Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1894 — HAYTIAN HORRORS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HAYTIAN HORRORS.

Notable Men Who Figured in tbe Bloody History of that Country. Hayti produced some remarkable men during the days of travail and bloodshed through which it passed

toward the close of tbe last and the beginning of the present century. In 1790 the eastern part of the Island belonging to France was one of the most valuable new world. The population was 500,000, of whom

88,360 were white, 28,370 free colored, though without political rights, and the remainder negro slaves. The free olored people demanded political ♦quality and the agitation continued antil 1791, when the negro slaves rose Id Insurrection. Awful horrors tvere perpetrated. French troops, tiring of slayiDg by bullets, loaded hulks with prisoners and towed them out of the harbor to sink them with their living freight. The Macks tortured all who fell in their way. Some were buried alive, others were lashed between two planks and slowly sawed asunder. The French portion ol the island was invaded by the Spanish and and in this extremity the French, hoping to gain the aid of the blacks, proclaimed universal freedom. At this junction the blacks, headed by Toussaint l’Ouverture, came to the aid of the French

and expelled both English and Spaniard. Tous saint became cominand-er-in-chief of the army and wrested the eastern end of the island from Spain. As civil governor the island prospered under him; commerce and agriculture re-

vived and freedom was vindicated. In 1801 Napoleon, then at peace In Europe, resolved to re establish slavery and sent a strong expedition to Hayti. Toussaint was treacherously seized and deported to France, where he died of ill-treatment in 1803. Tbe negroes, under the leadership of J. J. Dessalines, resisted the French, and the latter were ultimately forced to surrender to an English fleet Nov. 30, 1803. Dessalines was appointed Governor for life, hut in imitation of Napoleon he proclaimed himself Emperor under the title of Jean Jacques I. This caused trouble and in 1806 he was assassinatedSpain how seized the eastern portion of the island, while the French portion was divided among rival chiefs. The greatest of these was Henri Christophe, and between him and another chief, Petion, a civil war raged for eleven years. In 1811 Christophe abolished the republican form of government and proclaimed himself King. The discontent against him grew, and finally to prevent his being taken prisoner he shot himself.

J. J. DESSALINES.

HENRY CHRISTOPHE.