HIS CHARACTER. 



29 



have a representative of their own than of a lighter class, 

 unless he be absolutely white, to govern them ; and from 

 all I can learn, a better man than Soulouque was not easily 

 to be found. He is a man of strong will, unsurpassed 

 courage, an accomplished soldier, knows the people he 

 rules perfectly, and in spite of all the scoffers of black go- 

 vernment may say to the contrary, is kindly disposed to 

 his people, and to all but his enemies. During my stay 

 in Jamaica a French gentleman who was inquiring into the 

 condition of the negro population of the West India 

 islands, passed a month on the island of Ilayti. After his 

 return, he wrote an account of his visit to the court of the 

 Haytien Emperor, in the form of a letter, which was dated 

 at Kingston, March 18, 1850. This visit was so recent, 

 the account of it is so unprejudiced and satisfactory, it bears 

 so directly upon matters to which I am chiefly desirous of 

 directing the attention of my readers, and withal it is likely 

 to reach so few of them in any other way, that I feel that 

 I shall add materially to whatever of interest or value these 

 pages may possess, by publishing the communication en- 

 tire. It will be found in the Appendix A. 



