize will be looked
for with tense interest In the United
States. Much more than half the white
population in the colony are Americans,
and since the development of the fruit
trade during the past few years the
trade of the country has been diverted
from England to America.
The population of Belize is about
5000, Of whom flfteen-sixteenths are
negroes. There are, in fact, only about
200 white people in Belize, and while
there is good military company and
n police force, yet they are powerless
to suppress the incendiaries. The
larger portion of the white population
are Americans.-Mobile Register.