Holling pH INDEPENDENCE OF HAYTI. /<^^*^''5i.% /• N/ — li SPEECH M:>A.^??^1^ OP / M^iy^SH'^^l HON. THOMAS D. ELIOT, OF MASS., ^ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JUNE 3, 18G2, ON THE BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE APPOINTMENT OF DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES TO THE REPUBLICS OF HAYTI AND LIBERIA. Mr. ELIOT said : Mr. Speaker, the recog- nition of Haytien independence is among the duties to be discharged by the present Congress, as an act both of justice and of pol- icy. A bill similar ia its provisions to the bill now before the House should have become a law many years ago. Certainly of Hayti — and it is concerning that people that I intend to speak — national recognition should have been long since cheerfully given. If President Jeff- rard were not a patriot, as he has been found to be by his entire administration hitherto, if he were not a statesman " clothed and in his right mind," especially if he were vindictive, as the race of which he is perhaps the chief in • this age are ignorautly called, the time might be at hand when he would prefer to dipense with our tardy welcome, for he and his people may prosper without us as well as we and our people may prosper without them. /There are but few loyal States in this Union that are not richer every year because of Hayti, nor is there one that might not multiply annually the results of Haytien commerce if Haytien independence were by our Government cordially recognisedi It is one of the marvels of modern diplomacy, and it will always be reckoned among those suicidal acts for which but one cause may be justly assigned, that we have suffered this half century to pass away without consenting to perform an act of simple national justice and to receive what would have been, so far as we desired it, a monopoly of commercial inter- course. The considerations of republican justice and of high national policy fitly to be urged in be- half of the speedy passage of the bill pending before Congress for Haytien recognition de- mand attention. The history of that island upon which, in December, 1492, Columbus set up a " large cross " " as an indication," ia the words of his diary, " that your highnesses [Ferdinand and Isabella] possess the country, and principally for a token of Jesus Christ our Lord, and the honor of Christianity "—from the time of its discovery until the present day, is full of ro- mantic interest. Three hundred and seventy years ago it was said of it, " the houses and towns are very handsome, and the inhabitants live in each settlement under the rule of a sot- ereign judge, 'to whom they pay implicit obe- dience. Their magistrates are persons of ex- cellent manners and great reserve, and give their orders by a sign of the hand, which is understood by all with surjrising quickness." Columbus was seeking gold. LasCasas, iuhis abridgment of the Journal of Columbus, says that the admiral " hoped to find, at his return from Castile, a ton of gold collected from the natives, and that mines and spices will have been discovered, and all these in such abund- ance that before three years the king and queen may undertake the recovery of the Holy Sep- ulchre." And in his own diary Columbus added : " For I have before protested to your highnesses that the profits of this enterprise shall he employed iu thd con- quest of Jerusalem, at which your highnesses smiled and said you were pleased, and had the same inclination." In a letter which Columbus wrote to Don Rafael Sanchez, treasurer of Ferdinand and Isabella, he says : " In the island named Espanola there are lofty and beau- tiful mountains, large cultivated tracts, woods, fertile fic'ds, and everything adapted to the purposes of agriculture, the pasturage of cattle and the erection of houses. The excel- lence of the harbors here and the abundance of the streams which contribute to the salubrity of the climate, exceed imagination. Here are found divers sorts of iirccious drugs, gold, and metals." In a letter to Luis De Santangel, comptroller f: l^ i:^r In of the treasury, written " on board the Caravel, off the Azores, February 15, 1493," Columbus saya : "There are palm trees in these countries of sis or eight sorts." * * " Beautil'ul I'orosts of pines are found, and fields of vast extent. Here is also honey and fruits of a thousand sorts, and birds of every variety. The land contains mines of metals, and inhabitants without number. The island of Espanola is pre-eminent in beauty and excellence, offering to the sight the most enchanting view of mountiiius, plains, rich ilekls for cultivation and pastures for flocks of all sorts, with situations for towns and settlements. Its harbors are of such excellence that their description would not gain belief; and the like may be said of its abundance of largo rivers, the most of which abound ia gold. The trees, fruits, and plants of the island differ from those of Juana, and the place contains a great deal of spicery, and extensive mines of gold and other metals." In the same letter, speaking again of Hispan- iola, Columbus says : " This is a most beautiful island, and altho'igh I have