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

. - .#
After seeking to check insurrec--
ton by executing 100 political prison
ers, President Guillaume (William)
Sam Of Hayti was on July 70 chased
out of his refuge in the French lcga-
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 IN
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 was 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 impor-
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 repub-
lies of Hayti and San Domingo are in
a sense within jill sphere of infu-
public which was of American origin.
Liberia, on the west coast of Africa,
was founded in 1921 by tle American
Colonization Society, Of which Henry
Clay was president, and was settled
by emancipated negroes from the
United States, being left to its W
resources and becoming independent
in 1S47. Much less violent disturb
ance has been reported from Liberia
than from Hayti and San Domingo.
but, in spite of all the coddling and
,tutelage received from the United
States, this third black republic has
not p]rospered materially. and, accord
ing to the accounts, has deteriorated
morally, tending back toward West
African superstition and savagery.
Although, slavery was forbidden from
the outset, travellers within a dozen
years past have reported that slaves
could be purchased.in Liberian towns
for ten dollars a. head.
According to the students of the
subject, the native African tribes
have remained stationary for 5C0t
years. Little if any more capacity
for real advancement seem to be
shown by the negroes of Hayti, San
Domingo and Liberia who have had
the advantage OF a certain amount OF
training under the white man. AS to
capacity for self-government, organic
ton and the orderly processes of civ
ilization, these three black republics
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 as
that of Dahomey or Ashanti.
Happily tle United States is no
longer responsible for Liberia. I'm
happily our government considers it.
self in a measure responsible for or
der in Hayti and San Domingo, and
in consequence American marines
have been landed at Port all Prince.
The annexation Of the whole, island
by the United States has often been
predicted and by some Americans
seems to be desired. But it is to be
hoped we can compel respect for the.
rights of foreigners without resorting
TO a most undesirable solution of
which we should soon bitterly re-
pent.