No. 262.
Mr. Langston to Mr. Evarts.
Port au Prince, Hayti , October 24, 1879. (Received November 8.)
Sir: Referring to my No. 195, transmitted to the Department by the same mail that bears this dispatch, I have the honor to advise you that the National Assembly of this republic, convening in the palais national, at six o’clock yesterday evening completed its work of electing a President by choosing, according to popular expectation, General Lusius Salomon, to fill such position.
It is probable that his inauguration will take place either upon Sunday or Monday next.
General Salomon is a person of large official experience. It will be recollected that he is a lawyer by profession, a member of the bar of Aux Cayes, and that he was called after serving in the senate, by Soulouque, to a place in his cabinet, and before he had quitted such service he had filled the four several positions recognized therein.
Upon the fall of Soulouque’s administration he became an exile from his country, and remained in exile, it seems, for some eighteen years.
However, during the administration of Salnave he represented the Haytian Government as ambassador at Paris, in which capacity it is said that he discovered ability and efficiency.
Coming as he does from Aux Cayes, General Salomon is regarded in his election as the representative of the southern section of the republic; [Page 583] but it is true that out of the 87 members of the senate and chamber present last night and balloting he received 74 votes, the senators and deputies from the north, according to report, casting their votes for him. Indeed, to secure so large a vote his support must have come, as you will perceive, from the country generally.
When the result of the vote was announced, at nine o’clock, the popular enthusiasm was profound and widespread, and it discovered itself in such demonstrations as cheering, “Vive Salomon”; the firing of guns; the display of fireworks; such demonstrations continuing through the night, culminating at dawn in a general salute from the forts surrounding the capital.
From the beginning to the end of such demonstrations the best of feeling seemed to pervade the populace, and there were, I believe neither manifestations of opposing feeling shown, nor disturbance of, the general peace made. In fact, the election of General Salomon is received and accepted, so far, with popular applause; and it is to be hoped that he will, as a true patriot and statesman, devote his great powers to the promotion and maintenance of the best and most enduring interests of the country.
To-day, and for some time to come, the newly-elected President will doubtless be the recipient of unnumbered and generally cordial congratulations.
I am, &c.,