The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-03

sarno mighty problem confronted bOth-tO
still the mad passions of the excited people
and bring social order out of anarchy. Yet
Napoleon prince of the whites, murdered
Toussaint, prince of the blacks.
The revolution in France extended in all
its fierceness to the French colony in Santo
Domingo. The white planters arose against
the king and preached the liberty of man.
The mulattoes initiated them, and the black
slaves demanded admittance to the BROTH
erhood of equality. Toussaint was black
slave so years old, living in cabin with a
wife and children, confidential family
servant. He could read, and spent his lei
sure studying the lives of great command
ers and political leaders.
When the mulattoes and blacks organized
in 100 to enforce their Interpretation of
the great doctrine of equality, Toussaint
held aloof, coming his Bible, Casar's Com
mentaries" and the military memoirs of
Europe. The blacks arose in 1901 and
turned the island into roaring furnace
paved with the charred bones of their for
mer masters. Toussaint secreted the fam
lily OF his master until the holocaust was
ended, then conveyed them with n cargo Of
riches to safety beyond the sea. The chains
of slavery having of themselves dropped
from his black limbs, he hearkened at last
to the oft ignored cry of his people and
10 tnelr CumpS.
The humanity of Toussant in the care of
his master was not exceptional. 1t was his
nature, and it placed him under the suspi-
cion of the three chiefs who headed the ne
groes-Biassou, Francois and Jcannot, who
were equally INSCRIPTIONS and cruel in
their war on the whites. The black popu-
lace, however, appreciated Toussaint's abil-
tiles and character. Though the chiefs at
first humbled him by subordinate ap-
pointment Caring for the wounded) his per
sonal popularity soon made him brigadier
general, one of three in the negro army.
Napoleon was ut that time coquetting with
Republicans, Royalists and Modcrates in
Paris, waiting for his star to turn. 1t turn
ed the day he opened the guns of the direc-
tory upon the Paris mob. Toussaint's turn
ed the day he struck the daggers of a mob
of blacks from the breasts of hundred
whites doomed to massacre.
The directory sent commissioners to
Santo Domingo to regulate its affairs.
Word reached the blacks that the commits
sioners were peaceable, and they sent negro
emlssaries to the council to talk about
peace. They were spurned Us emissaries of
"revolted negroes" guilty men and unre-
pentant," to whom Justice would be melted
out" and were ordered to withdraw from
the assembly. The bearers of the olive
branch returned to the negro camp where
all the army and the civilians hopefully
awaited the response to their appeal. Their
news was brief. The sigh for peace was
changed to blasting breath of war. The same
old cry, Death to the whitesr' rang from
the lips of the mob, and Biassou, the fiery
and vindictive black who ruled the army,
ordered 100 white prisoners slaughtered in
the Enclosure of the camp. But there were
cool head and strong heart in that
throng of outraged and ferocious savages
Toussant pressed his way to his chief
spoke few calm, firm words, and the flend-
ish order was recalled
That deed, with others which followed
bore the name of the black hero to French
ears. Throughout all the bloody era of
uprisings and Instructions the negroes
had kept their loyalty to the king. 10 dis
arm that devotion the revolutionary assem-
bly, of France made the negroes the polt-
ical equals of the whites, at which the
white colonists rebelled and the mulattoes