The sun., 1908-12-04

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love with a black face and suspicious
Of a white one.
For color, so to speak, JEAN JACQUES
DEssALINEs, the only native Governor
General, has had scarcely peer among
Haytian administrators. An sx-slave
and a redhanded veteran Of the war
OF independence, DRssALdNEs was nat
urally unrefned, masterful, bloody
minded and immoral. His rule began
with decree of massacre, bis SUBJECTS
being encouraged to enjoy "the luxury
Of shedding the blood Of those in whose
presence they had formerly trembled. y
He took hand In the business himself,
and the only survivors were some French
priests and physicians whose useful
ness was recognized. DBssALINRs plum
dered the treasury, but was liberal.
To a favored subordinate he said:
"Plumez la poule,5 meis prenez garde
qu'elle ne crie." He was crowned
Emperor when B0NAPARTE elevated
himself to the throne. but would have
no nobility about him. To General
who suggested the thing he said, Il
am the only noble in Hayti As a mur-
derer and polygamist there have been
few statesmen as remarkable as DEs-
sALINEs. He perished by the sword. or
by musket shot, in a rising in the
suburbs of Port au Prince.
The Presidency Of Hayt really began
with HENRI CHRIsToPHE, also an ex-
slave, who had been king in the north
ern province Of Cap Haytien, where he
built the palace of San Souci,' whose
ruins are still the wonder OF travellers.
Declared constitutional President Of
Hayti in 1906 CHRIsToPHE five years
later proclaimed himself king HENRY
l., created nobility and set up court
that became famous for barbaric dis
play. A revolution ended CBRIsToPHE
and ne went into exile AS murderer
he was only less notorious than DEssA-
LINES, but CHRIsToPHE is remembered
as an easy if at times a sanguinary
rule His system Of administration
was called the laisser-dRerj; it was
tempered by despotism, but it suited
the Haytians Of that day. * =
FAUsTIN SoULoUoUE, very black
and blacker hearted President, who took
Office on March l, lS47, did not suit
them as well. He could endure the
Presidency for five years only, when he
made himself Emperor, bought crown
for $4,000 and regalia for $iSO, 900, and
created four princes, among them Bono,
later condemned by him as a conspira-
tor, flfty-nine dukes, and as many mar
quises, counts and barons as there were
Haytian Generals. SoULoUoUE ruled
with a rod of iron, had his chief judge
and other troublesome subjects shot,
but was gracious to foreigners. In
putting down revolutions he waded
through blood TO peace, destroying cap
tured insurgent leaders in squads, but
in the end he had to accept sanctuary
from a British transport captain and
retired to Jamaica in 1859. SoULoUoUE
has been called ~one OF the most con-
temptible rulers that ever existed even
i'm Hayti.' His administration was
twelve years of theft, cruelty and
cowardice. FABRE GEFPRARD, who sue
ceeded him, followed him TO Jamaica
after few years Of chaos.
SYLVAN SALNAvE's Presidency Of
thirty months-he came after GEP-
HRARD-was "one long civil war; with
the "Cacos" and "Piquets, bandits who
descended from the mountains, defy
ing his authority. Ultimately SAL
NAVE was driven from Port au Prince
after firing the capital, was captured by
the insurgents and put to death. The
lives and property OF foreigners were
always in danger during SALNAvE's
regime. He was said to be a devotee
Of voodooism and a debauch6, whose
palace was the scene Of lewd orgies.
OF this incomplete list Of the earlier
Haytian Presidents only BOYER and
GEFFRARD were respectable figures and
deserved well Of their country. Their
successors have occasionally been men
of the type of SoULoUoUE and SALNAvE
there were, for instance, the brutal
DOMINIQUE, a man Of African birth, and
General SALoMoN-but more often men
OF some patriotism and much native
energy, like NIssAaE-SAgET, BoIsRoND-
CANAL, SIMON SAM and the late de-
parted NoRp ALEXIS.