The Statesman. — London, England, 1814-12-07 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN; •• KINGDOM OF HIM should be maintained, and that France would nee* destroy her noblest work. On this basis the psees MANIFESTO or THF. KING. ! was negotiated with the French, and Governor Toes.. (1'111)1i-bed October 2. 1614.] saint, having laid down his authority, quietly retired Sovereign of a nation too long oppressed, which to the retreat he had chosen. has suffered the most cruel persecutions, and which, The French had scarcely extended their dominion by its energy, constancy, courage, and valour, has over the whole island,' more by cunning and penes. succeeded in effecting its liberty and independence : sion than by force of arms, when they began to put our only end, our unceasing anxiety, has been to in execution their horrible system of slavery and de give to it a rank among civilised States, by consecrating struction. The better to accomplish their plans, a our labours to the happiness of a good, brave,' . a n d correspondence was fabricated by Maablavelic and I generous people, which has entrusted to us the cafe mercenary scribes—designs were attributed to Tease of its destinies. saint which he had never thought of. While quietly It is under favourable circumstances in which reposing in his habitation of Pongauditt, under the ! : 41teral and dignified ideas appear to predominate protection of solemn treaties, he was loaded with ever those disastrous times when mankind groaned chains, conveyed to France with his family in a vessel , - beneath the most horrible tyranny, and under which ; call e d the He r e , and all Europe knows how he ter eve behold the Sotereigns of Europe solely engaged minted his unhappy career, amidst the tortures and at present in rendering their people happy, that we ! horrors of the dungeon of Chateau de Jour, in deem it our duty to raise our voice, and to justify, 1 Fratiche.Comte. Such was the recompence reserved at the tribunal of nations, the legitimacy of our in- for his attachment to France, and for the eminent dependence. ! services which he had rendered her and the colonists. A simple relation of facts, a plain narrative of the From this moment the signal for arrests was given events which have produced our independence, will ' throughout the island.. All those who bad displayed be sufficient to demonstrate by the most satisfactory strength of mind, or superior talents at the period , evidence to the whole world oar rights and the when we claimed the rights of man, were the first' justice of our cause. seized upou. Even the traitors who had aided the We shall not attempt to depict the deplorable site- French armies, by guiding their vanguards, and. ation into which we were plunged before the epoch of pointing out their fellow.eitizens to their vengeance, ' our emancipation. The world knows, that for up- were not spared. At first it was attempted to sell yards of 150 years we were afflicted by the grievous them in foreign colonies ; but this not having sue . yoke of slavery, condemned to contempt and pct- needed, the French resolved to - carry them to. nishment. The recital of our protracted mister. Francs, where oppressive labour, the galleys, fet. l tunes, and the description of the horrible tortures ten, and dungeons awaited them. Then the Cleo. we have suffered during the Colonial System, arstbe nig', whose number had progressively increased, peculiar province of our history which will transmit thinking their Empire already established, ceased to them to posterity. dissemble, openly declared that slavery was re-eats.! It is our earnest wish to pass over these times of bibbed, and acted conformably with their declare. opprobrium and iniquity,' and arrive at the era when Hon. These shameless men desired, that those ! • • general liberty was proclaimed by the ageuti of the should again submit to the yoke of slavery, who had 1 French Government, and sanctioned by France her. distinguished themselves and been useful to their 1 self, during several years of connection, of corn- country both in civil and military capacities ; that muttication, and of mutual and uninterrupted tor virtuous and honourable Magistrates ; that warriors responding', ,between the Governments of the two covered with wounds, whose blood had been Spilled countries., -.- in the cense of France and of liberty, should be de. We were Worthy of Wily; from our fidelity and graded by again becoming slaves. • ettachment to the usether.country •we have proved This these Colonists, who had but just obtained • our gratitude lto her, when reduce d our resources, possession of their estates, whose empire was held inflexible to Menaces, ivaccessible to seduction, deaf together by a thread, already decided which should to proposition, we braved 4nisery, famine, and tall be the first victims of their vengeance. Theta arrived kinds of privations, and finally triumphed over both 1 the infamous Decree of Bonaparte, which confirmed her external and internal enemies. We were then I the re-establishment of our slavery ' • and the better far from foreseeing, that twelve years afterwards, as I to insult our misery, he employed towards us the a reward for so much perseverance, so many sacri - 1 same system of delusion which he usually made use 'fices, and so much blood, France would wish to de- of towards the people of Europe. This Decree was prime us, in the most barbarous manner, of the most brought by a traitor, called Hercule, a Black Of& precious of all possession—liberty. cer, who was the creature of Bonaparte. The proud Under the administration of the Governor-General and liberticide faction of the Colonists, and sellers Toussaint Louverture, Hayti rose from its ashes, and of human flesh, which since the Revolution has an. every thing seemed to promise a happy futurity.