taken possession of them all in the name of their highnesses, and every one of them remains in their power and as much at their disposal as the kingdoms ot Castile, and although they are all furnished with everything that can be desired, yet the preference must bo given to Espanola, on account of the mines of gold it possesses and the facilities it offers for trade with the continent and countries this side and be- yond that of the great Can, which traffic will be great and profitable. I have accordingly taken possession of a place which I have named Villa de Navidad, and built there a fortress, which is at present complete and furnished with a sufficiency of men for the enterprise ; with these I have left arms, ammunition, and provisions for more than a year, and expert men and all necessary arts." Columbus supposed that he was describing a portion of India. He believed during his life that he had thrown open a new way to the ancient commercial regions. He died in pov- erty and disgrace, a disappointed man, ignorant that he had made known a new continent, sep- arated from the whole civilized world by two immense seas. Aristotle, in his work Concerning Heaven and Earth, declared that one might pass from India to Cadiz in a few days. And Seneca said that a ship might speedily sail, with a fair •wind, from Western Spain to India. Fernando, the son and biographer of Christopher Colum- bus, referring to Seneca, said : " If, as some assure us, he was the author of the trage- dies which go by his name, we may be certain that he refers to this fact in the choru.s to Medea : ' Venient annis Secula seris, quibus Oceanus Vincula rerun) laxet, el ingens Pateat tellus. Typhis quo novos Detegat orbes, noc sit Tcrris Ultima Thulc. ' " In the last days will come a time when ocean shall loose the bonds of things. A great land shall be discovered. A Typhis shall disclose new worlds, and Thule shall cease to be the end of the earth ! Hispaniolaor San Domingo, or Hayti, as the natives call it, (the Highland country,) is known to be one of the richest and most pro- ductive, as well as one of the largest of the West India islands. It is nearly four hundred miles in length, and about one hundred and fifty miles at its widest breadth. After its dis- covery by Columbus, the western portion of the island was occupied by the French. The char- acter of the country, as its name implies, is mountainous, but on its mountain sides are gardens that blossom in luxuriance. The healthful breezes from the hills, although their latitude is but aboct twenty degrees north of the equator, invigorate and inspire the inhabi- tants whose good fortune has cast their lives in those pleasant places. All along the coast are roadsteads and commodious harbors. The no- ble bay of Samaua on the southeastern coast lis about sixty miles in length. Within it whole fleets may ride in^^afety. A river, navigable inland, running from these mountains a course of nearly one hundred miles, pours itself into this entrance from the ocean. Other bays and harbors are found along the coast with safe channels and good anchorage, although else- where the shore, rock-bound and dangerous, prevents approach. Port an Prince, the capital of Hayti, is built upon its western coast. The harbor there is from eighteen to twenty-one feet in depth. The tourists and historians who have recently described this country confirm the glow- ing statements of Columbus as to its soil and climate and various vegetable productions. The mountains and valleys, fertile and well watered, yield plentifully all that may supply the wants or the luxuries of the inhabitants. And the statements which I shall submit for examination show that an amount and variety of produce are yearly exported which entitle the Haytien Government to a high rank among commercial nations. There are twenty two rivers and many smaller streams which have their source in the highlands of the interior, and which run in different courses to the sea ; and at a distance from the sea of some thirty miles is an inland lake, with a circumference of over sixty miles, whose waters are salt and of the specific gravity of ocean water. The forest and other trees of this rich country are highly valuable. Large quantities of oak and pine, suitable for ship timber, are found. The ma- hogany wood, the manchineel tree, variegated like our Tennessee marble, and taking as high polish, grow in profusion. The iron wood and rare Brazil and satin woods are found in abundance. The cotton and palm trees are of great size and every variety. The coffee, cot- ton, and sugar cane are there in native and high luxuriance. The plantain and vanilla, rice and ginger, tobacco, turmeric, and indigo, are plentiful and of fine quality. The fruits and vegetables proper I will not attempt to specify. From a soil of great fertility, and under a climate so varied, it would not be easy to name a fruit or vegetable or flower that this | Queen of the Antilles does not claim among her products. Nor is she without great min- eral wealth. But the hand of enterprise is needed there to develop and make available her mineral productions. Of the earlier political