Star.
London, England, 1802-03-19 00:00:00

CHIEF OF THE ARMY OF ST. DOMINGO.

" Citizen General—Peace with England and
the other powers of Europe, which has railed the
Republic to the tint degree of power and grandeurk
has alfo induced the Republic to take poiTeflion of
St. Domingo. We have fent thither Citizen LE.
CLERC, our brother-in-law, with the rank of Cap-
tain General, as firft Magiftrate of the colony.—
He is attended by a force fuch as is proper to make
the fovcreignty of the people refpeeled. In there
circum(tances we flatter ourfelves that you will
prove to us, and France in general, the fincerity
of the fentiments which you have conflantly ex-
ladled in the different letters which you have writ-
ten us. We have conceived an efleem for you, and
we feel a pleafure in acknowledging and proclaim-
ing the great fervices which you have rendered to
the French people. If its colours wave in St. Do-
mingo, it is owing to you and your brave blacks.
Called by your talents and the force of circum-
'lances, to the chief command, you have extin-
guilhed civil war, impofed a reliraint on the per-,

Caution offome ferocious men, rettored to its re-.
per rank, religion, and the worfhip of a Coo
whom all things emanate. The Conflitittion y,
have made, includes many p.od things, but con-
tains all, others contrary to the Liignit) and rove.
rcipitty of the Ft ench people, of which St. II.).
ming() is only a portion. The circtintliance,, ia
which you have been placed, furrotind;.,l by enc.
mies, without being able to derive any ailiflance
from the Mother Country, have legitimated the
articles of this Con(litution, which otherwile
would be improper. But now that things have
happily changed their appearance, you will no
doubt be the fill" to pay homage to :he $.)..e-
-reignty of the nation, which ntim aer, you among
its molt illullrious citizens, by the fervic:s which
you have rendered to it, both by the ttlents and
intrepid charafter with which Nature ha; endow-
ed you. A contrary line of condudt will not be
reconcileable to the fentiment we entertain of you.
It will make you forfeit your numerous claims t ,
the gratitude and to the rewards of the Republic,
and will open a gulph for yourfelf, which may
alfo contribute to the mifery of thole generous
blacks, whofe courage we admire, and wl:ofe re-
bellion with pain we thould be obliged to puniti:.
We have made known to your children and to
their tutor, the fentiments by which we are go-
verned. We return them to you. Affift the Cap-
tain-General with your advice, your influence,
and your talents. Do you with for the freedom
of the Blacks ! You know well, that in every
country where we have lren, we have conferred
it on thofe people who before were rot in potfel-
lion of it. Do you with for rank, honours, and
fortune? After the fervices you ha...e 'rendered,
and which it is now in your power, in the prefent
! conjuneture, to died, and with the perfonal erti-
' mation which we entertain for you, you need In:
doubt of the confederation, the fort:ln.:, and the
honours which attend you. Let tile people oi
St. Domingo know, that the folicitude which
France has ever felt for their happincfs, has often
been inefficient, from the imperious circumtlances
of the War; that the men who have arrivedfrom
the continent to agitate the colony, and foment
divitions, were the fpawn of faaions which were
tearing in pieces the Mother Country herfelf; but
now, that Peace and the power of the Govern.
ment feciire their profperity and freedom, tell than
that if Liberty be their chief good, they cannot
enjoy it but with the title of French Citizens, and
that every aCtion contrary to the interefts of the
; Country, to the obedience which they owe to the
!Government and to the Commander in Chief who
is the depofitary of it, will be a crime woraina the
National Sovereignty, which will eclipfc their ter-
vices, and render St. Domingo the theatre of an
unhappy war, in which fathers and children will
mutually deftroy each other. And you, General!
retie& that if you are the firtL of your colour who
have arrived to fo high a degree of power, and
who have been fo greatly diftinguithed by valour
and military talents, you are alfo, to Goa and us,
II the principal refponlible agent for your own con.
duit. If there be any evil defigning perfons whd
fay to thofe who have taken the lead in the trou-
' toes of St. Domingo, that we come to invelligitte
what they have been, doing diming the days of
anarchy, allure them that we (hall look only to
their prefent conduit, that we ihall make no in-
quiries into the patt, except to learn thofe ex-
ploits by which they have dillinguilhed themfelves
in the war which they futiained againft the Spa-
niards and Englifh, then our enemies. Rely upon
ou- efleem, and condua yourfelf as becomes one
of the Principal Citizens of the greateft nation in
the world. The Ertl Conful, BONAPARTE."
" Paris, Nov. 18, am