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Haiti News Media > Haiti News > Louis- Lysius Salomon-jeune - Haitian President Lysius Salomon (b. Cayes, June 30, 1815 – D. Paris October 19, 1888) Provisional President: October 3, 1879 “ October 22, 1879
President: October 23, 1879 “ August 10, 1888
After a brief period as Provisional President, Lysius Salomon was unanimously elected President by the National Assembly for a seven year term on October 23, 1879. Well educated and already of a certain age, he was Senator during the Riché presidency and Finance Minister of Faustin I. In 1859, he spent some twenty years in exile, mostly in Paris during which he carefully studied finances, and administration, and diplomacy. He came to power with a profound knowledge of the people and problems of the country. His progressive administration, regardless of the repression of his political enemies, is regarded as one of the best in Haitian history.
A thorn on the sides of previous governments, the Libéraux hated Solomon. When an outbreak of smallpox ravaged the country in 1881, they exploited the public anger and an armed movement broke out in the city of Saint-Marc. Ruthless with his political opponents, President Solomon crushed that rebellion and, in defiance of the 1879 Constitution which abolished capital punishment in political matters, had forty-eight of the conspirators executed.
On March 27, 1883, pro-Bazelais Libéraux landed in the south. Many cities of that department welcomed them and declared themselves against the Salomon government. The revolutionary movement spread and on September 22, 1883, shots, causing panic, were fired in Port-au-Prince. A brutal repression ensued. The populace looted and set ablaze the neighborhoods were Libéraux lived. Downtown Port-au-Prince was also looted and burned to the round. In the face of so many excesses, President Salomon was forced to visit that area the next day and calm down his supporters.
Boyer Bazelais and his troops after some early successes in the south, were hardly pressed by the government troops to retreat to the town of Miragôane where they entrenched themselves for a siege that lasted for months. After the death of their leader Boyer Bazelais, on October 27, 1883, they tried to enlist the help of the diplomatic corps for he conclusion of a just peace. The government refused to negotiate. Many of them died from malnutrition and finally when the town was captured, on January 8, 1885, the remaining ones were executed. That was the end of the Parti Libéral.
President Solomon, assisted by some dynamic ministers such as Francois S. Manigat, Francois-Denys LĂ©gitime, and C. Fouchard labored actively for reforms in the different fields of education agriculture, finances, public works, and the army.
Primary and secondary schools were reorganized and supplies were largely distributed among them. The French Alliance was instrumental in facilitating the coming of the French educational mission. Those professors taught in port-au-Prince, Cap-HaĂŻtian, and Les Cayes. Numerous rural schools were opened in the countryside. The National Law School was reorganized.
A law dated back to February 26, 1883, made possible the concession of 6 to 15 acres of public land to those who would sign a promise to cultivate them and grow a certain specific crops. After a probationary period of about two to five years, the concession would become final if, at the expiration of five years, three quarters of the land was planted. Almost two thousand demands were considered in the two years following the promulgation of the law.
Export duties on coffee and cotton were reduced. In 1881, for the first time, a national exposition was organized to promote the development of Haitian industry.
In 1880, the National Bank of Haiti started its operations in the country. In 1885, the government finished paying the infamous debt of independence. The minting of a national currency of gold, silver, and bronze coins had to be printed to pay for the warring army, the civil servants and several foreign claims, the Haitian gourde, In 1877, was worth one U.S. dollar.
Haiti was admitted to the Universal Postal Union. The first Haitian stamps were printed in 1881, followed by other issues in 1882, 1886, and 1887.
A National Palace was erected. A building to serve as offices for the five Ministries was started. A sub-marine cable joined Haiti to the North American continent.
An agreement concluded with France resulted in the sending of a military mission which reorganized and trained the Haitian army.
Solomon’s tenure, in spite of its excesses, accomplished a great deal. On October 14, 1880, a neutrality convention and extradition treaty was signed with the Dominican Republic.
President Salomon’s term was to end on May 15, 1887. So called popular demands cowed the Chamber of Deputies into revising the 1879 Constitution and on June 26, 1886 President Salomon was reelected to another seven-year term. That move turned out to be a mistake. Members of his own party, the Nationaux, among them prominent figures such as Generals Francois S. Manigat and Francois-Denys Légitime had to be sent into exile for openly seeking presidency.
On August 5, 1888, a revolt broke out in Cap-Haïtian headed by General Séïde Télémaque. Five days later, on August 10, 1888, an armed movement in Port-au-Prince forced president Salomon out. He left for exile in Paris were he died several months later.
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