history of Hayti it is not of importance to speak at length. With its present and its future we have now to do. la 1793 there were in the French possessions at St. Do- mingo about fi^e hundred thousand slaves. By one act of the commissioners of France, on the 29th of August of that year, they were made free. This was a war measure. Free- dom was proclaimed under the war power, and as a measure of military expediency. For some years before this emancipation, civil war raged between the white men and the raulat- toes. The negroes looked on, not concerned in their slavery where defeat or victory might come. The planters were negotiating with England for aid, and the Government of Spain had planted its standard, holding at that mo- ment several strong positions upon the island. Two agents of the French Government then represented the republic. They watched the progress of the war, and observed with clear eye that the possessions of France were about to be wrested from her hands. Polonel and Southonax were there, but they had no army able to cope with England and Spain. They could wait for no reinforcements from home, for the English army was on its way. Just then they converted a half million of neutrals into an army of allies. Within thirty days after freedom v/as declared the soldiers of England appeared. But they had delayed too long. France had acted. The convention at Paris hastened to ratify the act of emancipation, which was confirmed in February, 1794. A ^ soldier and a statesman appeared, and Tous- saint L'Overture, with a small army of negro oldiers, offered himself to France. For nearly four years the war continued, when Spain and England retired, and the French republic pos- sessed what had belonged to Spain. For some years after this, the history of Hayti was made by this remarkable man. Toussaint was the opener of Haytien greatness. He was not only a military genius. He organized the Govern- ment and regulated labor and enforced a peace which at once brought wealth to the planter, secured wages to the laborer, invited commerce to the island, and won for himself the respect of the civilized world. But Toussaint trusted Napoleon, and died a prisoner in France. The armies of the republic were, however, not able to conquer this island of freed men, and in 1804 they were driven from her shores. During the last half century these people have maintained their independence and have gov- erned themselves. They achieved an independ- ence more ample than we fought for in 1776, and without foreign aid. We contended for politi- cal freedom. They had first to secure their civil rights as men. We had money from abroad and heroic friends and munitions of war. They fought their own fight, with their own men, without aid from abroad, and without sympathy or countenance or comfort from one civilized nation of the earth. We were of England's best blood. The Pilgrims of the North and the Huguenots and the Cavaliers of the South were born of free parents and edu- cated to freedom. They were used to arms. Sons of brave sires, they were fitted by birth, by culture, by education, by wealth, by all the means and appliances of modern civilization, to create for themselves a nation, and to com- mand respect. Hayti was a nation ofnegroee. Nearly one-half her people had been imported slaves, and they had been trained in the schools of slavery. Opposed to them were the best soldiers of Europe : Napoleon's men with Na- poleon's generals in command. Yet they con- tended successfully, and secured a national in- dependence which they have now maintained these fifty years. , There is no civilized nation, I believe, of po- litical importance, that has not long ago rec- ognised Haytien independence. England, France, Spain, Prussia, Russia, Austria, Italy, Holland, the States of Germany, Sweden, Den- mark, Mexico, and Brazil, have severally wel- comed her as an equal and as a friend. The first Powers in the world have to-day their con- suls general at the capital of Hayti. At Saint James and in Paris, our own ambassadors meet upon equal terms before Queen and Emperor the accomplished ambassadors commissioned bj Jeffrard to represent his people. President Lincoln, in his message to us in December last, said : "If any good reason exists why wc should persevere longer in "withholding our recognitiou of the independence and sovereignty of Hayti and Liberia, I am unable to diS' cover it." At this hour the Republican party controls, or should control, the administration of our Government. For acts and for omissions that party will be held responsible. But this is no party question, much less is it a question first presented to us by the party now in power. Thirty-five years ago the commercial interests of the Union, sea-board and inland, urged upon Congress the importance of speedy action. England was then establishing friendly and in- timate relations with a people whose national- ity she had already acknowledged. Ten years ago an able memorial was addressed to Con- gress, now upon the files of the Senate, assert- ing in strong terms and with clear argument the national reasons why the Government of the United States should