340 



HAYTI. 



peasants, land proprietors, etc.) found vent for 

 the declaration of their sentiments in the same 

 humorous way, styling themselves "Oacos," 

 after a black parrot that feeds upon lizards. (A 

 different account of the name and the charac- 

 ter of the " Cacos " is given below in the bio- 

 graphical sketch of Salnave.) The *| Piquets," 

 who are also frequently mentioned in the ac- 

 counts of the civil war, as firm supporters of 

 Salnave, are said to be the semi-savages of the 

 woods of the interior. 



In July, President Salnave issued a procla- 

 mation to the Haytiens, reviewing and de- 

 fending his course of action in the past. As to 

 the charge that he had made himself dicta- 

 tor, he says that, although he had been offered 

 that power by the army as necessary to enable 

 him successfully to grapple with the Cacos in- 

 surrection, he had declined the title, and had 

 continued, as much as the existing state of war 

 would permit, to abide by the Constitution. 

 With regard to the attempts of what he calls 

 "the pretentious and aristocratic faction " to 

 overthrow the Government in the name of the 

 Constitution, the address says: "Do they for- 

 get that I am constitutional President ? Are 

 they ignorant that I cannot myself overlook, 

 violate, or suspend this fundamental act with- 

 out breaking my oath and committing treason 

 to the people at whose hands I hold my pow- 

 er? " After calling upon the Haytiens to give 

 him their confidence, Salnave concluded by as- 

 suring them that as their legal defender he wish- 

 ed no other powers than those which belonged 

 to him by right, and which were necessary to 

 their welfare, and that the dearest wish of 

 his heart was to see Hayti fulfilling the des- 

 tiny marked out for her by Providence, and 

 to see her people accomplishing, in spite of 

 the obstacles before them, the grand work 

 of progress and civilization as the fruits of 

 their liberty and their independence, in fur- 

 therance of which ends he pledged himself 

 to employ the best energies of his mind and 

 body. 



In order to prevent conflicts between for- 

 eigners and the Government, arising out of the 

 execution of orders given by the authorities, 

 Salnave in August addressed a circular to the 

 generals in command of the different military 

 posts, enjoining upon them to afford all the pro- 

 tection in their power to such foreigners as ab- 

 stain from mixing themselves up in the affairs 

 of the country, and conform to the laws of the 

 republic ; but at the same time to denounce to 

 the Government all those, of whatever nation- 

 ality, who shall be found acting in contraven- 

 tion of the laws, and giving encouragement to 

 the rebellion, in order that legal measures 

 might be adopted against them. He required 

 that all violence against such persons should be 

 carefully avoided. 



The new Secretary of State for Public Wor- 

 ship, in August, addressed an official communica- 

 tion to the Vicar-General of Hayti, calling upon 

 him to urge upon his clergy the duty of using 



their influence with the people in the interests 

 of order and peace in the Kepublic, and especially 

 to remember the President in all the prayers 

 of the Church used by them. They are to be 

 asked to remind the people that "the powers 

 that be are ordained of God " for the "punish- 

 ment of evil-doers and for the praise of them 

 that do well," and to give prominence in their 

 preaching to those divine truths of Christianity 

 which are the surest basis of all virtue, whether 

 private or public. The Government hopes, 

 says the Secretary, that the word of God, faith- 

 fully preached to the Haytien people, will in- 

 spire them with a holy love of country, and 

 teach them to turn to profitable account the 

 sad lessons which they are now receiving. 



The reports from Hayti on the character and 

 the ability of President Salnave are of the most 

 contradictory nature. Salnave, during the year 

 1868, was on good terms with the minister 

 of the United States, and was reported even to 

 be favorable to an annexation of Hayti to the 

 United States. A citizen of the United States, 

 who has lived many years in Hayti, gives the 

 following biographical sketch of the President : 



Silvain Salnave was born in the city of Cape Haytien 

 in the year 1832, and, after having passed through the 

 various changes of youth, finally entered the service 

 of his country as a common soldier, and gradually 

 rose to the position of captain of Cavalry of the 

 North, better known at the time as the " Chevaux 

 Legers," which position he held after the establish- 

 ment of the empire under Soulouque, although never 

 sympathizing with the assumption of the imperial 

 robes by his then chief, being at heart then, as he is 

 now, a thorough, republican, and totally ignoring the 

 divine right ol kings. 



When, on the morning of December 22, 1858, Gef- 

 frard raised, in the name of the people, the standard 

 of revolt, and the cry of " Vive la Republique ! '" was 

 shouted from valley to hill- top, till its echoes reached 

 the capital, the Imperial Guard were at once mustered 

 forth, to quell with their prestige what was deemed 

 but a mad enterprise ; and such.it would indeed have 

 proved but for the prompt intervention of the subject 

 of this sketch. 



So inert and enslaved had the people become to 

 every caprice of Soulouque, that, when, in response to 

 the call of Geffrard in the name of liberty, some of 

 the prominent generals of the north assembled in 

 Cape Haytien for secret conference, in a large room be- 

 decked with the trappings of royalty, having at one 

 end a life-size bust of the Emperor, elaborately 

 painted and gilded, they seemed almost awed by 

 the presence of this " counterfeit presentment," and 

 trembled lest the movement should prove futile, 

 and that summary vengeance might be visited upon 

 them. One by one they were preparing to depart, when 

 young Salnave, springing to his feet, threw open the 

 doors, and drawing his pistol from his belt, fired its 

 contents into the oust of the emperor, shattering it 

 into a thousand fragments, shouting, " Down with 

 Soulouque ! Vive la Republique .' '" Like a spark of 

 electricity the enthusiasm sped from house to house, 

 and from that moment the whole north rallied to the 

 cause of Geffrard, and finally resulted in completely 

 overthrowing the empire and reestablishing the re- 

 public. Geffrard, being a vain, ambitious man, used 

 little discretion in rewarding those who espoused his 

 cause, and, among others, conferred the position and 

 title of major in the army upon Salnave, to whose 

 bravery, energy, and persistency, he actually owed 

 his exalted position. Soon, there came another call 

 for his services. Spain, having taken advantage of 