— noyed every succeeding Government of France with The arrival of Generalliedouville changed the ap- plans, projects, and atrocious and extravagant me. pearance of things, and gave a death-blow to public morials, tending to our destruction—this faction, tranquillity. We shall not enter into a detail of his tormented by the recollection of the despotism which intrigues with the flaytian General Rigaud, whom it exercised in Hayti, agitated by a crowd of contending lie p±rsuaded to revolt against his Legitimate Chief. passions,employed all possible means to seize agaiii on We shall merely notice, that before this agent departed the prey which had escaped from it. Under the reign he disturbed every thing, by throwing amongst us the of the Constituent Assembly, it supported indepen• brands of discord, and it was only lifter the Bowleg deuce; under that of the Jacobins, sided with the of torrents of blood that public tranquillity was re. Terrorists ; when Bonaparte beamed, it was vio. established. Always occupied in the restoration of lently Bonapartist : and, in short, it put on the meek , peace, Toussaint Louverture, by his paternal admi- of all parties-to render them favourable. It was thus nistration, had recalled the reign of the laws, of me. that it persuaded Bonaparte to undertake the unj.ist rolity, of piety, of learning, of industry. Agricul. expetlitiett against Ilayti. It was the same faction ture and commerce flout ished. which, after persuading him into that measure, fur. He patronised the white colonists, particularly niched him with pecuniary resources, by subscription the planters; his solicitude, nay his preference, had lists, which were opmthd at this period. It was this been carried to such a height, that he was loudly faction, in a word, which caused the blood of our blamed•for being more attached to them than to his countrymen to flow so abundantly—which instigated countrymen. 'this reproach was not without some the un-heard.of punishments which we have felt, and foundatiori, for some months before the arrival of which could have been ;emitted only by Colonists, the French he sacrificed his own nephew, Gen. hardened in, and habit. •ited to, all sorts of climes. Moyse, because he had not observed his orders for It is to the Colonists that France owes the loss of a the protection of the colonists. This act of the Go. numerous army, which perished on the ph,itis and vesnor, and the great confidence he placed in the mountains of Hes ti : to them is attritettaule that French Government, were the principal causes of shameful enterprise which has imprinted an indelible the public reception the French experienced at Hayti. stain on the French name. Indeed, so strong was his confidence in that Govern. We are persuaded, after the cruel es el ienca we meat that lie had dismissed the greater part of the have had of the spirit of which animit , s • (lege Colo. troops of the line. nista and Traffickers in human flesh, end their vile Such was the situation of affairs whilst the peace supporter's, that they will employ all their eccuitomed of Amiens wits negotiating. It was scarcely con. means to engage the French Cabinet in a new eater. eluded when a powerful army lauded on our coast, prise against us. If over this enterprise should take which surprised us in a moment of perfect security, place—and that it will we can hardly believe—to and plunged us into an abyss of misfortunes. Pos- this cast, the enemies of the human race, we shall be terity will scarcely believe that in a philanthropic indebted for it; for we are far from imputing such an and enlightened age so abominable an enterprise took intention to those Europeans who have no know. place. From the bosom of an enlightened nation a ledge of the colonial system of which we have been swarm of barbarians went forth to destroy and load the victims, and of the horrible misfortunes which with fetters a whole civilized and unoffending we have suffered. What interest had the French in people. carrying the horrors of war into theheart of a nation It was not enough to use force—but the better to which was proud of belonging to them ? What in. insure the success of the edition, it was necessary terest had they is coming to bury themselves In our to use perfidious andeelmineful means. It was ne- destructive climate, and in rendering themselves the cessary to sow division amongst us in order to cause imbue:ants of the Colonists, to satiate their thirst for R division favourable to their objects. They rte-. riches and for vengeance ? glected nothing to attain this execrable end. Thy Nevertheless, the greater part of the people began Chiefs of different colours who were in France, eve* to take up arum to peewee life and liberty. This the sons of the Governor Toussaint Louvertere, first movemeet alarmed the Freud', and appeared, were brought over in the expedition--even they serious enmesh to General Leclerc, to require the were deceived, like us, by that master-piece of per- coavocation of an Extraordinary Assembly of the tidy, the Proclamation of the Filet Consul, in which Colonists, in order toadopt measures the best adapted he said—" You are all equal and fee before God and to restore a better state of affairs ; bet these Colo the Republic."