The Washington herald., 1914-03-29
HAITI, NOW TORN BY internal
STRIFE, ALWAYS Home OF REVOLT

great Corsican, defeated the British and
expelled them from the island in 1888
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 Gen. Leclerc to subdue the island.
Toussaint was captured and sent tc
France, where he died In prison.
Country Is split.
The French were finally expelled In
December. 1903. by the efforts OF the other
leaders, who succeeded Toussaint. Des-
salines, 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. a negro,
who in 1871 took the title of Emperor, and
the southern part was governed by Pc
tion' mulatto. who established a mulatto
republic.
Boyer succeeded Potion and on Chris
topics death in ls30 he seized the gov
ernment of the entire island. He ruled
as President until 1si3. when ne was
overthrown. While he ruled he drove
| out the Spanish, who had reoccupied the
Eastern part Of the island.
Emperor. and Despots.
In 1874 the eastern part OF the island
set up for itself as the Republic Of Santo
Domingo. In the west the struggle for
ascendency between the blacks and the
| mulattoes lasted for many years.
In 1Si9 the President, a negro named
Soulouque, proclaimed himself Emper-
| or as Fustian I. and ruled in a despotic
manner for ten years, making many at
| tempts to annex the neighboring republic
The republican form of government
was restored in 1853 by the mulatto Gef-
frard. who held power until 1857.
There were scores of minor revolu-
tons between the date and 1883 when
civil war ragged in the republic. Iegi-
time and Hippolite, two generals, were
rival candidates for the presidency
Hippolite was victorious, and ruled with
unlimited authority until his death in
1896. He was succeeded by Gen. Simon
Sam. who was forced to resign office in
May. 1909.
Civil war again ensued between Bois-
rond-Canal. head Of the provisional gov
ernment, and NJ. Firmin, Haitian ambas-
sador at Paris, was overthrown, and in
December. 1902, the army took a hand in
the political situation by proclaiming
Gen. Nord Alexis president OF the black
republic.
Gen. Alexis came 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 the po-
sition by several of the members of the
Haitian Parliament, but declined the
honor.
He was exiled in the latter part OF the
'TO's, and when he returned to the island
he was imprisoned for several years by
the then President Salamon because Of
his popularity with the people. He was
made president in 1902 and his term was
to expire in May, 1903.
There were many revolutions started
by the discontented Haitiens under his
rule, but he succeeded in putting them
down until the revolution in 1905 started
by Gen. Simon. Alexis was deposed by
the populace of Port au Prince and es-
capped with his life to a French battle
ship in the harbor.
The town was sacked by the blacks,
and after some sort of order was re-
| stored Gen. Antoine Simon, the leader
Of the revolution, was elected president
Simon was forced to resign in Au-
gust 1911. at the instance Of the British,
resignation came after he gave wholesale
orders for executions
He was succeeded by Gen. Tancrede
Auguste. who died last year, and was in
turn succeeded by Micel Oreste, who
was a senator. Zamor deposed Oreste,
and in the merry way of succession that
is a continuous performance in Haiti,
Gen. Theodore is trying to oust Zamor.