SANTO DOMINGO 623 crimes are rare, and one may safely travel with money and valuables, alone and unarmed, in any part of the country. Few genuine repre- sentatives of the indigenous race of the island are now to be found. As they decreased with great rapidity, the colonists brought slaves from Africa. By 1522 so many Africans had been introduced that they rose in insurrection on account of cruel treatment. A colony of blacks emigrated from the United States to Santo Domingo in 1824, and their descendants are still to be traced among the population. The prevailing religion is the Koman Catho- lic, but all other sects are tolerated ; and there are some Methodist and Baptist churches, sup- ported mainly by the colored emigrants from the United States. The archbishop of Santo Domingo still preserves the title of primate of the Indies, bestowed on him in the Spanish colonial days. There is a so-called university in the capital, and there are several schools there and in the other towns ; but public edu- cation is little attended to, even in its primary branches. The commerce of Santo Domingo is small, owing partly to anarchy and partly to customs duties so excessive as to be almost prohibitory. In 1863 the total imports amount- ed to about $1,500,000; exports, $2,500,000. In 1870 the imports were estimated at $560,- 000 ; exports, $700,000. In 1873 the imports at the chief port, Puerto Plata, amounted to $871,116 ; exports, $1,093,753. The number of vessels that entered that port in the same year was 201, of 12,191 tons. The principal exports are tobacco, coffee, cotton, sugar, ca- cao, ginger, hides, wax, mahogany, and dye woods. Inland commerce is cramped by the want of good roads, all highways being neg- lected, and transportation being confined al- most entirely to the backs of horses and mules. Steamers run regularly from Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo city to the other West India islands and to New York. The government is a republic, founded on a constitution adopted in 1844, and proclaimed anew on the depar- ture of the Spaniards in 1865. The president and vice president are elected for six years, with a difference of three years in the time of their election. The president appoints a council of state consisting of four ministers, on one of whom, at his will, devolve the duties of minister of foreign relations. The legislative branch consists of a senate (aenado consultor) elected for six years, and composed of nine members, two each for the cities of Santo Do- mingo and Santiago, and one for each of the five provinces. Each province and district has a government, and each parish and military post a commandant nominated by the execu- tive. The towns are governed by councils elected for three years. The judiciary consists of a supreme court which sits in the capital, and a court of first instance in each province and district, sitting in the respective capitals. Each town and parish has also an alcalde or justice of the peace. The revenue is derived 724 VOL. xiv. 40 from customs duties, which average 40 per cent., direct and indirect taxation, and sales of .public property. There are no recent offi- cial returns of the receipts and disbursements of the government; but the United States commission reported the total income for 1870 to be $772,684 75, of which $728,605 58 was derived from customs, $35,466 55 from direct and indirect taxes, and the remainder from sales, rents, &c. The total debt of the re- public in 1870 was reported by the commis- sion to amount to $1,565,831, wholly internal. Besides* this, a foreign debt of 757,700 was contracted in London in 1869, which at the close of 1872 had been reduced by a sink- ing fund to 722,700. The army consists of 4,000 men in time of peace, and on a war foot- ing of 15,000 men. The navy comprises three corvettes and five schooners, with 44 guns. For the history of Santo Domingo previous to 1844, see HAYTI. On Feb. 27 of that year the inhabitants of the Spanish part of the island declared their independence, and pro- claimed the Dominican republic, under the lead of Pedro Santana. The Haytians invaded their territory with 20,000 (according to some authorities, 15,000) men, but were defeated by Santana on March 19. In November a consti- tution was formed, and Santana was elected president. He resigned in 1848, and was suc- ceeded by Jimenes, who conspired with Sou- louque, president of Hayti, and induced the latter to invade Dominica ; but Santana, called to command the troops, defeated 5,000 Hay- tians with but 400 men at Ocoa, April 22, 1849. Santana received the title of liberator of his country, and, having deposed Jimenes, ruled as dictator until the election to the presidency of Buenaventura Baez in the autumn of 1849. Baez secured the recognition of the republic by Great Britain, France, and Denmark. About 1850 the question of annexation to the United States was mooted, but Baez did not favor it, on account of the existence of slavery there. This together with his alliance with the cleri- cal party made him unpopular, and in 1853 Santana was elected president. He banished Baez, and compelled the archbishop to take the oath of allegiance to him as a power great- er than the church ; but he in turn became unpopular, and Baez was recalled in 1856. In the following year a rebellion broke out, and in 1858 Baez was driven from the island, San- tana and liberalism again coming into pow- er. In 1861 Santana, disheartened with affairs and despairing of his ability to preserve peace, suddenly invited Spain to resume her author- ity over the republic. Geffrard, president of Hayti, protested against the cession to Spain, and gave refuge to many prominent Domini- cans who were opposed to it. The Spaniards sent troops into the island, but discontent prevailed everywhere, particularly among the negroes, who feared a return to slavery. In 1863 a serious rebellion broke out, and after two years of fighting, in which every atrocity
