Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-12-28

the colonial possessions of that country. 10y
atty at first to the King of France, whom hi
had been taught to consider as the rightfu
claimant Of his allegiance, led him to place him.
self and his followers under the command of
the Spanish General who sided with the French
royalsts. This was soon after the breaking
out of the negro nsurrectioh, which, commenc-
ing in plantation contiguous to that belong
ing to his master, had spread like wildfre
through the colony, and involved the whole
property of the French planters in one wide
scene OF ruin and devastation, amid which many
OF the owners and their families persisted. Tous-
saint assisted his kind master to escape, and to
save as much of the property as could be borne
off and rendered available for future subsis-
tcnce. In the insugection Toussaint had ie-
fused to join, because he saw nothing great or
worthy in the motives which prompted the rails
ing of the slaves.
But when Toussaint heard coming across the
waters the glorious declaration, which was like
a voice from heaven proclaiming the freedom Of
his enslayed brethren that ''al men are born
and continue free and equal as their rights, "
this being the declaration of the assembled rep
resentatives Of the French people, uttered amid
tthe bloody throes of struggle for freedom such
as the world never saw before, and which had
been pnblitly proclaimed in st. Domingo, he at
once saw that his loyalty had mistaken its OBJ
ject and that in fighting against the Republic
he had been but serving the cause of oppression
und depotism. At once he resigned the high
command which ho held under the Spanish Gen
eral, and was about to retire to the obscurity
Of private life, there to abide patiently, until
Providence by some unmistakable sign should
call him forth to work of establishing the full
and entire freedom Of his race; and for this
sign he had not to wait. The greater portion
of the negroes who had acted with him as the
allies of the Spaniards, also deserted the royal
lists cause; others Aocked to him from all quar-
ters and Toussaint was proclaimed by common
assent the General-n-C Chief of these dusky forces
tho emancipation of the blacks. And it soon
became evident that a master mind was among
them. Neither the mulattoes. Il powerful body
in the island, who had refused to recognise the
right to liberty Of those whose skin was but q
few shades darker than their own, nor the Span
iards, who then held possession Of about two
thirds of the land, were able to stand against
! Ava OF tbn do, 6iraot tod
by Toussaint L'Overture, the man who made
an opening everywhere, as tho French Rcpubli-
can General, after he had gladly accepted his
alliance, admirably called him.
Soon, under the firm, judicous, temperate
rule of the negro chief, the island Of Domingo
began to assume an aspect very different from
wiatit had lately presented The devastated
plantations, which lad become oyergrown with
rank vegetation and converted into perfect wilder
ness were again brought under cultivation, on
system which ensued to The cultiyators-no
less " toilng for the profit alone Of exacting
masses. but sufficient remuneration for their la
Dor while it rendered considerable sum for the
purposes of government. The white and mulat-
to- planters were invited to return and take pos
session of their estates under certain conditions
Of allegiance to the ruling powers, and of pay
ment to their free laborers. Ard last, though
far from least, there were the negroes, nunlber-
about SOC GOO, in all the delirllm of nowly-ac-
qured freedom, ignorant and rude, as men must
be in a state of slavery, with thcir hatreds and
their anmositlea. tho growth of generations Of
wrong and suffering, liable to be led or provok-
cd into the commission of all sorts Of follies and
crimes. Ii was this moment of utter confusion
and disorganzation that Touesaint L'Overturt
appeared as the spirit and theruler of the storm
Outrages were reprossed whether committed by
blacks or whites; and feeling of peace anG
security began to take the place of uniycrsa
terror and dstrust which had lately prevailed
Wherever his presence was most required, there
was the negro chief, calm, yet energetic; reso
lutte, yet gentle and urbane Of all plots ahC
con.praces he seems to be made aware by somt
mysterious intuition, and he was in in the mids
Of the plotters some times alone and unarmed
to sublue them by the dignity Of his mora
courage and mild persuasion, sometimes with nr
overpowering force to awe them into submission
In 1895 occurred an insurrection of mulat
toes at the town of Cape Francois, the head
quarters Of the French General Laveaux wht
was seized and imprisoned by the insurgents
This afforded the negro chief an opportunity o
providing his devotion to the Republic, to which
he had but recently sent in his adhesion. FL
marched at the head of 10000 blacks to tn
city, then held by the muattooe, whom he re
duced to submission, thus rcscuing the Frenc
General from his perilous position, and reinstat
ing him in his command Of the colony. Speak
ing of Toussaint, Laueaux afterwards remarked
" 1t is this black, this Spartacus predicted b
Raynal, who is destined to ayonge tho wrong
done to his race" 10 which saying may b
added the admission made by another Frenc
General, Iacroix, who wrote an account of tn
revolution in the island, in Terms by no mean
hvOraOle W tne HeSloeS. IL iAust pe ahoWeo
that if st. Domingo still carried the colors {
France, it was solely owing TO an old negro, VIII
seemed to bear a commission from Heaven t
unite its dilacerated MEMBERS In 1885,
new commission arrived from the mother cour
try, and Toussaint was loaded with compliment
and expressions of obligation for his services
and in 1895, Layeaux being obliged to retur
to France, the black General was made Con
mandcr-n-chief of the French forces thus til
whole authority of the colony, civil and mil
tary, was placed in his hands. Toussaint Wa
virtually the sovereign power long ere he ha
/ thrown off the yoke of France and declared b
Independence. Spain soon after retired fro