—This was his-- , ftlaration, while mists, far from relaxing their atrocious principles is the instructions given to General Leclerc positively consequence of Imperious circumstances, unanimous. anjoinecl the imposition of slavery. It was not fly answered in these words—" No slavery, no cote. enough to take men as witnesses of his perjury, ey." but the Deity must also be insulted by horrible Islas- As Members of this Council, in vain we raised plaemy. our mimeto prevent the completion of the ruin of The greater part of the people, deceived by these our country—in vain we made representations on the fallacious promises, and long accustomed to consider injustice of Imposing slavery on freemen—in vain, themselves French, submitted without resistance.— from our knowledge of the spirit and love of liberty The Governor so little expected to have an enemy to which animated our countrymen, we asserted that it oppose, that he had not even given any orders to his was the only means of detaching this country for Generals in case of an attack. On the appearance ever from France. All was useless. Convinced, of the French squadron in the east of the island, if then, that no means of conciliation existed, and that any Generals did resist, it was merely because the it was necessary to choose between slavery and an hest& manner in which they were summoned to sur.l honourable death, we gave information of the state muter had obliged them to consult only their duty, ,of things to our fellow-citizens who had their eyes tieir honour, and the circumstances in which they ! fixed upon us; and we all unanimously took up were placed.—[To prove these assertions reference is; arms, resolved to die or to expel for ever the tyrants mete to some official documents which are annexed to' from our soil. As to Gen. Leclerc; who had al the Manifesto.] ready announced the sabinisilon of the island, and After a resistance of some months, the Governer had even received letters of congratulation on the yielded to the pressing entreaties and to the formal e nupposed conquest of Ilayti from th e mar i t i me protestations of Generalloclerc, that perfect liberty towns of France, where the principal felleirtte of the Slave Trade resided, ashamed of having held illusory hopes, vexed at not having been able to coo summate this detestable enterprize, fearinge Ms day., the proach of a terrible war, despair short and hurried hfm to his grave. Among other crimes whielt distinguished the Ad mioistration of Leclerc, that practised against Hayden General Maurepas will excite the dignation of any heart susceptible of pity. Maurepa , of gentle manners, honest and respected by countrymen, who became one of the first among Frallakabou l and who had rendered them the most eanices, was suddenly carried away to Port 410 1; and put on board the Admiral's ship in of the Cape, where, after having been fastened to the mast, two old epaulets were placed in Jeri! opal his shoulders, and an old General's hat upon his head,with nails, such as are used in the bM fil e of ships; in thir frightful situation, after hay satiated the savage joy of those cannibals, he precipitated with his wife and childern into the way Such was the punishment of this virtuous and I fortunate soldier ! To the government of Leclerc succeeded that Rechambeau. This monster, the agent of Boi parte, was polluted by every species of crime; spared neither 'sex, infancy, nor old age; he s passed in cruelty the most refined villains in ancient or modern times ; the gibbet was raised every whr the drowning and burning machines, and all kit of punishments were put in practice by his orders lie invented a kind of machine where victims of boi Sexes, heaped one upon another, where suffocate by the vapour of sulphur. In his senseless rage, went to the expense of bringing a pack of bl: bounds from Cuba to this island: they were brougi 'by a Frenchman named Noailles, of an illustrio family, who, during the Revolution, was the first who betrayed his benefactors ; and thus was human race given up to be devoured by dogs; those animals partook of the horrible propensities their masters. What then was our crime? What had we done to deserve such proscription ? Is African origin, then, to be a cause of eternal oppi brium to us? Is the colour of our skin to be for eves the seal of our reprobation ? In the space of one-and-twenty months, during which the French remained in our island, more tt -16,000 of our countrymen