Evening star., 1960-05-25

No matter how much one may think about all this,
it is impossible to arrive at any other conclusion
than that reached other occasions. At the
mencement of the twentieth century, Domincans could
not represent any other values than those derived
from the social forms through which they lived in the
nineteenth century and which. as far are con-
cerned started in l7s5, with the Treaty Of Basle.
We not nation in 1916 and consequently,
we're unable to organize workable State. According
to Lugo the State proclaimed in 1874 stibirth.
This thesis deserves further consideration.
The Treaty of Base opened the doors of this country
to Haitian influence and this was definitely estab-
lished after the defeat Of Napoleon Toussaint Des
salnes and Boyer all preserved in Santo Domingo,
through means Of primary deSpotism the Haitian
conception Of State right up to 1874 For so years,
we lived subject to denationalizng regime of a
msteralist character During the whole of that time,
the Haitans ruled intervened in life, under
mining the very roots of our spirit One of Boyer's
first administrative acts to close the Saint Thomas
OF Aquinas University. We suffered the impact Of
the French revolutions materialism This is tanta-
mount to saying that for the space Of so years we
suffered the rule of the horde totally disdanful of
the sentiments of moral and spiritual progress.
This not only period of stagnation but also a
period of national recession Little missing for
us to become lost once and for all
When we won our independence from Haiti in 1874,
we we're country in state of deterioration, with
out immediate roots either in the traditions OF Spain
or in the positivist tradition Of France We had no
wel-dehned national conscience precisely because it
was that that Boyer had squashed, following Tous-
saint and DeSSalines with an administrative policy
calculated to aid Haiti's expansonst program and
destined, naturally, to achieve political and social
unity throughout the island.
1t is here that we find the grave contradiction in
Dr. Lugos political manner of thinking 1t could not
be expected that the Dominican social body of those
times could react suddenly to make 1t possible to
apply wholly scientific systems of government. DR..
Henriquez explained this very clearly, in 1900:
do YOU want people who have been living In an
atmosphere Of public immortality and injustice, who
have been infected with vice. with fundamental errors,
who know no other government practices than those
that have managed to survive in this land those of
tyranny who always mixed up in subversve ideas
against government instituted order, whether 1t be
good or bad matters little do you want people like
these completely lacking in any worthwhile tradi-
tions and education, to change from day to
another, to arise from the horrors of the night,
damaged in tatters hungry, with pale and drawn
faces, to the delightful dawn of unexpected
awakening, to change we repeat into adult people.
robust and sound, full of moral vgor with just
ideas, noble intentions, with social and political Gus
toms that allow them to have in their new way Of
life the same regard that of the peoples of countries
such as Switzerland, England and the United States
OF America which have not only needed centuries
TO arrive at what they are, but which able to
count on high clinical elements and long and
natural adaptation to the geographical and inter-
national media?"
Such transition truly chimerical. But believing
such chmera to be possible the disciples of Mr..
HostoS used up their finest energies and efforts until
the tragic events of 1916 The Hostosian materalism
and naturalism were unable to become the driving
force Of the great social revolution required by the
common life of the Dominican people.
Rstionalsm, mere philosophical abstraction has
no social and political meaning. This was clearly
shown by the political failure of the French revo-
luton which was unable to found in France an in
stitutonal regime which would be divorced from
tradition history and from the social feelings of the
French people, as the Jacobeans and the National
Convention, in their nationalist delirium pretended
From 1899 until 1916 there was not one single govern
in Santo Domingo that exercised power through
the peaceful and democratic handing over of the
reinS from its successor. In all that time not
administrative operation carried out for the pur-
pose of satisfying of the social aspirations
OF the Dominican people. But we must also add,
to the credit of capacity for government, that
the same can be said about the u S. military regime
that ruled during the space Of eight years. There
Is no doubt whatever that the creating of this situa.
ton contributed powerfully to the lack of real inter-
national aid in the solution of crushing internal
problems.
Hostosian ratonasm converted into Government after
the fall of Heureaux, endeavoured to cut down at the
roots the finest influence that could be utilized by
the government in Santo Domingo for moderating
the highly developed indvidualist character of the
Domnicans: the uniting influence Of religious feel
ing During the whole of the twentieth century
lived without that influence, and without that in
huence through the work of Hostosian materialsm,
we commenced to live at the beginning of the present
century. The same methods used in connection
with other creations of indivdualism, exasperated
by the consttutionalst school Of the ustrou Puerto
Rcan thinker.
In article published in 1900 Dr. Henriquez Car
vajal wrote the following visionary paragraphs:
1T is not enough to have read good books to have
attended school and listened to the brilliant lectures
of the teacher, even to write fine articles and
happy disquisitions about the consequences to be
derived from the implantaton of great principles,
to the realities of life it is necessary to bring
the theoretical conception of scientific, natural and
sociological truth; it is necessary to show, through
daily realization the efficiency of such principles and
bring credit upon democratic institution by means of
its constant execution"
The distinguished pubicst, at that time Minister
for Foreign Affairs, whose failure was due to the
lack Of understanding of his compatriots and the