no longer delay to recognise the sovereienty of Hayti. Men of all political opinions have committed them- selves to the justice and the moral necessity of such recognition. Since that time the steady and rapid growth of Hayti as a nation, her Christian civilization, and her varied commerce, have still further removed the question from the arena of party politics and made it national. It is as a national question that I proceed to consider it. More than twenty-five years ago England acknowledged Haytien independence, and at this time every considerable civilized Power of the world, with one exception, holds intercourse with her as an admitted sovereignty. This condition of things settles the fact of independ- ence. It will not be made a question that this nation is self-sustaining and fully equal to the functions of self-government. But although our own Government have failed hitherto to acknowledge that independence, yet, such are the laws ot commercial life, our commercial relations have become so important and are so growing in value, that among sixty nations with whom we hold intercourse, more than one halt of them are of less value to us than Hayti is. No act is wanting but one of national recog- nition on our part to enhance largely the mu- tual advantages of Haytien commerce to us and to them. Soon after the able administra- tion of Jeffrard commenced, he took measures to ascertain the maritime and commercial business of his people, and in the statistical tables officially published we have proof how important to them our commerce is, and how important to us its continuance will be. In an 1 official paper, published at Port au Prince in j September, 1860, there is an article on the I commerce between the United States and Hayti. ; I give a portion of it as published in this ; country by Mr. Redpath, who has labored so earnestly for Haytien independence and so successfully for American emigration there. "The navigation of the United States in Hayti employs, under the American flag, one-half of the foreign ships that frequent our port. As these vessels are generally smaller than those which come from Europe, they repiescnt only forty -two per cent, of thi; total tonnage. But it should be remarked that, thanks to their full cargoes both in arriving and returning, ihey can 0x their rate of freight at more fa- vorable terms than their competitors. The remark which ha? almost become an axiom, that the navigation of a peo- ple develops itself in proportion to the products exported, finds here a new proof. The value of the importations from the United States, and the amount of the duty paid by them to the Treasury, is about forty per cent, of the total. It represents S"2, 2511,010 worth of imports, of which ninety per cent, arrive under the American flag. The chief of tliese importations are pork, in its diflerent forms, and flour, j which amount to about fifty per cent, of them. Subjoined are figures of the quantities introduced, and of the indication of their value : Candles $20,000 Butter and cheese 40,000' Gold and silver 6-5,000 Furniture and manufactured woods 25,000 j Cotton stuffs 220,000 1 Flour 500,000 I Salt beef 20,000 Fish 230,000 i Pork, ham, and lard 475,000 I Iron 30,000 ! Soap 215,000 ! Articles of which similar are produced in the coun- I try : Lumber and shingles 70,000 Rice 1 0,000 Other articles 65,000 Tobacco, in leaves and manufactured 150,000 Refined .sugar 15,000 2,250,000 "Fork, building woods, tobacco, rice, refined sugar, amount to forty per cent, on the total importation. In pro- portion as our general industry shall develop itself, the im- j portation of these articles will diminish, for we are quite as well situated as the United States to produce such articles. It is greatly to be desired that our culture of tobacco, rice, and sugar, should be sufficiently advanced, in order to ex- clude from the list of our consumptions the productions of the Southern States of the Union. This reduction , however, ■would hardly impede our commerce with the L'nited States, whose growth in the arts and manufactures increases every day. What our exchanges would lose on the one side, they would gain on the other." During the first six months of 18G0, the com- me.rce of Port au Prince, which has a popula- tion of about twenty thousand persons, is thus stated : "The import tonnage has risen to 17,865 tons, and the exports to 19,SC0. As usual, the United States hold the first rank, and are represented in the following table by 9,600 ions. France 5.000 tons. England 2,000 " Hanover, Denmark, Sweden, Hamburg, Belgium, Holland, and Spain complete the list. The amount of the invoices of imi^ortation is SI ,458,145, .'Spanish For the United SUtes $665,400 For Euglaiid 343,870 For France 228,680 The countries named above make up the ditfcrenco. The amount of exportation, reduced into Spanish dollars, at the rate of fourteen Haytien dollars to one Spanish, SI, 408 ,000. This comprises : France $775,000 United ctatcs ■.. 275,000 England 190,000 '/ And the other countries. The import duties amount to $300,000 : United Status $104,000 France 74.000 Enguind 53,000 Other countries 09,000 The export duties iimoimt to $273,000 : France $13,500 United States. 