Haytian Republic.
The Times, 1824-12-15T00:00:00

., .., (Frmo. t Tue Wesleyan 71ethodists h)ave, on several occasions cottaplain. ed of the treatnent their missionaries have received in the islandof Hayti from the Governtnent of President Boyer. These grievances havebeen frequently referred toim their publications,and induced se- veral individuals, deeply interested in the extension of civil and reti- ous liberty on,the one hand, and rn the weli-being of the Haytian Rcpublic on the other,- to addresc thb President on. the subject, urging on him the great imnportanco of.conciliating thegood opinion of the reUiglout public, and entreatirg him to give no real ground of reprobation to the many ndthe busy. eneries of negro mancipa. tion. The following- is a trandlation of the reply which has been sent to MNr. Bowring: "REPUIBLIC' OF HAYTL "1Port-au-Prinse, July 31, 1824. Sir,_1 am desired by hia Excellency the President ot' HayEi to acknowledge the receipt of your letrer ated the 3d of April, as well as of the case of military books which vour friend has been kind enough to send. The tsste which id evinc'ed in thiq sniall collecilon, and the feeling which dfrected its emission, have given sincere pleasu're to his Excellency. The President of Hayti is equally sensible of the warm interest which this gentleman rakes in the prosperity of the Republic, manifested in the letter written by him ro you, and which you have forwarded with your own: hils Excellency htas expressede his aelsnowledjtment in the enclosed letter. With relation to the grievanesi " *he Mlethodists, they are of so delicate a nature, that you will permn me to reply to thern. "1 The first Christians, anA at a later period, the fist Protestants were said tobe persecsted, werecalled the martyrs of their faith, when they were robbed of their property,when they were banished their native land-or when they were mide to a :'ergo punishments the' smost cruel, or to suffer death. Assuredly the Methodists have en. dured nothing like this in Hayti. But tmen,ts have been excited against themn ! their lives have been mtenaced! ap armed force has seized thirty of them ! The nIa-,strate eaused then to becondicted to prisoJ ; and in order to procuire a release, they were cornpellod to pay one dollar per 4eal! VWhenever one sect pailcayoura to make pro. eely te in a country where theri exists another sect which is more numnerous and more powerful, it is unhappily in the nature of human paSsiOns, that the one should consider the other as an enemy, whose exertionstend tonothing less than taking away a portion of that which .t regards as its inheritance. Thus the zeal of the Methodists aroused the zeal of the Catholics, Evil was the inevi- table conseruence. To prevent this, the Governnient; with iwhom the well-besng of the people is the sapreme law, was compelled to invite the missienaries to retire. Hence arose the complaints of the Alethodists. Now let us iuppose that the Governumctit had pursiued a contrary course, and what would have beets the result . rhere were not more than thirty Methodlsts,-therc would be, hundred Catholics, wlho must be thrown into rtison, and wh' could not depart thence until they had paid the gaoler the customary fec. Would the missionaries and theirconverts remain unmolested ? The hundred Catliolics relrazed. and thieir relatives,-would they rest quietly on the tirst, going tbrth or assembling of their antagonists? I imagine not. There would be at oned a thousand Catholics wvhom it would be necessary to imprison. And even then vould the Alethodists be rmore undisturbed? No. The zeal of the persecuted Catholics would be inflamed more and more, and a?avti would become the pzcy of religious wars. The thought alone' makes me tremble. " We do not tear that we shall be accused of violating our constitutien, which has proclaimed toleratio,n. WVithlout doubt, every man, of whatever colour, of whatever nation, of whatever religion he is, may be assured of tte protection of the law, as long as he doesnot seek to make converts, and is content to wvorship God in his own way. But from the moment that his zeal addresses itsef to others,he incurs a hazard. If no voice is raisel against hitn, the Government, which gives to all the liberty of conscience, is silent, and tolerates: but if tehe people are enraged against the new missionaries, and consequen. cea the most evil are lileely to result, it bccomes obligatory upon the (lovernment to invite theni to retire, for their own intcrest. s it not thius that all wise 6lovernments act? Toleration in Hayti has fewer restrictions than in any other place. l4very citizen, whatever be his belief or his worship, is free lo ennij all civil atid Political rights, and to fill all public situatiotis. bo the Catholics, r would ask of' YoU, experience this equality of rights in Great Britain ? " The principles of our Government are not altercil. If under the late President, ard for some time at'er the aceession of the pre. sent President, the Methodists enjoved rome degree of favour, it was because their body had not at that time given occasion to anv tumults. A time may come which shall be equally favourable fo them, butt at the presen' moment, when the presence of their Mis- sionaries will eant the torch qf discord amidstouir fss,ilies, tlh eGo- vernment cannot tolerate their proselytism. " The conduct of the Government withl regard to the Catholic Bishop Glory. whose presence was thc cause of' disturbitnees in 1-aymi, must prove to the- Mlethedists its inpartiality towards all warships, and the peculliary donation' vnich the present President sent to their society, in recomypense for their past sufferings, atid in consideration of their charitable intentiots, must give assurance to them of his personal sentiments in their favour. " I beg, Sir, to offer to you the expression of my high considera. tion, &c. (Signed) " B. INGINAC, 'Getneral of Brigade and Sccretary.Gencral to his Excellency the President of Eayti." " To John Bov;ing, Esq., &c., London." 17.?YTIA REPUBLIC.