Michel Domingue
Encyclopedia
Michel Domingue was the leader of Haiti
from June 14, 1874 to April 15, 1876.
Michel Domingue was born in Les Cayes
, Haiti in 1813. He graduated from military training and became commander of army
units in the Sud Department
.
From May 8, 1868 to December 1869, he was president of the autonomous states of the south of Haiti. On June 11, 1874, General Domingue was elected for a term of eight years as president of Haiti.
Domingue, who was primarily a soldier, had neither the stature nor the tact of a statesman. He therefore issued a decree on September 10, 1874 appointing Septimus Rameau to manage public functions as the Vice-President of the Council of Secretaries of State. Septimus Rameau thus became the true ruler of Haiti. Rameau was dictatorial and domineering by nature, while Michel Domingue was more of a figurehead.
One of Domingue's first acts after his election to the presidency was the signing of an agreement with the Dominican Republic
. The agreement established the countries' mutual recognition and in particular an end to the long and bloody border war between them. Septimus Rameau also led the negotiations with the President of the Dominican Republic Ignacio María González
. The Chief of Staff of President Domingue, General N. Léger, was sent to Santo Domingo
to prepare a new agreement. Upon his return to Port-au-Prince
on November 9, 1874, he was accompanied by Dominican negotiators to seal a treaty of friendship, an accord on trade and navigation. Haiti recognized and accepted the full independence of the Dominican Republic, and on January 20, 1875 the treaty of friendship was signed between the two countries.
Despite this success in international politics, Haiti's domestic financial situation was devastating. Domingue tried to negotiate a loan with France, which would strain the coming years. Finally, corruption and fraud were so great that Domingue issued a decree, dated May 15, 1875, for the arrest of Generals Brice and Pierre Monplaisir Pierre. His political opponent Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal
criticized this financial policy and the loan. He took refuge at the embassy of the United States. Brice and Pierre Monplaisir Pierre were killed while Boisrond Canal and other opponents fled abroad. Septimus Rameau was accused of being responsible for the deaths of two generals. He was himself assassinated on a street in Port-au-Prince.
Domingue resigned April 15, 1876 and went into exile in Kingston, Jamaica where he died a year later.
Domingue's surviving family still resides in Haiti and the United States,though their last name has changed.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
from June 14, 1874 to April 15, 1876.
Michel Domingue was born in Les Cayes
Les Cayes
Les Cayes , is a town and seaport in southwestern Haiti, with a population of approximately 45,904 people . Estimates from 2008 place the population at close to 70,000 people...
, Haiti in 1813. He graduated from military training and became commander of army
Armed Forces of Haiti
The Armed Forces of Haiti, , consisted of the Haitian Army, Haitian Navy , Haitian Coast Guard, the Haitian Air Force, and some police forces . The Army was always the dominant service with the others serving primarily in a support role...
units in the Sud Department
Sud Department
Sud is one of the ten departments of Haiti. It has an area of and a population of 745,000 . Its capital is Les Cayes. A large part of the population of Haitians in this department is of mixed race, mulattoes along with other mixtures such as Arabs and East Indians...
.
From May 8, 1868 to December 1869, he was president of the autonomous states of the south of Haiti. On June 11, 1874, General Domingue was elected for a term of eight years as president of Haiti.
Domingue, who was primarily a soldier, had neither the stature nor the tact of a statesman. He therefore issued a decree on September 10, 1874 appointing Septimus Rameau to manage public functions as the Vice-President of the Council of Secretaries of State. Septimus Rameau thus became the true ruler of Haiti. Rameau was dictatorial and domineering by nature, while Michel Domingue was more of a figurehead.
One of Domingue's first acts after his election to the presidency was the signing of an agreement with the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. The agreement established the countries' mutual recognition and in particular an end to the long and bloody border war between them. Septimus Rameau also led the negotiations with the President of the Dominican Republic Ignacio María González
Ignacio María González
Ignacio 'Nacho' María González Gatti is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for Standard Liège in Belgium, as a midfielder.-Club career:González's professional career began at Danubio FC, where he appeared in a total of 170 games, scoring more than 50 official goals for the Montevideo-based club...
. The Chief of Staff of President Domingue, General N. Léger, was sent to Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
to prepare a new agreement. Upon his return to Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
on November 9, 1874, he was accompanied by Dominican negotiators to seal a treaty of friendship, an accord on trade and navigation. Haiti recognized and accepted the full independence of the Dominican Republic, and on January 20, 1875 the treaty of friendship was signed between the two countries.
Despite this success in international politics, Haiti's domestic financial situation was devastating. Domingue tried to negotiate a loan with France, which would strain the coming years. Finally, corruption and fraud were so great that Domingue issued a decree, dated May 15, 1875, for the arrest of Generals Brice and Pierre Monplaisir Pierre. His political opponent Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal
Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal
Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal was a Haitian politician who served as the President of Haiti three times....
criticized this financial policy and the loan. He took refuge at the embassy of the United States. Brice and Pierre Monplaisir Pierre were killed while Boisrond Canal and other opponents fled abroad. Septimus Rameau was accused of being responsible for the deaths of two generals. He was himself assassinated on a street in Port-au-Prince.
Domingue resigned April 15, 1876 and went into exile in Kingston, Jamaica where he died a year later.
Domingue's surviving family still resides in Haiti and the United States,though their last name has changed.