Frciu'/i Gozicrini/t'iit in the JJ'es/ hidics 481 divisions existed in the second decade, the third and final period brought the growth of two factions among the governing class, who assumed the name and methods of political parties. No immediate revolution followed upon the establishment of manhood suffrage. The administration in the island remained in the hands of a line of admirals, who, as governors, were bound by the traditions of the former regime. In the executive departments, even as late as 1S79 the list of higher officials comprised very few colored men. Thus in the department of justice there were thirty- six whites to six colored men,' while in that of the interior the num- bers were fourteen to four. In the colonial council the whites only gradually gave way to the increasing number of colored deputies. In 1875 there were still eleven white members out of a total of twenty- four ; while in Guadeloupe they retained the majority, and in Reunion they held the whole council.^ Thus it was possible to maintain institutions favorable to the great industries, such as the importation of coolie labor ; a bounty was even voted to cultivators of coffee. Moreover, although both in 187 1 and in 1874 an appro- priation of one hundred thousand francs was set aside for the purpose of founding a lay lycee, the educational monopoly of the Church re- mained practically intact. Representatives of the latter expressed themselves in unmincing terms upon the tendency towards purely secular instruction : " L'Eglise n'acceptera jamais ce programme ; elle luttera jusqu'au bout pour defendre ses droits, car, en se rap- pelant qu'elle seule a ete chargee de sauver les ames, elle se rap- pellera en meme temps qu'a elle seule il a ete dit : Allez et en- seignez. L'education doit etre religieuse, elle doit etre chretienne ou elle ne sera pas."^ Expressions like these are the signs of the coming storm. Such signs were not wanting, especially on the part of the whites, who were violent in their opposition to the growing political ambitions of the colored population. In 1877 the governor. Admiral Ker- grist, was recalled by the home government which was then in the hands of the " men of the sixteenth of May," because of his liberal tendencies.* His successor. Admiral Grasset, soon came in col- lision with the general council. He had established a chamber of agriculture composed of the leading landed proprietors of the island.* The council looked upon this as a political movement favoring the white class and refused to vote the credit demanded. ^ Annuaire d€ la Martiniipic, 1 879. 2 Schoelcher, Polemique ColoninU^ I. II. » Le Bien Public, Bulletin Reli^ietix de la M,irtini,;ue, June 24, 1876. 'Schoelcher, Polemique Coloniale, Paris, 1882, I. 144. 5 Schoelcher, Polemique Coloniale, I. I48.
