Richmond Enquirer

Boston, March 20.

Extract of a letter from an officer of the U. S. ship Ontario dated off Cape Haytien, (François) St. Domingo. Feb. 27, 1821

"This city, which is now governed by descendants of the degraded, despised and oppressed Africans, exhibits the ruins of a very interesting and magnificent place—Every appearance indicates that it has been a place of immense wealth, and a seat of pleasure to those who possessed this wealth. But the mind is filled with melancholy reflections when it recalls the oppressions, the cruelties and horrid massacres, which have indelibly marked this blood stained and "accursed city. It is now between 300 and 400 years since the Spaniards commenced this diabolical and exterminating warfare on the unoffending natives of this romantic and beautiful island, to gratify their unholy thirst for gold and treasure. Thousands of Englishmen have lost their lives in the attempt to establish themselves upon it, for the purpose of reaping where they had not sown. But in this city, the French and their descendants have more particularly suffered for having rioted on the sufferings of their fellow men of a different color from their own. The cries of oppressed humanity reached up to Heaven—and the hand of the destroying angel is not yet stayed. The hand of the oppressed has been raised, and in its turn fallen with cruel and destructive severity on the heads of those who fondly thought themselves free. But the tyrannical and abominable Christophe is dead; yet I have been informed that if our ship had not arrived the very night it did, the city would, to a certainty, have been plundered, and perhaps many innocent persons murdered. The morning after our arrival, Sunday, we went on shore to pay our respects to the commander in chief. The city appeared in a state of anarchy and confusion. Officers and soldiers were to be seen in every direction, some of them good looking—others seeming to be a remnant of Sir John Falstaff's army. It was reported that the civil governor, Richard, had lost his head, and that the mob were endeavoring to plunder his house. Capt. S. whom we were happy to meet on the wharf, and whose house had most been our house when on shore, introduced us to the commanding general, Magny, a polite and intelligent (negro) gentleman, at whose house we met Governor Richard, and several principal officers, all or mostly black, under arrest, and who were sent off next morning to Port au Prince for trial—but some say to put them out of the power of the enraged populace, who would kill them. After the ceremony was over at the General's, I passed thro' the ruins of an Immense Cathedral, where I saw 3 or 4 women kneeling at the feet of a full length image of the Virgin Mary. We then passed through the market place, and accidentally met with Col. Bien Aime, who had just been proclaimed Governor of the place, vice Richard. We shook hands with him—he appeared to be a smart (black) soldier, about 35 years old, and not in the smallest degree elated in his new situation. He was with a company of horse, who were stationed to guard Richard's house, and some others in the vicinity. Several lives were said to be lost in the course of the day. We were invited to the house of an officer, who said, and his appearance confirmed his words, that he had scarcely slept for eighteen nights. Things are fast returning, apparently, to a more tranquil state. "We expect to leave this in a day or two for Port au Prince. It is very healthy here.