Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-11-04

with more naughty preponderance on the plant
atoms Of st. Domingo.
The National Assembly of France, in its strug-
giles for the promotion of freedom, passed a de-
cree on the 9Th of March, 1890, empowering
each colony to express its wish upon the subject
of Constitution and declaring that the free
colored population in the colonies were entitled
to vote in the choice Of representatives,. Lieut..
Col. Ogee, a mulatto officer of distinction, in
the service of France, was sent by the National
Assembly to St. Domingo with this decree
These proud planters were so exasperated by the
measure, that they not only refused obedience to
the decree, but seized Colonel Ogee, and under
circumstances Of the most a~troclous cruelty, In
token of their contempt, tore him limb from
limb by the torture of the wheel.
This iniquitous proceeding of course exasper-
ted the free blacks and the whole colored popu-
lation to the utmost, but still there was on their
side no resort to arms. The planters, with the
power in their hands, persevered in refusing to
comply with the commands Of the mother country,
and t~rampled upon the rights of all the colored
population, both slave and free, with increasing
rigor and scorn. Great bitterness of feeling was
the result, and the colony was in a state of in
tense agitation. The National Assembly again
LOOh up Vic OuDlCCl, uIu ulLC u lOlS dCOdlCy I
affirmed the decree that all persons of color, born
of free father and a free mother, were entitled
to the political preyileges of freemcn. Elephant
cs loaded their muskets, and set the free colorcd
people and the laws at defiance, The free blacks
now also began to organize for the defense of
their rights. Matters were in this state, when
the slaves formed a conspiracy to obtain their
freedom. The angry discussions which had
agitated the colony, and the marshaling of hosts
for civil war, had aroused the slaves to con-
seriousness of the rights of which they We're de-
frauded. On the night of August 22nd, 1871,
the instruction burst forth, in the northern part
of the Island. 1t was headed by Jean Francois,
a slave possessed of many heroic and generous
traits of character, combined with the violent
passions which had been excited by the lash of
the white man, That was indeed an awful night,
when the retributiOn for ages Of oppression was
rolled upon the oppressor, A thousand planta-
tons were in one hour in flames. No pen can
ever describe the horrors of that night. An ar
my of negroes, intoxicated with success, inspir-
ed with revenge, hurled themselves upon their
masters. The males, almost without exception
were massacred and thrown into the flames of
their dwellings. The femalas were reserved to
be slaves of their former slaves. The fires of
this conflagration cleaning far and wide, drove
the terrified planters from all quarters to Cape
Francois. In the heart of the town there were
ten thousand slaves, burning for freedom while
fifteen thousand Of the victorious insurgents be-
leaguered the place. The warfare was equally
merciIess on both sides. The blacks and the
whites Immediately mastered all prisoners, with
out regard to age or sex. And tortures were re-
taliated by tortures.
The flame, thus kindled, rapidly spread to the
southern part of the island. The terrified plant
crs, horror-stricken by the ruin which was roll
ing upon them, abandoned everything and fled
to Port-au-Prince and there they were heseiged
by the foe they had SO greatly despised. The
National Guard, and troops of the line, with all
the white male population of the city, marched
out to attack the slaves, and after a most sanguin-
airy conflict were driven back with the most hor-
rible slaughter.
A slave by the name of Toussaint had now,
by his intelligence, energy, and bravery, at
tanned a complete ascendency over all the black
chiettains. He was in all respects an extraordi.
nary man. Amiable, intelligent, energetic, and
of irreproachable purity of morals, he had acquir-
ed a very great ascendancy over his brethren
His character had arrested the attention and
commanded the esteem of his master, and he
had taught him reading, writing, and arithmetic.
When the Instruction broke out, the blacks ear
, nestly solicited him to join them but he refused
until he had secured the safety of his master and
. family, by affording them an escape to Baltimore.
! and shipping to them a cargo of sugar, to ena.
= Bile them to raise money for the supply of THEN
i present wants. He then Joined his brethren il
their struggle for freedom.
Matters were in this state, when a force O.
& three thousand men, with three delegates, arriv.
6 ed from France-despatched by the National As.
r sembly, to endeavor to promote a reconciliation
between the whites and the blacks. The mem.
+ bers of the colonial legislature and Toussaint
, met the delegates. Toussaint declared that the
Y blacks were all ready to return to their duty, il
h their rights as proclaimed by the mother countr,
t was respected. But the planters Indignantly re.
t fused any compromise, and demanded the un
conditional submission of the slaves aud the
4 death of their leaders. The conflict was imme.
+ diately renewed with increasing violence, anC
J. the instruction spread everywhere Throughout
+ the island. The planters, who had escaped mas
sacre, were driven into the fortified towns on tn,
sea coast, and the slaves we're scattered in law
y less freedom all over the desolated plantations
: The National Assembly, struggling against mon
g archial and aristocratic power in France, sym
pathised with the slaves, struggling against tn
" infinitely more aristocratic oppression of tn,
- planters. A quarrel soon arose in Cape Town
l. between the higher and lower classes of the Eu
N ropean population, the lower class uniting witt
Of the free blacks, and for two days the blood flow
ed in torrents in the streets. The negro chiefs
taking advantage Of this strife, burst into tn
az city, and an awful scene of conaagration an,
blood ensued. Twenty thousand negroes, wit
70 sword and flame, ~traversed the streets, and glut
m ted their vengence on their foes. A few wretch
ed f%ugitives escaped on board the ships, and too
p, refuge in the United States. The French Re
ID public now published a decree proclaiming free
30 dom to all the slaves who would enlist as soldier
of the Republic. Toussaint Immediately passe
n. under the service of France, with the rank
i'd Colonel, and the blacks were rapidly organize
ev into regiments under the standards of the Repul
til lie, and there was peace, Toussaint enacte
very wise laws, allowing the laborers on the plaI