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Show 254 APPENDIX TO NOTES. You ,,.ill sec by tho journal the corrCSJ?~ndcnce which hn.s tn,k~n place between the Minister of Fo•·cigo AO:urs nnd t~lC Chambers, 1n rcg:Lrd to a request made by my collcn~ues and myself to be present at the discut:~sion of the Dominican qu('stwn. It ~cc m s to. lm~e cmbarr: iascd the lcgi.!!lator:o, nnd at last they dctcrnun~J to 8 1~ ~v1lh _closed doors, so that we can obtiLiu no satisfitctory intclllgcnco of thc1r proccedi• ws "" · With great respect, your obcdic~~QUB'~'~!·l\L \V ALSH. llon. DANIEL WEnST f:R, Secretary of State. Mr. Walsh to flfr. Webster. VoRT AU P1t1NCE, AprillO, 1R51. Sm: I nm informed that the Chamber:; have appointed njuint committee to make a report upon tlu'l J>omi nican question, and that the }~mpcror has aJde<l to it 8iX g:eneml~, in order that the army may Lc rq>rescnted in the husiness. '!'he lown is now full of military person~ ages, nil tho principal ofiiccr8 of_tbe empire lmvi n,e: been sumJ~lOllcd here, to the number of nearly hvc hundred g(•nerals, and twtcc as mnn,r colonels, fOr the double purpo~o~e of at<certa.ining thci1· views con~ ccrmng the war, an<.! of g i vin~ thc~u tlJC deco~at.iolll:, just uni\·ed fr.om }'ranee, of tho onle1· of St. bwstm....:....an Ol'dor Htstltutcd by tho F.m~ peror in honor of himself and the saint whom he h:ts selected as hi11 Fatron. I say selected! because .his real nnmo is Quaf!si?, a1~d not c:~~~~;:;, ~~~xt~~~~~g~~1 ~1tgfonro a~fl~ll~~t?t~tt~~ ;~~~~0~i~Jln~~~t~~~~ C\~~~s~ tian soun<l. 'l'he order is n. stri~t imitation of simil:tr in stituti•ms in other monn.rchies, with all the Jifl'crcnt gradations of knighthood, and ribands and crosses; and these arc bestowed upon the "princes, dukes, counts, barons, and chc\•aliers of the empire," in recompense for their" zeal, patriotism, merit and talents," as military worthies. That the ci,•ilia.ns also who "mcl·it distinctions for the services which they lmve rendered, and continue to render, to the co untry," mi:'?ht be duly rewarded, another order, the" Legion of Honor," was cstaLltshcd, which already, in consefjucnce of the quantity of merit<>rious and dis~ tinguishcd lbytieus, rejoices in nearly us many members as its French namesake, originated by Napoleon . A llitytien without a decoration is a \'Cry r:tre as well as \'Cry un~ lmppy individual, at least nmong the inhabitants of the towns. In the country, a banana. is generally regarded with more interest and admimtion tlmn even the Grand Cross of St. l'austiu. 'fwo other orderF~, it is said, are soon to be instituted in honor of the empress and the princess, and their patron saints St. Anne and St. Olive, for which tho insirrnia arc now in course of preparation by PMis1an artists. Ladies0 of cmiQcnce are to be the aminblc recipients of them when they arrive; and it is s:tid that they will be almost as multitudi~ nous as those nppert::t.ining to the confraternities of cavaliers. I trust, sir, you will p:trJon me if I sometimes wander from the serious tone appropriate to a J.csp~tch; but i t _i ~ ?iffi~ult to prcser~e one'~; gravity w1th so absurd :t. carwature of cn'ilumtwn before ones eyes, as is here exhi!Jited in cyery shape. Nothin~>' 8ave8 tllCflC people fl·om being infinit('\y ri Ji('ulom~, but the circumsta~ICe of their being: often supremely di~<gusting by their fe1tr~ ful atrocities. The ch:tn~e from :t luJicrous f1U'C~' to :t hloody tn1gcdy is here as f1·cqucnt ns it is t(•rriblo; and thfl l'lmiiP.:~ which the former irresistibly pro,•oko c:m only be rcprc!:lsed Ly the ~S i ckening scns:~t i ons occn8ioncd by the latter. It is:~ conviction which lms been forced ur.on me by wlmt I have learned hcJ·c, that negroes only cease to be ch1ldren .when th;y dcgen~ crate into savages. As long n..s they lmppen to be m 1\ genml mood, it is the rattle and the straw by which they nrc tickled and pleased; o.ud when their passions nrc once aroused, the most potent weapons of subjuo-ation can alone prevent the most hotl'ible e\•ils. A residence here ho~·ever bcicf, must ctl.usc the most determined philanthropist to e;1tertaiu St'rious doubts of the po.';!<ibility of their ever attaining tbe full stature of intcllectlliLI nnd Ci\•ilized manhood, lmlel's some miraculous interposition is vouchs:tfcd in tlH'ir bclutlf. In proportion as the recollections anjl _tra~itions of tl~c ohl c_olo,~ inl civilization arc fading n.w:~y. and the JmJtatH•e. propcnstty, winch IS so strong n char~ nctcristi~ of the Af1·icn.n, is losmg its opportunities of exercise, tho black iuho.bitants of lla.yti n.rc rl\vcrting to the primitive state from which they were elevated by contact with tho whites-a race whose innate superiority would seem to be abundantly pro\·od by the mere fact that it is uppron.ching tho goal of mental progress, while tho other has senrccly made a step in ndvance of the position in which it wns originally placed. It is :nnong the mulattoes alone, as a gencrn.l rule, that intclligcnco and educatwn are to be found; but they aro neither sufficiently numerous, nor virtuous, nor enlightened to do more than diminish the rapidity of the nation's descent, nnd every day nccclern.tcs tho inevitable cat:~strophc by lessening their influence nnd strength. 'l'be contrast between the picture which is now presented by this country, and that which it exhibited when under the dominion of the :French, affords a melancholy confirmation of what 1 h:we said. It was then, indeed, n.n "exulting and nbounding" Iand-a land literally flowing with milk and honey; now it might be altirmed without ex~ travo.ganco, that where it is not au arid ami desolate waste, it is fl ood1..."Cl with the waters of bittcrnf'!:l.", or covered with noisome nnd poisonous weeds. "When I nrri \'Ptl here," to quote tho words of ~n mtellig:cnt foreigner who lms been in Hayti Hi~cc the epoch of. 1ts independence, "there was abundance of everytlnng; now thoro IS a want of everything." The cultivation of sugar, which was once the main founto.iu of weallh, is now cnti1·ely n.b:tndoncd, except for tho production of an intoxicn,ting; drink; and that of co flOc has. flO .much decreased, that it would not in the least ben. matter of su rpr1se 1f, ere Jong, tho supply of that indispensable al'l.icle f~~~· lbytic~ conn.nerco were to be insufficient for the ordinary consumption of the mhabJt.nnta themselves. 'l'ho government, in spite of its constitutionn.l_fo:ms, i~ a dcal?~tism of the most ignorant, corrupt, and vicioliS descr1ptwn, With fl. nuht~1·y e~ta.blishment so enormous that, while it absorbs tho largest portiOn of the revenue for its support. it dries up the very sources of national |