Amid a fanfare of banjos, a rattling of “de bones” and the patting
of the Juba, General Simon entered the Presidential Palace at
Port-au-Prince, capitol and chief city of Hayti, early in December,
thus triumphantly concluding a decisive rebellion during which Nord
Alexis, recent dictator, was forced to flee for refuge to a French
vessel. Simon’s election to the Presidency by the National Assembly
will follow, as a matter of mere detail, providing neither General
Firman, General Fouchard nor other “General” of opposing armies which
contain no privates at all, pulls off another revolution before
breakfast. This is a fearsome possibility, though, inasmuch as the
countries to which these heroes may be induced to repair as ministers
are limited; and the aspirants for the dictatorship are unlimited;
besides, there may be a crop of the deposed ministers wending their way
homeward to hatch up more plots—and how may all be pacified? Moreover,
it had been six long, weary years since Hayti had any revolution to
speak of and the appetite of the Black Republic for such diversions is
not easily appeased. Serpent worship may pall and the charm of Voodoo
rites wax monotonous. A chance to burn and pillage now and then helps
amazingly to relieve the dulness of the island.
Hayti continues an object lesson in the progress that civilization
makes when left to the care of the brother in black. It is a chunk
of “Darkest Africa” left festering on the seas. The conditions there
being so terrible, even in non-revolutionary periods, there are
almost no white residents whose presence, in larger numbers, would
force other governments to a summary clean-up of the nauseous spot.
U. S. cruiser Tacoma has been dispatched to St. Marc and Gonaives to
extend protection to those who may be in distress and to quell further
threatened rioting.