The National Register. — London, England, 1811-04-28 00:00:00

r PROCLAMATION. ALEXANDER PETTON, PRESIDENT OF HAYTI, TO THE PEOPLE OF THE ARMY. I have thought it necessary to declare to my fellow-citizens anti the army, the motives of my ceuduct during the events which have lately made so much noise in the Department the South. My wish in thus delaying any declaration was, .tht,it_ flight be able to bring to a sense of moderation and justice who have been misled. The basis of my conduct has ever been to spare the effusion of bland, and to endeavour, by mild measures, to quiet perturbed spirits. Such motive, so ',owe' rot in regulating my conduct, have withheld me from co 4 ercive measures. In the midst of surrounding agitations, occupied with the ex vfditionary Army of the North, under the command of the ilrave La Marre, disturbed by the movement of Goman in the South, having to renei-.=r ourselves secure against the threatenA invasion of Christophe, often tr,,ubied with factions created by those of turhulext and unquiet minds—l Nave Inui the happiness conduct the vessel of the State free from violent disaiters.— To pr•vide tor the great expenses such a state of thinss must re-.:es , urity occasion, I have made the Government respected, at the head of which I was placed by the-eontidence of the prude, without however having ever solicited the appointment. General Rigaud'sar.ival in the land of his nativity,was hailed With all those demonstrations of joy which could he inspired reflect!ug on the• unhappiness from which he had esca ed, aA well as from the prospect of having amongst us another de. Lnder of our rights. I welcomed him earnestly, and in giving him the command as General of Division aeainst the insurg,nts of Grand Anse, I depended on his zeal to bring them to sub _ Trarquillized in the South, I employed all my means to place the caphal of the Republic out of all danger, should Christophe ram ure any attack. All the citizens of the Republic have equally shared my most l;vely solicitede—my endeavaura have always been to render them happy, to disti:iguish and recompence merit. The /army has always been considered as one, has been equally employed, paid, and clothed, bath in the South and the West—no severe duties have been imposed on those in the Sou: h than on others. The laltabitants of the Sou h have enjoyed, under the civil adiainistration of their affairs, every facility consonant with their interests; and their situation, as raore distant from the actual theatre of warfare, has been particularly advantageous to them. They have necessarily contributed to the ea:poxes of the State, and it was but just that they should cohperate with the Government, and be regulated by the progress of tat nts. Under such circumstances, and at the moment of the fall of t he Mole which was a crisis which ought to have milted all rt .e ar Li to defend the connnan cause, a few persons of the town of Aux Cayes were labou; lug to change the form of tin. Go vernment, by establishing a tumultuous assrmUy. the result of 'which has been to turn out of their situations several public functionaries, and a declaration of scission from the actual Government. The principal object of my attention has been the declared enemy Christophe—l was mr.viliing to employ force against the authors of this first movement; I expected that the pre sance of General Rigaud would tranquillize it. I was by other sources informed that the Department of Nippe; did Lot par ticipate in the measure. It was after being fully assured that this ecission began to oratnize, and se,ine, Generals Barret and Lys abanduu their posts to-go to Aux Cayes, that I thought it necessary to march some troor. to the Bridge of Miriterane, to succour and pre serve the Department of Nipi:ts, and to pravent any injurious front a rendezvous which was making at Aquin, I con tented to send a deputation of respeatahle and noted citizens of Port-au-Prince, who preceded the arms', to remonstrate with the Chiat's ot the disaffected party, and to thew them into what au abyss they were about to preci r itate us, if they persisted in itch improper and inconsiderate assures. '1 he conduct ot this a.-any, under Generals of Brigaddlielva and Gudeon, merit the greatest praise for the otder racy presarved,aed the respect they paid to tae inhabitants, though they had so riaav Plivations to e: dare—not even the habitation of an individual was entered; a c,):lduct very different front that ascribed to this army by the inhabitants of Aux Cayes, who aceusad it of having a lust for plunder. General Rigaod, wha was at Aquin, in a written answer to the deputation thora Port-au-Prince, acknowledged my autho rity as President of Hayti, and he persuaded General belva to withdraw his army trout that department. 