THE PRESIDENT AND STAFE, PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI 



The marine in the background tells the story of the presence of the American force in 

 Haiti. The Haitian soldiers have been organized into a constabulary under the direction of 

 American marines, and many of the latter have been promoted from the ranks and are now 

 officers. 



tells us "he scathingly arraigns the Hai- 

 tians and gives details of the revolting 

 practices of the Vaudottx and the canni- 

 bals of the country. There is too deep a 

 belief in the almost preternatural power 

 of the papa-lois and maman-lois (high 

 priest and priestess of the Vaudoux), and 

 the dread of the terrible loup-garoa — the 

 human hyena that kidnaps children, 

 buries them alive, and then resurrects 

 them for the. sacrifices — is too pervasive 

 and real to permit of denial by those who 

 have to live in Haiti and endure the evils 

 they cannot remedy."* 



It was Dessalines who led the forces 

 which defeated the French, massacred 

 their women and children, and set up an 



*See also "Haiti, a Degenerating Island," by 

 Rear Admiral Colby M. Chester, U. S. N., in 

 National Geographic Magazine, March, 1908. 



independent government. From that 

 time, 1804, to the present they have had 

 28 rulers, including a king and an emperor. 

 Of these only 4 completed their terms of 

 office, 2 died in power, 5 were assassi- 

 nated, 10 were exiled, 1 committed sui- 

 cide, and 1 abdicated under compulsion. 

 Of Christophe, the second ruler, Sir 

 Frederick Treves gives us this glimpse : 

 "To Dessalines succeeded Christophe, one 

 of the most ludicrous figures in modern 

 history. He was a mulatto slave, who 

 took upon himself the title of Henri I. 

 He created a copious black aristocracy, 

 whereby the water-side porter became a 

 duke, and the footman a marquis. He 

 drew up a code of laws, the Code Henri, 

 in imitation of the Code Napoleon. His 

 court was as gorgeous as the court in an 

 opera bouffe. More than that, he built 



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