Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-11-25

spar, an alluring bride. The mother, in the
anguish of her maternal affection, chung to her
boys, and implored the father, by compliance to
rescue her children. The children embraced
his knees, and almost frantic with the emotions
ofhope and fear, and entreated him to save them
The conflict in the bosom of Touissant between
love for his ceiIdren and conscientious love for
his race, was terrible But summoning to his
aid all the firmness of his noble soul, he spurned
the bride, and with virtue which would have i'm
mortalized any of the Emperors of Rome, he
resolved to maintain the cause of freedom at ev-
cry sacrifice. Few of the inhabitants of this
globe have ever passed through SO fiery an ordeal
as he encountered, as his struggling children
were again torn from him, and borne back as
prisoners to the French camp while he re-
nouncing all the wealth and honor which Napo-
leon could confer, returned hunted fugitive to
his starving soldiers, in the barren and rugged
dehles of the mountains. LIE Clerc, perceiving
the fearful violence of the struggle between pa
riotic duty and paternal love- hoped that sec
ond sight Of his sons would overcome the virtue
of this most noble chieltain, and again he sent
them to have an interview with their father
Tonssant happily succeeded in rescueing his
children, in this interview, from their per6dious
captors, and fled with them to his mountain
home. LIE Clerc, exasperated beyond measure
at being thus foiled, procaime him rebel and
an outlaw, and prepared to drive the war with
unreIenting severity. In the conflict that ensued
Touissant displayed the qualities of a general of
the first order Dividing his broken army into
little bands, he stationed them in impenetrable
hiding places, and watched his powerful foe
! bclo
destroyed, supplies cut off, and many mountain
stream was crimsoned with the blood of the in
vaders. In these determined conflicts, the ne
groes manifested a degree of bravery and mill
tary skill, which astonished Europe The con-
querors of Marengo and Hohenlinden were not
unfrcqueutly defeated, with heavy loss, by the
undisciplned bands which carlessly encounter
ed them in the dehles of the mountains
Gradually, however, the highly disciplined and
thoroughly furnished armies of France continued
to gain upon the blacks, and famine began to
thin their ranks in their barren forest Businesses
The French soldirs, also became disguised with
the mglorous war. Their minds were imbued
with those principles of freedom which had over
turned the despotism of France. They began to
murmur loudly and Indignantly against the igno-
minious employment of fighting to rivet the
chains Of slavery upon those who were nobIy
contending for their freedom. In this emergen-
cy, LIE Clerc again had recourse to bribery. The
three leading generals under Touissant, Christie
phe, Dessanes and Maurepas, after displaying
for long time the courage and energy of Ben
edict Arnold in fighting the battles of their coun-
try, also initiated him in treachery and crime
Disheartened by defeat, despairing of the posi-
! of Ct Il Il
suffering from the destition of all things, they
were unable to resist the brilliant offers of wealth
and rank in the French army, and went over
with many of their followers to the service of the
enemy. They were Immediately appointed tc
offices in the French army corresponding tc
those which they had held in their own, and witt
all the zeal of new converts assaed the cause
they had abandoned. Toussant was thus left
with few thousand soldiers, to contend against
his own treacherous generals, who were leading
an inyinciblc army into his retreats. Still, how
ever for some time he nobly continued the hope
less struggle, till at last, surrounded on evetysid,
and assailed at every point, he was compelled tt
submit In this hour of defeat he retained hi
dignity and magnanimity unimpared. The
French officers could not withhold their admira
ton of his heroism and Integrity, and they ear
ne5tly solicited him to accept office under the
government of Napoleon, either to rule over hi
cnslaved brethren, or to lead the armies of Franc,
in the conflicts of Europe. He, however, irml
refused to accept any rank or cmoluments iron
the foe whe had overrun his country, and de
handing simply the pledge of personal protec
ton, retired, like another Cincnnatus, to tn
culture of his farm
ITO be cOntinucd)