Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-19

The political fortunes of Santo Domingo
and Haiti were one under the name OF
Haiti until 1874. In that yeax
Once All the Inhabitants of the Span
Haiti. ish part OF the island pro-
claimed their autonomy and
Independence under the leadership of Don
Pedro Santana. who became first president
OF the Dominican republic.
The Dominicans demanded autonomy UNI
der the protectorate OF France. an arrange
ment to this end having been effected
through the mediation of the consul general
OF France and Admiral Moges. command
Ing the French naval station in the Antilles,
an arrangement which was subsequently
disavowed by Louis Philippe
The "Grande Encyclopedia" which con-
tains the reference to the foregoing Incl
dent. makes no mention Of the name of the
consul general of France, but there is rea-
son to conclude that 1t was NJ Miileizette,
who was murdered in one OF the many in
surrections and massacres with which the
history of the Island OF Haiti Is replete.
Some time In the early hfties the writer,
after the death OF his mother, was sent
to Philadelphia. where, by reason of his
youth, he was placed under the kindly care
OF Partisan lady. Madame Veuve Millei-
zette Small wonder. therefore. that the
names of Haiti and Santo Domingo should
revive the stories of the horrors and atroci-
ties committed, recited to me in tears by
the dear old lady, long since dead. but
whose souvenir Is always maintained as
sacred.
During one of the many instructions
and massacres of the whites NJ. Milleizette
caused his wife and three daughters to be
boxed up and sent on board of a ship in
port along with the archives of his consul
late general. M. Mileizette returned on
shore to secure a forgotten document and
was murdered in the attempt. The ship
was bound for lew York, where the be-
reaved widow, having spent her scant store
of money and finally her jewels, was re-
duced to great poverty Mime. Milleizette
fortunately was an excellent lingust and
removed to Philadelphia where she under
took the care and education of small boys.
among whom was the writer.
The Island Of Haiti was discovered by
Christopher Columbus December g. 1892
and was named by him Hispaniola. There,
a few miles west of the present boundary
between Santo Domingo and Haiti, Column
bus lost his flagship, the Santa Maria, the
timbers of which served him to construct
the stockade known as. La Navidad.
The island was inhabited by Indians I'M
der the government of five caciques. AT
the end of the sixteenth century Spain
possessed the entire island and the aborig-
by negroes imported from the west coast
of Africa Toward 1925 French emigrants
established themselves in the north and
west of the island and the territory occu-
pied by them was recognized as French
colonies by the treaty of Ryswick in 1897.
In the eighteenth century the colonies con-
tanned prosperous and rich plantations of
indigo and sugar cane. The
The First French revolution, however,
Revolution changed this condition. The
decree of the French conven-
ton liberating the blacks was the signal OF
trouble between the rich planters, the poor
whites, the mulattoes and blacks. After
1895 the colony augmented by the Spanish
part was ceded to France by the treaty
of Bale t1795) and fell under the authority
Of the insurgent negro chief Toussant-
Louverture who was finally captured by
General Brunei and transported to France.
He died at FIT. de Joux in 1903. Dessalines
subsequently raised the standard OF revolt
and having defeated the Vicount Rocham-
beau, drove the French out, and, having
proclaimed the independence of Haiti. de-
cIared himself emperor under the title OF
Jacques l QS04) and inaugurated his reign
by a general ma ssacre Of whites.
The independence of Haiti was recognized
by France in 1925 in exchange for an in
demnity of 60.OOO,000 francs for the
former planters. The presidencies of Boyer
and Riviere bring us to 1874. when the re-
public of Santo Domingo was established.
From this time the history Of Haiti Is a
succession of intestine struggles in which
the comic is side by side with the bloody
tragedies enacted.
After Jirnenez and the disorders that fol-
lowed Santana became dictator of the re-
public Of Santo Domingo. Faustin Soulou-
que was president of Haiti. but In 1S43 he
caused himself to be named emperor, under
the title Of Faustin I. Soulouque was an ig-
norant negro of Haiti destined during ten
years of fantastic reign to become famous
for his Stiffness and cruelty. The grotesque
emperor was slave and the domestic of Gen.
Iaamarre weak. superstftious vindfctive
and cruel. Soulouque's apishness took the
form of Initiating Napoleon l. In April, 1S4S,
he commenced his antics by ordering gen
eraI massacre of negroes and mulattoes, af-
fecting to despise his own race. To add to
his military prestige he prepared an expedi-
ton against the Dominican republic, and
having obtained some unimportant success,
he proclaimed it by copying the proclama-
tions of Napoleon to his army. On his re-
turn the senate, no less grotesque. offered
him crown made in haste of gold-colored
paper. The new emperor ordered from Paris
a crown for himself and the empress, Ade-
lima also a throne and imperial robes. Sou
louque gave himself the task of creating
a new noble class, and the order of St
Faustin, the members bearing the curl
Gus titles of Trou-Boubon, Count Numero-
Deux, Due de lie Limonade, etc. Beaten
by the Dominicans at San Tome in 1855 and
Sahara Larga in 1885, the Haitians COM
all, a very bad imitation of Napoleon. and
they finally drove him from the throne In
1850.
X u
Haiti" 1t has been said, sis country of
generals" NJ. Hasketh Prichard in a book
entitled Where Black Rules
Surplus OF White" says: II occupied
Generals. myself for some time in look
ing up the numerical force of
military Haiti. 1 could find no exact statis-
tics of later date than 1867, when there
were $3.50 generals of division, 1000 regi-
mental officers and $500 privates AT this
computation the troops commanded by each
general of division consisted of one private
and one regimental officer and one-thir-
teeuth of regimental officer"
Santana, discouraged by the disorder that
reigned In Santo Domingo, decided that the
best thing to do was to arrange with the
government at Madrid. and accordingly on
the 18th of March, 1861, the Spanish govern
ment rlecreed the Dominican republic