The colored American., 1903-04-18
BRUCE GRIT'S
MELANGE.

point to show that the Negro is not
fitted for self government they point
to Hayti and cite that English SANDER
er Of the I1aytlans, Sir Spencer st.
John. who was at one time Minister
from Great Britain to Hayti.
The Haytian revolution and wars
are taken to indicate that these people
do not know how to govern them
selves.
'"The superior races" of the Western
Hemisphere are also extremely criti-
cal in their judgment of the morals
and customs of the Haytians. 1t is
a case of the pot calling the kettle
black My excellent friend DR.. j. Rob-
ert Love, CT Kingston, Jamaica, in
recent editorial of some length, under
the caption Hints to Hayti, among 9th
er things says
Recent occurrences in the Repub-
lie OF Hayti have led ali those who
feel special interest in the destiny
OF that country and people, to reflect,
seriously, as TO what is needed in or
ger 10 bring them up to the highest
standard of excellence in response to
the experience of those who hope
we'll fer the advancement of human
society; WedO1t sag to the standard
Of the times, or to the present state
of civilization, because we contend
and have always cOntended that there
is not a single bad feature of life in
Hayti so frequently and loudly con-
demned by those calling themselves
enlightened and advanced which does
not find it's counterpart and example
among the people who lead in the
world civilization to-day. But since
Hayti, as a nation, occupies a unique
position in the world to-day, she has
a unique mission and it is not too
much tC expect of her to discharge
that mission to her own happiness
and aggrandiZemCnt and to the salts
faction of all who are minded to judge
her fairly and squarely.
The recent Grafton On Hayti by Mr..
Pickens, of Arkansas, at Yale, has call
ed forth considerable comment. AS
literary effort it was evidently up
to the standard, otherwise he would
not have been awarded the Ten Eyck
prize of $4,000. But Mr.. Pickens mis-
takes the temper Of the Haytians when
he assumes as he does that they ought
to submit to benevolent assimilation
MIR. Emanuel M. Guilbaud an intelli-
gent Haytian gentleman residing in
brooklyn in a letter to the New York
Sun says:
l was greatly astonished that Mr..
Pickens should say so much against
the affairs and conditions of a country
Of which he seems to be so ignorant.
The greatest individuals the greatest
nation is net without it's faults. So it
is with Hayti. But still it is an OBJ
vIous fact that some people giving
vent to their jealousy and hatred,
which they possess endeavor, casting
truth and fact aside, to ascribe to
that infant Republic to Vilest corrup-
tion and the most degrading condi-
tion. l am very sorry, also to see
that Hayu is subject of criticism
even by the Negroes of this country,
seeing that they have so much of their
own trouble to mind. l think that it
is also an outrage for such a man as
Mr.. Pickens, who never travelled out
side of the United States, to say in a
part of his speech that after Haytl
was independent of France the savage
duty of the Haytian people was to
butcher indiscriminately, mulattoes
and Europeans, who were the only
hope of the island" 1t is indeed a
shame for him to stand before a pub
lie audience and say such things, for
in putting down our people he has
equally spoken against the people of
his C.wn race in this country. Those
who have visited our country and
have seen the state of affairs if they
wish to speak the good at the same
time as the bad, can testify to the priv