1 deternnued, in coitsiaraeaae, to go to the iirhige of Mitagrane, to confer with Cslieral Rigiud. Tins haul - view twos place the 124 of De:cm- THE NA.TIoNAL 11F.GISTER-. her, conducted on my part with the greatest fratikne,s and sin cerity—and I represented to him the teeny reaefsne that were for desiring the union of all hearts. I preferred ells amicable plan to that of employieg the troops which I had assembled; they were imposing enough in point of force, and perfectly the. posed to make my authority respected. I was qeleitly called beck to l'ort-au•Prince, by a deputation from Chrieophe, who, bating informed of the divisions which prevailed in the R public, wished to profit be them. This event has only conhrmtd me in my opinion, that the wise and prudeet course 1 had taken, and which is 6) conformable with my prin ciples, has preserved us frer many great evils. I wrote to General Rigaud on the Itsth December. My let. ter gives proof of the prey of my intentinns, and of my sincere desire that all hearts should be united, and that we should n, t lose the precious moments for our preservath,n, by surfing up men's passions. By i second letter of the 4th Jimmy last, I thought it right to give further explanation, and to propose a meeting of respectable, well-informed citizens, to be held at Leogane, for the purreie of re-establishing confidence, and that they might occupy them selves in considerations for the general good. I have to regret that my goad intentions have been opposed by the inhabitants of Aux Cayes, met together in a provincial asseeiely. It has never entered the head of any reasonable being to ap prove principles such as they have adopted, so inimical to both pul)hc and private interest. How much it is to be regretted that they do not see all the consequences to be dreaded from such ob lunacy. I cannot persuade myself that it meets with general approba den. Ihe inhabitants of the South have too much reason to call to their recollection the measures with which they were harassed during the civil war, and which they appear i.e. sirous of again experiencing . , if we are to judge from the conduct they pursue, so contrary to their o•.w n interests. Armed with authority, I shall nut cease to watch over the safety and good of ray fellow citizens in general ; by prudence and firmness I shall endeavour to preserve them from danger, and maintain the precioueadventages of Liberty and Equality, which forms the immoveable basis of alt: State. SLcced d by the concurrence of the People and the Army, I shall take the htest measures to annihilate the projects ut our enemies, and consult the public opinion on any subject calculated to promote our happiness. The (;enera!s and the Army, on a late occasion, have given proof of their devotion to the service of the comer : , eine f their attachment to me, which calls for and excites my sincerest gratitude. The various Commanders, toe Agricultural Inspec tors, the Netionel Guards, have vied with each otter in their zeal for the safety of the Re public, and to maintain internal tranquillity.; tht-ir conduct merits my warmest eulogiums. T he concurrence of the Citizens in general to second the views of Government entitles them to its gratitude—with such aids I can have nothing to fear from the enemy, or any doubt of re-estab lishing public opinion. Thus in recommending that every one should be ready to fly to the frontiers on the first sound of a arm, is in fact only a sum mons to victory. Given at the National Palace of Puit•au-Prince, the I.st Feb. 1811. PETiON. A letter from St. Jago de la Yoga, .dated the 2d of March, says, " It alibrds us sincere satisfaction to learn, by the ship Corn wall, whose arri noticed last 4 .9reeot, of the capture of the Beet • - having I-ecn f.bricated icipted tpastur winch art ivedat Mattit , 1 1 g0;1, a ready A singular clung( relations with tge precious metal. espial:4 aectui.uLtion ; a tar time return to this raw materials of Tar eyes of the Chinese empire, through ni rives its chief value rat instrument of China begin nosy to change. Comideral various parts of Jr. , rescritly been most cam, that the rate . been extremely high` has fallen almost as low as in Europe. In s•lme of the ships about to .arrive from Loslia, large supplies of dolEi - s, and specie in general, are expected ; and it is calcu lated., that, before any very long period elapses, we shall in this country receive from that quarter further auFpliss to the amount el . 7 millions of dollars.- rrival we noticed last !Wee, that the reports . the Cock Beet. were aittigether unfounded, aced by some unprincipled twt.stnr of a. veFsel 'art4n;que, with a view, it 1.11451, of prncuring til la:e market. for Isis carp . :.. , ... < • .., 9 ..{... , 3 to is about to,.talui . ace.441,1* cOttailleeeilli •:, Bait, especially w C isians.- I ,lisel eat% lbg :; -)r.ted to the *ter, treveliet* ti A •alfigelgi ; . t, t . .rge -portion of thraikirlafip . 140 . en/ ~ civartvx of the giAlet„ ttsil • lu,e wane of • Il r tow deociripp.gts ; 4s it :length °you'd the e to the tony oA.4ttelikikeitthiti their ow* iutives of jealou.4l.4oollndity w!,ieh dee e frorri its be,trtgeonhidet.t.4..ai the only gene- commerce. T‘e countries contiguous to ) exile ience the thaiefinialoxinsequo‘ce a the able supplies a ape6e -.have alre:tily retiched rdia from Chiria;.o,44 t in :Bengal, saver has abundant. indeed,; Wis, se plentiful at Cal. te of interest, whicli+ to India has u•ually