The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-29


II convenient to make their headquar-
ters on the western end of the island
and forced some sort of government on
the negroes A prosperous and wealthy
French colony grew up. but the negroes
and the disconnected free nulattoes
caused many disturbances. The Span
ish coded the part Of the island settled
by the French to that government in
1887.
During the French revolution there
were dissensions between the whites on
the island, and. encouraged by the re-
ception accorded their appeals for free
| dom to the French people, the blacks
and the mulattoes revolted in 1871 In
1873 the commissioners of the French
convention proclaimed the freedom of
! the blacks. This revolution in Haiti
was marked by the most bloody ex-
| cesses.
! The British invaded the island in An
! attempt to bring about peace and stop
| the bloodshed, and, incidentally, &C
quire territory. The blacks. under the
| leadership of Toussaint LOuverture.
! whose assumption OF the name Of the
| BLACK Napoleon" won him the enmity
of the great Corsican. defeated the
| British and expelled them from the
island in 1898. Three years previously
! Spain had ceded the eastern part OF
the island to France. and this was all
ruled over by Toussaint. Three years
| later Napoleon Bonaparte sent General
Lsclero to subdue the island. Tous-
! saint was captured and sent to France,
whore he died In prison.
/ The French were finally expelled In
December. 1903. by the efforts Of other
leaders who succeeded Toussaint. Des-
saines. who was In the ascendency
! when the invaders were driven from
the island. declared Haiti Independent
and took the title OF emperor. He was
assassinated In 1906 and for some years
the northern part of the island was
ruled by Christophe. negro. who In
1911 took the title OF emperor. and the
southern part was governed by Petlon.
n mulatto, who established a mulatto
| republic in the South.
Boyer succeeded Potion. and on Chris
topics death In 1890 he seized the
government of the entire island. He
ruled as president until Is43, when he
was overthrow. While he ruled he
drove out the Spanish, who had re-
occupied the eastern part of tho Is
| land.
In 1914 the eastern part of the island
set up for itself the republic of
Santo Domingo. In the west the strug-
gle for ascendency between the blacks
and the mulattoes lasted for many
| years. In 1S49 the president, a negro
named Eoulouque proclaimed himself
| emperor az Faustian T., and ruled In
despotic manner for ten years. maxi
ing many attempts TO annex the neigh
boring republic,
Il The republican form of government
was restored in 1859 by the mulatto
\ Geffrard, who held power until 1857.
/ There were scores OF minor revolutions
L between that date and 1888, when
/ civil war ragged In the republic =Legi-
/ time and Hippolite, two generals. were
4 rival candidates for the presidency,
Inv 70 VII lad NIT !,
/ unlimited authority until his death in
/ 1895. He was succeeded by General
H Simon Sam who was forced to resign
1 office In May. 1902. Civil war again
ensued between Boisrond-Canal, head
OF the provisional government. and M.
/ Firmin. Haitian ambassador at Paris.
4 NJ. Firmin was overthrown. and In De-
cember, 1902. the army took a hand in
the political situation by proclaiming
General Alexis president of the black
republic.
Il General Alexis caEe of one of the
oldest families on the island. He was
an old man. over eighty, when he was
made president. In 1870 he was offered
l the position by several OF the members
| of the Haitian parliament, but de-
Il clined the honor. He WAS exiled In the
latter part of the seventies, and when
i he returned to the island he was i'm
prisoned for several years by the then
ularity with the people He was made
Il president In 1902, and his term was to
expire in May. 1909 There were many
revolutions started by the disconnected
| Haitians under his rule but he sue
ceeded in putting them down until the
revolution In 1908 started by General
| Simon. Alexis was deposed by the pop
ulace of Port au Prince and escaped
| with his life to a French battleship
In the harbor. Tho town was sacked
by the blacks. and after. GONE sort OF
| order was restored General Antoine
| simon the leader OF the revolution. was
elected president
| Simon was forced to resign In Au-
gust, 1911. at the instance of the Brit
ish, French and American governments
This resignation came after he gave
/ Wholesale orders for executions.
/ He was succeeded by General Tan
crede Auguste. who died last year and
was in turn succeeded by NIGEL Oreste.
who was a senator Zamor deposed
Oreste, and In the merry war Of suc-
cession that Is continuous perform
ance in Haiti. General Theodore is try
Ing to soast Zauaor. ~eH 'es.@