perished by the tortir just described. The barbarities committed upon I Hay tians by these modern conquerors exceeded £rimes of Pizarrro, of Cortes, or Badavilla, the 1 devastators of the new world. After all their egos We have elfectrl the expulsion of these oppressors our territory. - To secure us for ever against the return of si barbarities and unheard-of crimes, as well as &gall perfidy and injustice, we resolved for 'ever to ourselves of every kind of foreign dominion ; accordingly, ou the Ist of January, 1804, in s Ge neral Assembly of the Representatives of the Ni tion, the independence of Hayti was solemnly pro claimed ; and we took an oath to die free and inde pendent, and never submit to any foreign power. Like other people, our first years were chequered with errors and troubles; like them we partook the vicissitudes inseparable from revolutions. ' our advancement to the throne, our first care w, to raise the name and dignity of the Haytian peopi, ; convinced that good faith, frankness, and probity all transactions, respect for property and the rig) of men, could alone effect this object. Convim that the laws constitute the happiness of men unit in society, our first object was to form a code laws conformable to our usages, our climate, , our manners. After a laborious attention, and wt the as ,i-tance of the Almighty, we have been enable to put the finishing stroke to this basis of our sod edifice. We bare constantly encouraged agricultr and commerce, which are the channels of pill prosperity. Abundant harvests have been the rest of the labour and efforts of our cultivators. Gran quantities of products have been carried away from our ports since we proclaimed our independence and particulerly during the years 1812, 1813, as 1814, by foreign nations, which have carried or lucrative commerce with us. Solicitous to adopt every means for reviving internal prosperity, at all times attentively observh the events that passed in Europe during the blood struggle supported there, we never for a single slant lost sight of our military system of defence. In that attitude we expected that Bonaparte, enemy of the world, would attack us, either by foi of arms or by perfidy, his accustomed means. have not forgot that after the peace of Amiens, first object was to enter on that famous expetli! for our extermination. But the God of Armies, who raises and overtoi thrones according to his will, did not, in his justii consent that this oppressor of nations should lICCOIt. plish his horrible design. We hope that his fail will give repose to the world,—we hope that the return those liberal and reanimating sentiments which Same the European Powers, will induce them acknowledge the independence of a people who quire only the enjoy ment of peace and commerce, I object of all civilised nations. It will be in vain to attempt again, by means force or seduction, to . reduce us under a foreign d. minion. The absurd maxim of deceiving men, order-to govern them, is no longer dangerous to Taught by experience, we have acquired the aid truth, of reason, and of force. We shall no lunge be the victims of credulity ; we cannot forget tF attempts have already been made to take , away ok liberty. The painful recollection of the horrible pu, nishments which precipitated into the grave our thers, our mothers, and children, will never effaced from our minds. We can never again be deceived : we know tl, perverseness of our enemies : we have before out eyes the projects of those men named Malouet, Barri de Saint Venant, Pages, l3ruilcy, and other Col nists. The political religion of those traffickers , human lesh—of those counsellors of misfortunes— is well known to us:—it is slaver)/ and destruction. We are not ignorant of the criminal plots, the shame ful measures of those apostles of criminality and falsehood ; they are even more distinguished by their writings than by the tortures they inflicted on us. We call upon all the Sovereigns of the world—', Sill upon the brave and loyal British nation, which was the first in its august Senate to proclaim the abolition of the infamous trade is blacks; and which, - „. amataianzaa . I oat making a noble ase of the ascendency of ~ n cols- irath ~ - notified its resolution to the oth e r State `1"1 S tate I s a y ' : ; a i p t s i s k t s what, a p e conc l u d e dupeaolpl Tr e at ies ie men , aa again f a f ter i n rn w d :u:pcocaonl years lt upon i h n e g w o f h t all h o e l e w h o convicti 1 t i 117 : 4 .. Ad- after having conquered their liberty a n d their , the Pendence, would consent to lay down their ' in- the purpose of pas, the victims of their cruel oppressors? The lirt c h i _ his Haytians will yield up his last sigh sooner 444 ii, -% 'long nounce his independence. most We will not do any Power thellaitias of • ' Port posing that it entertains the chimerical ... i 1 the , establishing its sway in Hayti by force of I '1 ' ened I The Power - that would 'undertake - sorb as e ,' i s i et e prize, would have to march for a long U rns ' put retire and dead bodies ; and after ha v i ng* pi t "" ast it ', and. means, if it could attain its object, w h at Atha e h` ,ving would it derive from the toss of so muc h hi o ; i o was , treasure? It is not presumptuous to supp ose the ayes. Majesty Louis XVIII. following the impul se ' II un- I that philanthropic spirit that rei gns i n his r after the example of his unfortunate le . 