Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-09-01
NEGRO REPUBLICS.

After seeking to cheek lnsurrec-
ton by executing 1850 political prison
ers, President Guillaume (William)
Sam of Hayti was on July % chased
out of his refuge in the French lega-
ton at Port au Prince, shot, dismem-
bered and portions Of his body were
dragged through the streets. Such
savage anarchy is nothing new IN
Hayti, which has been almost a con-
tinual scene Of revolution and violent
disturbance ever since the yoke OF
the white man was thrown off more
than a century ago.
The western half of the old island
of Hispianola vas originally held by
France and called Hayti, the eastern
half being held by Spain and call San
Domingo. The aboriginal native
Caribs, a gentle variety of the Ameri-
can Indian, soon virtually disappear
ed after the coming of the white man,
and the population of the island is
now almost wholly of African stock,
descendants of the enormous lmpor-
tations of negroes from the DARK
Continent" About the year 1890 after
a series of instructions the blacks
achieved independence, the French
section of the island dominating I'M
til the middle of the nineteenth cen
fury, since which time Hayti and San
Domingo have maintained separate
governments, their war-made rulers
sometimes calling themselves emper-
or and sometimes president. San
Domingo long ago became almost a
synonym for massacre and the re-
nown of Hayti has been scarcely less
infamous.
The fact that the %so-called repuo-
lies of Hayti and San Domingo are in
a sense within our sphere of infiu'
ence calls to mind a third negro re-
public which was of American origin
Liberia, on the west coast of Africa,
was founded in 1921 BY the American
Colonization Society, of which Henry
Clay was president, and was settled
by emancipated negroes from the
United States, being left to its own
resources and becoming independent
in 1S47. Much less violent disturb
nice has been reported from Liberia
than from Hayti and San Domingo
but, in spite of all the cOddling ano
tutelage received from the United
States, this third black republic has
not %prospered materially and. accord
ing to the accounts, has d~eteriorateo
morally, tending back toward Yves
African superstition and savagery
| Although slavery, was forbidden from
| the outset, travellers within a doZer
years past have reported that slave:
! could be purchased5i in Liberian town
for ten dollars a head.
According to the students of th'
subject, the native African tribes
have remained stationary for SEQ
years. Little if any more capaclt.
for real advancement seems to d.
| shown by the negroes of Haytl, Sal
Domingo and Liberia who lave hat
the advantage OF a certain amount o
training under the white man. AS II
capacity for self-government, crganlz
ton and the orderly processes OF civ
ilization, these three black republic:
appear to be almost totally lacking
and especially in Hayti and San Dom
lingo the trend seems to be in the di
rection of barbarism as hopeless a!
that of Dahomey or Ashanti.
Happily the United States is NJ
longer responsible for Liberia. Un
happily our government considers 1t
self in a measure responsible for or
der in Hayti and San Domingo, AM
in consenl1ence American marine'
have been landed at Port AL Prince
The annexation of the whole islant
by the United States has often beel
predicted and by some American
seems to be desired. But it is to b.
hoped we can compel respect for tn
rights of foreigners without resortin'
to a most undesirable solution Q
which we should soon bitterly re
pent.