HAITI REBELLION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1048, 10 February 1911, Page 5

HAITI REBELLION.

SIX GENERALS .EXECUTED. \\

Bj Telegraph-Pi-Ms AMoclation-Coprr.'sht

New York, February 8. General Millibnard, head of the Haiti revolutionists, and five rebel generals were executed.

A MILITARY DESPOTISM. „In an article in tho London "Times" ?, lr .,P-, Johnston imtes:-Tho curso of Haiti from tho day sho established her independence in 1804 to tho present lime is this tyrannical and wasteful Government; of the military, party. Scarcely ft President m the history of Haiti has not been a military man and the favourito leader, for tho time being, of the major portion of. tho army. It 6eems impos- * » F ? rcally civilinn Government oi Haiti to-come into existence. -Tho country possesses a pedantically perfect ' Constitution, .providing overy 'possible safeguard for civil liberty and freedom of elections. Yet President after President calmly ignores the precepts of the Constitution, and either governs Haiti despotically or allows the country, to be misruled and shamefully robbed by ' a camarilla of Ministers. Whcnevor soma intelligent, Haitian politician attempts to point out acts of unconstitutional government, ho is either taken out and 'shot then nnd there, by order of tho President,'or. is flung into prison and perhaps made to undergo shameful and horrible tortures. ...... : That President Antoine Simon will follow in tho bloody, footsteps of all his Presidential predecessors is improbable. Ho is a man of obviously kindly nature, with a record of 22 years' essentially clement government of tho great southern province of Haiti; but he is an old man of, imperfect education, and though ho may turn out a complete surprise, vet so far ho has dono nothing to improve tho conditions of political elections. Tho wholo power of tho country is still entirely based on tho soldiers. , Tho theoretical standing army of Haiti is 30,000 men, of whom perhaps there are 10,000 at this moment under tho tol--1 ours. According to tho Constitution of tho country conscription is in force, and every, able-bodied man must serve for a certain period in the national army. In tho case of any country of great magnitude .pursuing a world policy universal military service is, or is going to be, a practical nccossity. But countries in tho position of Haiti should, be happily exempt from such a tax on industry. Whom has Haiti. to fear as regards exterior enemies? Aggressions from any European Power? No. The United States forbids that, and equally restrains "the Dominican' Republic from any policy of conquest. Tho United, States is tho only Power which could with any success or justification interfere with the independence of Haiti; and what could 10,000 or 30,000 Haitian troops do against tho forces of the United ,Stales? Consequently, Haiti needs no army for other purposes than the maintenance of public ordor within tho limits of tho Republic. For litis purpose a well-disciplined, wcllArinod force of 2000 men would he quito sulliciciit, together with a ■ constabulary of 1000 rural police. In most of the country districts polygamy is openly practised. The rito of mnrringo—civil and religious—is probablv confined to about an eighth of the total adult population. In fact, in almost nil features of their lives, except in dress, lanßUage. and rudeness of manners, the Haitian pcasnntry has returned to African condition!". But so far as placid acceptance of • n bnd government i<; concerned, and in their perfect courtPiv and absence of luiculonco 'towards foreigners, the Haitian people may bo regarded as-civilised. In small things they nro thievish; in largo concerns law nbiding nnd honest.