4. Aof Louis X VI. in his political conduct tows* , - ono- ' United States of America, will imitat e th at m ; he ' in acknowledging the independence of Ih y ti . sur. ! would not only be an act of justice, but a T i tit i rient ' tion of the evils which we have suffered fist g i mere, i French Government. 1 inds 1 It is in vain that our calumniators sh a ll d ins • rs — 1 to allege that we should not be considered' s' , , both 1 aspiring to independence, and collectively etspi ki ated 'ia the means of attainiteg it*. This absurd 4 ', he: tion, invented by perfidy, wickedness, and loud I did interests of slave traders, deserves of ri g ht s ervesthe ught roundest contempt and indignation of men et , ions perty in all countries. This assertion h as " l' first i dent!) , falsified during 11 years of i.. . ''''' point .. . the , and its happy results. Free inel and i independent in fact, we will never renounce a m at of , blessings; we with never consent to behold th em. , Vhat I straction of that edifice which we have cemented, this 1 our blood, until we are buried under kolas. pro-1 We offer to commercial Powers, who shill ever into relations with us, our friendship--sennity s their property, and our Royal protection to am ring peaceable subjects, who shall come to our consi 1 than with the intention of carrying on their come* urea , affairs, and who .shall conform to our laws ad I the 1 usages. the The King of a free people, a soldier by habit, a l first I fear no war or enemy. We have already rigsam His, 1 oar determination not to interfere in any way thee a of ; internal Government of. our neighbours. We va i to enjoy peace and tranquillity among eatielysm such : to exert the same prerogatives which other pops rinst ; have, of making laws for themselves. If, abet* rid free exposition of our sentiments, and the jostle s ( and oar cause, any Power should, contrary to the he Ge- ; of nations, place a hostile force in our territory,fir e Na. I our first duty will be to repel such an act of aggroas pro- by every means in oar power. ode- We solemnly declare that we will never coast to any treaty" or any condition, that shall came. ered mise the honour, the liberty, and the independeo kof of the Ilaytian people. Faithful to our oath w On ; will rather bury ourselves under the ruins dee was, country, than suffer oar political rights to mac pie, the slightest injury. yin Given in our Palace of Sans Souci, the liti . ghts , • September, 1814, eleventh year of I • Iced dence, and the fourth of our Reign. iited (Stgued) HENRY; By the King, le of The Secretary of Stole, Minister for Foreign Aida and Count de LIMONALIL. with • See Malonet's Memoirs respectiog St. Domingo. bled _ )vial Arr. Hails. Die tare ' 0 rblic 0 . - .sult PRICK OF STOCKS THIS DAT AT 01119 O'CIADI rest Bank Lang. Ann. 16 3161 um 3 per Cent. Red. 641 India Bonds 17 16 p ice ; 9 per Ceat. Cons. Exedequer Bill, 6 p an d 4 per Cents. illii Osmium Si an tr. 6 per Cent. Navy Consols for Ace. 6611 . e Al . - our THE STATESMAN. vin g ,ody t in- LONDON: • . : . the WEDNESDAY ) DECOIRER 7, 1814. • orce • ~.___ • We The chief novelty we this day present to hic Readers is a Manifesto by the black Seters4a, :iota that interesting colony, Hayti, or St. 0 , 1 His Haytian Majesty, HENRY CHRISTOPRE, f Il m , i ag up his plans and resolutions for asserting the om- betty and independence of the people of date will markable and rising portion of the globe, fatearl aof trust, to be the means of regenerating and civil - in' the negro nations, aided, apparently, by WO to which put to shame the boasts of countries,hy rte which claim to much greater refinement, has P the seated us with arguments in favour of the Ili 9of timacy of Haytian independence, and the rig do- which Goa and Nature have given to every ere in • being, which have all the dignity of truth and us. Li or quence to-support them, and will be read with 'ger deeps* interest. After taking a most rational that ' view of the state of domestic slivery in which ' our population of Ilayti have hitherto been kept by 1, P i " want .of civilization and - enlighted policy is fa. be Governments, the Manifesto asserts the of the present people to natural and cisiii ' the liberty, and states the unalterable determinative our the Sovereign and the whole population of the arri try, rather to suffer death than submit to the is slo. doetion of say foreign authority. It is justly : L a , served that eviv Miditional argument decisive 0( ' ; _ i on . question 'erf fillatligiance t the civil freedom, ans. me. dependence of the individuals now claiming •to and recognized as a free people s is furnished by the A- "it of the French Legislature itself. The law of t''' _ we Legislatu re l in February,.... 0 17.4 1 proclaimed, that enthl id ) inhabitants of the Colosimo. , Were free. Every air' s (b e therefore, in Hayti wit; • - from the year 179; s ° Ich, law, emancipated ; at.d every &Alan; we ma!l3l 1 • . . . , h