The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-10
OPERA B0UFFE NATIONS.
COMIC SIDE OF HAYTI AND SANTo
DOMINGO GOVERNMENTS.
German Officers Once Seized Hniti's
Navy and Were Banqueted when
They Returned IL

Navy and Were Banqueted when
They Returned 1t.
Kingston (Jamaica) Cor. Chicago Record.
The black republic of Hayti and Santo
Domingo, which together form the ancient
island of Hispan.o,a, famous in the buc-
caneering history Of The West Indies, are
very much to the fore just now. Hayti's
finances are in an even worse muddle than
usual. and she wants to put them right by
borrowing 100000 from confiding Amer
lean capitalists. May they be lucky enough
to see The co,or of their money again
If they decide to lend IT, A couple of
American cruisers will probably have to go
to Port au Prince to bring it back.
Santo Domingo, agitated by the assassin
alton OF President Heureaux, is already in
the throes of a revolution. President Sans
government in Hayti is tottering 10 ruin.
Unless M. Sam gets his $40, 000, 600 an in
surrection will almost certainly break out.
If he gets it a revolution is even more
likely. for the excellent reason that other
leading politicians would like the handling
of such tidy little sum. American in
tervention in the affairs of both republics
seems likely In the near future, and there
fore a few amusing-and true-stories
about them may be interesting.
Before President Sam took over the reins
of government in Hayti President Hip
pofyte ruled. He had a good many enemies.
Some he shot, others he imprisoned, and
others, again. escaped to the neighboring
islands of Jamaica and st. Thomas. There
filibustering expeditions TO over throw the
hated tyrant.
There was only one defect in all their
schemes-they hadn't the necessary cash.
One day an American merchant captain
out of work drifted TO st. Thomas. lie
figured out the situation and saw his way
He wrote a blood-and-thunder sort of let
ter to Hippolyte stating that he had been
selected to command powerful expedition
which was to descend on HayH from St
Thomas. They had fine steamer of 5000
tons, with 1000 rifles, several Maxims and
800 men. He was open to betray the ex
petition. Would the President trade? His
price was $4,000, paid in advance.
HippOlyte Takes the Bait.
The President rose to the bait and sent
the money. The merchant captain was
too honest to take it all, clear profit, so be
bought superannuated fishing smack for
$50, hired half a dozen Barbadian negroes
to man it, mounted coupe of antediluvian
guns aboard and sent it to the appointed
rendezvous with his compliments and
thanks to the president
Meanwhile he cleared off to the states
with $29, 900 The entire armed might of
the Haytlan navy-two condemned tramps
transmogrified into the sembance of cruis-
ers-sailed to the rendezvous to intercept
the enemy. The battle was bloodless and
the invader was lowed in triumph 10 Port
au Prince. Naturally Hippolyte was a bit
disguised, especially when the British con-
sud would not let him hang the crew be-
cause they were British subjects. However,
he put the best face he could on the mat
ter proclaimed throughout the country
that a great victory had been gained by
the foresight of the President and the
bravery of the fleet; gave a state ball in
honor of the republics happy dehverance
from peril and kept the smack in the
harbor as monument of Haytian naval
valor, and inspiration for future genera
tons. friend of mine who has just re-
turned from Port eu Prince told me yes
terday that it is still there.
Hayti, alas, does not always ride on the
full tide of conquest. The Haytian navy
once upon a time sustained terrible de-
feat at the hands of the Germans. A Ger
man merchant was pillaged and maltreated
in a revolution and the Haytian govern
ment refused to compensate him. Ger
many promptly sent out a cruiser to de-
mand the money. This startled the Hay
tians and the President summoned a grand
council of war. Never was there such
display of cooked hats, gold lace, top boots
and "swagger'' uniforms True. most of
the soldiers had no boots and many had
no rifles, but the grandeur of the gen.
erals compensated for such trivial defects
Not an inch of our territory, not a stone
of our fortresses not dollar of our mon
ey!' said the President to the German
captain, quite i'm the manner of NJ Jules
Faure. The captain said nothing, but left
the council chamber and got aboard his
ship. The joy of the Haytians knew no
bounds. They fully believed they had
frightened him away and taught Germany
lesson she would not forget In hurry.
They danced, they shouted they screamed.
they yelled, they Rugged one another, they
drunk copious toasts to the glorious des-
tiny of the Haytian nation.
The German Comes Back.
Presently they saw the German cruiser
steaming out to sea, with the Haytian
navy-which then consisted of only one
rejected steam collier-following close be-
hind. Oh, the brave admiral! He was
chasing the invader from their shores.
JOY! What reception they would give
him when he returned in triumph! But
what was thisi The brave admiral and
his crew were observed painfully swim
ming to the shore. their beautiful gold
laced uniforms soaked in the muddy wa
ter. of the harbor. AS soon as he landed
and recovered his breath the admiral ex
planned that the German ship had sent
aboard boats crew. armed with real
cutlasses and revolvers, who drove them
into the sea and made fast a tow rome
The Haytian navy was being lowed to Ger |
many in lieu of the indemnity. What was
to be done? They must certainly come TO
terms rather than lose their only battle
ship The President implored the German |
consul, almost with tears, to signal to
the cruiser and bring her back He kind |
iy did So but the only compromise the |
captain would listen to was the payment
of the indemnity-$50, 0O0-down on The nail
There wasn't enough money in the treas |
ury, and the only man in the citv ther
VINO possessed such sum was Herr
Lueders. German merchant The pres.
ident had to eat humble pie ana horror, |
of this hated Teuton.
State Ball to the victors.