Haitian Correspondence.--No. IV.

Port-au-Prince, July 4th, 1848.

Friends Douglass & Delany:—With the reflection that this is the fourth of July, comes the recollection of the manner in which it is celebrated in my native land. In fancy, I can see the bonfires and illuminations which signalize the return of that day, enrolled on the tablet of history as one of the great epochs in the progress of civil liberty—of that day on which thirteen provinces cast themselves loose from their monarchical moorings, and essayed, in the troubled waters of a political sea, an untried and happier harbor—of that day whose memorable transactions conferred nationality upon half a hemisphere. With its anniversary, comes the gratifying remembrance of the time when men, in the maturity of that spirit which they had inherited from liberty-loving sires, became utterly regardless of the glitter of the crown and the sceptre, and deemed that the absence of the pomp of royalty was more than compensated by the enjoyment of constitutional privileges and of those rights with which their Creator had endowed them. And this gratification is enhanced by the thought that the present year has been called upon to witness the efforts that other portions of the world are making to do away with the time-honored follies which have so long acted as a dead weight upon their advancement. Such reflections as these serve, in a measure, to mitigate the bitter of the cup which otherwise is not altogether of unmingled sweetness.—While France is rallying her millions under the gladdening words of "Liberty—Equality—Fraternity,"—while the nations of Southern Europe are baring the sword in maintenance of liberal opinions—while the crowned rulers of their Northern neighbors are trembling in view of the events which threaten the downfall of their dynasties, we can reasonably indulge in the hope that the land of Washington and of Franklin will soon be inspired to retrieve the inconsistency of seventy years, by breaking every yoke, by loosening every fetter, and by speedily converting into a glorious reality that declaration whose living language has ever been, in the light of its practice, a high-sounding, empty lie. Glorious indeed will be the "Independence Day" commemorative of this crowning epilogue in the great drama of American liberty—the reduction of the principles of '76 to an impartial and indiscriminate practice, which, throughout all coming time, shall equally endear the fourth of July and its recollections to the heart of the colored and the white American.

But our national holiday is not reckoned among the dies albi of the Haitian calendar, nor is its return celebrated with "manifestations of gratitude and of great joy." Still, this land is not without its fetes. Indeed, one might almost say that their name is legion, for not a month has passed since my arrival which has not been marked by the observance of at least one or two. The principal one among them, also, is the day upon which the independence of the island is celebrated. This I have not had the pleasure of witnessing, as it takes place on the first of January. But of those I have seen, possibly a brief account of one or two might be gratifying to you. Let us, then, commence with one which finds its prototypes in the earliest history of man—in the days when the mystic rites of Isis were performed by those who had been blessed by the annual overflowing of the Nile; and the Athenian, rejoicing in an abundance of corn and oil, placed his choicest offerings upon the shrine of Ceres. I refer to the Agricultural Festival of the first of May. It was, indeed, a gratifying spectacle, following, as it did, the unfortunate events of the preceding month, to see the various branches of the Haitian family, mingling together harmoniously, and all joining together in a solemn Te Deum to the great Maker and Giver of all things.—The day was ushered in with the firing of cannon, the beating of drums, and all the "pride, pomp, and circumstance" of military display. After the religious services of gratitude and thanksgiving, an oration was delivered, setting forth the charms and pleasures of an agricultural life, and depicting the benefits derivable from a cultivation of the fields. The cultivators present, both male and female, then marched in procession to a repast which had been prepared for them, each bearing aloft a branch of the coffee-tree, the sugarcane, or some other trophy of their toil. Like the patriarch of old, they had wrestled with an angel, and secured a blessing. For, true indeed it is, that the declared determination of Deity, when our foreparents were driven from Eden, that "man should earn his bread by the sweat of his brow," is pregnant with good for humanity. Man may regard it as a curse, but it is only by conforming his life to it that he can secure blessings. He may look upon it as the stern decree of an offended God; but let his life be in accordance with it, and he must fain regard it as the award of a beneficent Creator. He may scoff at it, and oppose his puny arm to the will of Omnipotence; but the thorns that he will reap, and the thistles that he will be compelled to garner, will soon teach him how dearly he must pay for his presumption. Especially is this true with regard to Haiti, whose prosperity is dependant entirely upon the cultivation of the soil. It is therefore gratifying to see a day set apart in honor of agriculture, and observed, too, with ceremonies, the simplicity of which recalls the fabled simplicity of the Arcadian days.

The Fete-Dieu, which is the same, I understand, as the Corpus Christi of the English calendar, is also the occasion of an important festival. Then, in addition to the military pomp with which most of the holidays here are graced, is superadded all the splendid and imposing pageantry of the Romish Church.—Upon that day an immense procession was formed, having at its head the various Generals in command of the city and the departments, attended by their staffs, and followed by a large body of soldiers, the Senators and other officers of the Government. After them, came a great concourse of citizens, male and female, formed in a hollow oblong square, in the centre of which marched the priests, under a canopy supported by their attendants. Here and there, at corners of the streets, throughout the city, artificial grottoes were erected, decorated with crucifixes and pictures of the Saints. These served as resting-points, where the priests would pause for a few moments to bless the people. Many children were also in the procession, dressed so as to represent angels, saints or apostles. One little fellow, about twelve years of age, attracted my attention particularly—the representative of John the Baptist—clad in a raiment of sheep-skin, and leading a lamb.—The waving of censers, the tolling of beads, the chanting of hymns, ever and anon interrupted by strains of martial music, and all the various other incidents of this solemn march, presented, to myself at least, a very novel appearance. The ceremonies of the day closed with religious services at the church.

I shall write to you again by the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, I subscribe myself, as ever,

Truly yours,

HAROLD.