46,000 Kiiglaud 33,000 Other countries 61,000 Exportation comprises the following products : Coflec 15,000 000 pounds. Logwood 8,400,000 " Cotton 93,000 " Cocoa 685,000 " JIahogany 88,000 feet. The exportation of coffee in French vessels lias amounted to 7,500,000 pounds. American 2,300,000 pounds. English 1,835,000 " Danish 1,060,000 " Swedish 750,000 " Other countries 1,555,000 " " It -will be observed, on examining the above figures, that the imports and exports are nearly to the same amount — a fact which, If it were general, would indicate a healthy condition in the commerce of importation." ******* " By far the largest portion of the exports and imports oc- cur in tlie months of September, October, November, aud December. During the first six months of every year, not more than one-third of the annual exports and imports are made. The foregoing figures, therefore, must be regarded in the light of this fact, to give a true result in estimating the yearly commerce of the capital. " So far for ihe commerce between the States and Hayti, and for the trade of the chief port. These subjoined figures, which are also oflicial, will give an idea of the general com- merce of the Republic : " The commerce of Hayti employs annually between five and si.x huudrsd vessels, giving a total of about seventy thousand tons, distributed amon£ the following nations : Ships. Tonnage. United suites 250 30,000 England - 90 12,000 Fi-ance 70 12,000 German, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Hol- land, Belgium, Italian, Central America, Spauish 50 7,000 "To these figures must be added twenty-tive per cent., in order to arrive at their registry tonnage; for the Haytieu mode of computation gives invariably between twenty -five aud thirty per cent, less than the ship's register. " The import duties paid to the State, under the Empire, averaged between $800,000 and $900,000 annually, and were derived as follows : Uriited States 5300,000 England 190.000 France 190^000 Other Flags 180,000 " The ai.uual export ( 5,649 bales j 3,S83 gallons... 86,209 barrels... $250 410 3,469 1,705 5,450 1,570 106,235 1,584 30 249 759 710 12,893 03 411 2C8 38 4,050 1,23S 3,309 2,412 403 233 1,172 5,565 114,446 4,577 1,737 16 10,573 122 207,857 790 180 28 162 1,221 73 4,200 16,101 20 1,146 73,019 405 24 415 709 535,013 17.882 5;634 Total value of exports in American vessels 2,159,744 Total value of exports in foreign vessels 282,161 Total value of exports from the United States to Hayti 2,441,905 B. Stalement of goods, wares, and merchandise, of the groivfh, produce, and manufacture of foreign countries, expoHed to Hayti during the year ending June 30, 1860. CofTeo Coins, gold Beer, ale, and porter Clothing, ready made Copper, manufactures of. . . Cotton, manufactures of, plain Cotton, bleached, printed, painted, or dyed Fish, dried or smoked Herrings Mafkerel Other lish, dried, smoked, or pickled 25,905 pounds... 30 gallons... f2,7Sl 9,500 20 340 477 1,131 25,281 cwt 1,070 barrels... 628 barrels... 90 96.696 2,700 4,140 6,927 barrels... 30,510 Fish in oil , sard ines, &c ... , Flax, manuliicturi's of Figs 1,661 pounds... Prunes 2,765 pounds.. . Raisins 27,929 pounds. . . Other IVuit, green, ripo, or dried Glass, window Gums, Arabic, Barbary, Co- pal, &c 240 pounds.. . All other gums and resins in a crude state 202 pounds . . . Gunny bags Hemp, and manufactures of burlaps Hemp, and manufactures of cotton b.agging 2,949 runn'g yds. Hemp, and manufactures of osnaburgs •. . Hemp, and manufactures not specified ludigo 2,868 pounds... Iron, fire-arms not specified Matting Nuts, almonds 376 pounds. . . others.. Oil, castor 5 gallons.. . essential, expressed, or volatile linseed 40 gallons . . . olive 225 doz. bots. Pens, metallic » Printed books and maga- zines, in English Raw hides and skins Silk, manufactures of Spices, cassia 2,060 pounds. . . cinnamon 30 pounds . . . cloves .3,073 pounds... ginger, ground 2,000 pounds. . . nutmegs 1,903 pounds... pepper 63 ,667 pounds . . . pimento 743 pounds. . . Spirits, brandy 160 gallons. . . from grain 578 gallons. . . from other material 428 gallons.. . cordials 113 gallons . . . Sugar, loaf and other re- fined 404,965 pounds.. . Tin, and manufactures of plates and sheets Tobacco, cigars 367,000 Wine, in casks, Madeira 10 gallons port 10 gallons sherry and St. Lucar 56 gallons red wines 455 gallons Champague 34 doz. bots Wine, in bottles, claret 85 doz. bots. . . . MiLdeira 5 doz. bots .... port 2 doz. bots other 5 doz. bots .... Zinc, nails 110 pound.? sheets 830 pounds other manufactures of Value of merchandise not enumerated above Value of merchandise exported to Hayti free of duty Value of merchandise exported to Hayti paying duty Total. 183 321 2,991 32 5 48 2,030 2,380 352 3,532 7,174 1,626 50 25 10 54 111 7 2,986 25 850 186 240 200 301 547 254 240 831 5,780 64 235 2C4 202 147 39,677 2,951 2,967 29 30 240 290 257 351 41 38 40 70 70 64 940 12,281 219,496 231,777 Value of merchandise exported to Hayti in Amer- ican vessels $212,910 Value of merchandise exported to Hayti in for- eign vessels , 18,867 C. Statement of gno