The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-03-14
THE ST. DOMINGO MASSACRE


Ject Gas to whether the mulattOeS in st. Do
mingo were voters there) was bWught be.
fore the National Assembly by Able Gre.
goire, who contended eloquently for the ex.
tension to the mulattoes of all the privileges
of the whites. At this juncturen the news
Of the terrible fate of Oge reached Paris,
and raised a storm of indignant against
the planters, which nothing c&ld allay.
The latter became so odsous tha for a time
they did not dare to appear in thS streets of
Paris. Gregoire, Condorcet, Bissot and
Robespierre took advantage of til state of
public sentiment to urge a new an explain
atory decree, which should estal Wish the
rights OF the free colored people ID ond the
possibility of future dispute. In Mhin did
the friends of the planters predict The des-
t~ruction of the colonies, ifsuch a pr position
should become a law. Robespierrd exclaim-
ed: "Perish the colonies rather til In racri-
fee one idea of our principles" NE major
ity reiterated the sentiment, and the famous
decree of May 18th 1891, was pronounced
amid the acclamations.. of the multitude. By
this decree Civil Rights Bill p it was en-
acted "That the people of color residing in
the French colonies, and born of &Nree pa
rents, were entitled to as of fright, AMI should
be allowed the enjoyment of all the privil-
eyes of French citizens, and, a~monaRothers,
to those of having votes in the cbice of
representatives, and of being eligiblsRo seats
both in the Parochial and Colonial Assem-
blies.' THUS did the National Akmbly
Gmitated Now by our National C gress)
sweep aw&y in a moment all the la =, usa-
ges, rejSdices and opinions, CONCERNING
these peoHe, which had existed in the French
colonies aom their earliest settlement, and
tear up the roots the first princih les of
a free Co3stitution-the exclusive rkht of
a people IF passing laws for their lodi and
interior Regulation and governmental The
Colonial COMMITTEE apprised the Naional
Assembly of the fatal consequences Of this
measure and Immediately suspended the ex-
ercise of its functions. At the same time
deputies from the colonies signifed their
purpose to decline any further attendance.
The decree of May 18th was IL signal
for the bloody commencement of "e ire
pressible conflict" Language can} BIT des-
cribe the rage and indignation w Mich its
reception aroused in St. Domingo. The ma.
cockade was trodden under foot. anak
authority of Governor B~lanchelane
was at an enk The mulattoes began to
collect in armeS bodies and were suffered
to DO so without molestation. Os;Jhe fatal
hight OF Augusts22d 1871, the Massacre
commenced. Th&rebellion broh But on a
plantation nine mics from Capek francois
About midnight tv live or foura of the
.ingleaders went I'd he sugar Fuse, and
lragcing the refnerV apprentil 70 tbeSrnnt
# the dwelling house Mere hHs Bto
pieces with their CT, ksses, Pa {msk
ont the oversdAL Wis., tlvA&
hot. The reiner Was Assrse 5ed
young man lying siJ !, .Ma H.
hamber, was!left appar{ k1sa
0 the next plantation, anE
ors he had witnessed.
the whites on thA. est =
kept the surgeon ii The e
ompelled to accompG themA . pro1
lat they might nd is prq1 t6nai a.
nee. The persons ceiyi Ythis q
ence sought safety N$AighD The rel
onsisting now of all the negroes on
lantation, proceeded to the house of a ~ "
by whose negroes .they were in. (
;antly joined, and both he md his refnar |
ere massacred the former bv his avn a
oachman, to whom he had alvsamBwn e
kindness. The other whid Sons n
n the place contrived to escape. 4t THU
'ncture the negroes on Faville's plantation
few miles distant, rose and murdered fvs =
'hite persons, one of whom had a wife and e
lree daughters, who on Bonded knees, i'm. G
|orlng the mercy of the savages, beheld the n
Iurder of their husband and father IT, Ii
Of daylight rendered it ev;dent y
lat the negroes of all the estates in tho 9
lain were acting in concert, and a eanera1 :,
assacre of the whites took place in everv -
larter. "
In the town itself it was believed that tbe .,
was partial only, and two white q
'rsons, with a few soldiers from the tow S
lard, went to the plantation of Mr., Galliet a
,out eight miles from the town. in the con- b
lent belief that the negroes on that estate n
I'd remained true to their obedience as r !.
ey had always been so well treated that .
had become a proverbial expression among IL
white people, in speaking of any mans g
cd fortune, to say III est aussi RenreuS p
'un negre de Gallifet'-"He is AZ hannv IL
one of Gallifet's negroes" Arrivingla t to
estate, Judge Of their horror to ind all ii