New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-25
TOusSaint L'OVerfIIre.

At this iuucture an extraordinary person
emerged from obscurity. 1t was Francis Dom
Unique Toussaint, negro of pure blood, and
grandson of an African prince. He was a
small, slender man, who was so thin In his boy
hood that he was called 1.-The little ath." He
was now between forty and fifty years of age,
and had been all his life a slave on the estate
of the Count de Noe, whose manager, NJ. Bayou
de Liberals, had educated him, and placed him
in positions of trust He was studous
thoughtful, and religious. He warmly sympa.
thized with his enslaved race in their attitu de
OF armed cOmbatants for their own freedom
He had read with profound interest the Able
Raynafs essays on the multifarious evil effects
of slavery, and had long pondered peaceful
schemes for the emancipation of his race In
San Domingo. He was yet powerfully impressed
by Rynals pictures OF the great wrong and
in the servile instruction which now invited
his cooperation he thought he saw a way open
through Red Sea by which his people might
pass to land of liberty.
Toussaint's soul glowed with an intense de.
sire TO assist in the liberation of his people, and
so soon as he could secure the safety of Nj.
Bayou, his benefactor, and that of his family
and some personal property he Joined the in
surgent blacks. His delay had excited their
suspicious and displeasure. They now received
him with open arms. His knowledge of the
pEOptTtitS VI tHt uUId VI tuO lSldUU
caused his Immediate employment in the medi-
cal department. His military genius, hitherto
unsupported, was quickly developed, and he
was promoted first to the staff of his chief, and
then to the rank of brigadier- general. 1t was
not long before he was acknowledged to be
superior in martial ability to the other black
commanders, who were either incompetent or
ferocious and cruel. Very soon San Domingo
presented most pitiful spectacle. The beau
tiful princess of the Antilles was made to bleed
from a thousand wounds. Her radiant beauty
was marred by the iron heel Of war; and her
rich garments were trailed in the dust and cin-
ders of fiery discord.
French commissioners were sent from time
to time to quench the flames of civil war, if
possible, 10y mediation but they we're unsuc-
cessful. Even the white inhabitants, divided
into royalist and republican factions as fierce
as those in France were irreconclable enc
mics. The black leaders, regarding the Ma
tional Convention as their foe, took the royalist
side after the beheading of Louis the Sixteenth,
in 1898, and, accepting the profered aid of
the King Of Spain, refused to listen to propo-
sitiOns from the republican government of
France.
Very soon new troubles appeared, which
finally produced benefcent results. The Span
iards and the English invaded the western part
OF the island. The latter captured the whole
western coast, seized POrt-au. Prince, the capi.
tai, and besieged the French Governor. General
Laveaux, and his troops in Portde Paix.
This was the last stronghold held by the
French, and it was in imminent danger, for the
garrison was weakened by disease and famine
Woeiui was now the plight Of San Domingo
Engiishmen, Frenchmen, Spaniards, mulattoes,
and blacks were contending for the mastery.
The latter were overwhelming In numbers ; and
when the English invasion was threatened, the
French commissioners resolved to concllate
them by proclamation of universal freedom.
That was done in August, 1898. In February
the National Convention confirmed
the acts Of the commissioners, formally guaran-
teed the freedom of all the inhabitants of the
French colony, and made Hayti an integral
part of France.
Toussaint. whose sole object in Joining his
people was to secure their freedom,
saw IN this guarantee Of great nation the only
chance for the accomplishment of his holy pur,
pose. He relied upon the faith of France. Ii
her government IN San Domingo should be
firmly established, he believed that the eman-
cipatlon OF his race would be fully secured He
was then virtual c0mmander-in-ehef of the
black forces. lie openly declared his featy to
France, and formed a junction with the little
army under the Governor. So energeteally
and successfully did he work to bring all par
ties to the same conclusion that General La
veaux exclaimed, "AaiS Get homme fat Queer
ture pdatOW'-But this man opens the way
everywhere. From that time he was called by
the name Of L'Ouverture-The Openng-and
he is known in history as Toussaint Lower
ture-From +" The Horrors of San Domingo"
by Benson j. Losing, in Harper's Magazine
for June. -.