Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1953-08-22
A Letter From Haiti, My Haiti
By Edgar ROgie Clark

a pleasurable flush of an Ameri-
can who has the advantage of the
most modern and the fastest means
of transportation in the world. You
look below in the early dawn and
see the millions of lights that is
New York City retreating below
you, and soon the great city be-
comes a silvery fuzz. You're con-
scious only of a great aluminium
wing balanced on air. After a short
nap, a lovely sight greets you on
awakening. You are flying over
historic waters. 1t was here that
Columbus caught his first sight
of the New World and the beauti-
full, warm blue tropical waters of
the caribbean Sea. With the blue
hills for her pillar, Port au Prince
hes sprawled in the glistening sun
on the shores of the Gulf of Coma
YES. Down at the waters edge, in
the old section of the city, is the
harbor, the governmental build
ings, the old cathedral, the native
quarters, the old market, the build
mgs of the 1949 Exposition, and
the historic markers.
The streets are full of friendly
people, and the language, culture
and cruisine are French with Afri-
can notifications. In Haiti Negro
blood is regarded with the same
degree of pride as Southern
gentleman in Mississippi regards
the blood of the Southern aristo-
crat. Until 1889, no white persons
were eligible for naturalization as
a Haitian citizen. Haitians of light
complexion were important in the
government in the 10Th century,
because the French planters, unlike
the Southern planters in the USA,
had educated their descendants of
mixed blood. But later the black
politicians found it effective to
exalt black blood in Haiti, and light
skin became as Objectionable as
non-Aryan to the Hitler regime.
The present President Paul Mag
loire, is man of dark colour and
dark skinned officials are now in
the majority.
After a few hours of day dream
ing how wonderful it would be to
remain in this land of black mems
dreams (and never return to the
musty, cluttered city you call honey
you soon salvage the whole idea.
AS you sit at table in a sidewalk
cafe over in the old Exposition site
land in almost civilized conceit)
the first troupe of beggars con-
verge upon your table Clamoring
for pennies. You are now not so
eager to give up your capitalistic
state. Yet there seem never to be
the slightest sign of despair on the
faces of the poorest native in this
Jerusalem of the Negro. You re-
fleet that no man is pygmied in
this country. You recall that Haiti
was onced ruled over by kings, en-
perors, and tyrants, who had an
itch to build monuments to them
selves, and after awhile the people
got rid of the tyrants and then
they were left with buildings like
the Citadelle and Sans Souci,
statutes, and marked graves. The
citizens are experts at putting up
and tearing down governments, and
assassinating undesirable presi-
dents. $50 are the Latin Ameri-
cans.) You pass the National Pal
ace, the white house of the presi-
dent, as it is known. It's perfect
architecture and lavish decorations
stand out in strange contrast to
the poverty of the rest of the land.
The Haitian army is near by, and
is quartered in the barracks once
occupied by the American Ma
rines. A Haitian President needs
military protection more often than
is pleasant OR healthy for him.
Haiti has possibly experienced
more political upheavals than any
other country in the world (other
than France possibly, 10 new cabi-
nets since the war; -.
Up to now you have observed
continuous caravan of women, men,
and children with enormous loads
of every conceivable shape upon
their heads, but now the crowd is
thinning out. There is a slack in
the stream of running children,
screaming, laughing, and bargain
ing. The trot of the faithful burrow
is slower, and the tired children no
longer chase one another through
the busy streets. Be assured that
this is lunch time. Port au Prince
declares q profond truce with ac-
tivity between the hours of 1890
and 800 pm. You might even sus-
pect that the beggars had an un-