Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-12-08
OF THE AMERICAN
BENEFICIAL INSURANCE
COMPANY.

The American Beneficial Insurance
Co. has received at it's home Office it's
1918 issue OF calendars. This Com
pany, in keeping with it's custom of
getting out calendars, has OH 1T a por-
trait OF Toussaint L'Ouverturc Every
year the Company plans to put before
its policy holders and members of the
colored race the portrait and his
torical sketch Of some member OF
the race The calendar for this
year has most beautiful portrait
and was gotten up for the Company
by the American Art Works at Gosh
octon, Ohio These calendars are
now being distributed by the agents
CT the Company and they arc highly
appreciated by the policyholders
Under the flap of the calendar is
the biographical sketch Of the Lib
orator of Haiti. 1t says:
"Considered by many the greatest,
and by all students Of history one of
the greatest men ever produced by
the Negro race, the life and character
of Pierre Dominique Toussaint Lou
Vcrture furnishes n most interesting
study. He was born in the island OF
Haiti, in TAG, the son of a Negro
slave, who was said to have been the
second son OF a powerful African
chief. At first. he was surnamcd
Breda, but~this name was subsequent
ly changed to L'Ouverturc, in recog-
milton or his services in securing the
liberation Of the slaves Of Haiti; and
early in life. his lot was no different
from that OF the other plantation
slaves-indiffercntly clothed, totally
uncducatcd he spent the first years
81 his life laboring in the fields
But even in childhood he manifest
cd abilities of an unusual order, and
before he had attained his majority,
by making use of every opportunity,
he had succeeded in acquiring a re-
markably good education. He won
the especial confidence Of his master,
and was made the superintendent Of
the other slaves on 1, his masters
plantation - s N \ s
III 1891, when he was forty-fve
years Of age, he joined n band Of
Negroes, who had rebelled and soon
acquired such al ascendency over
the insurgents that he aroused the
jealousy Of their leader, Jean Fran
co.'s. He was arrested by Francois,
but liberated by Baisson. rival
| leader, and partisan war ensued
L'Ouverture, however, had before
independent Haiti and upon the death
of Baisson welded together the dis
ssenticnt parties, assumed the leader
| ship of the rev0lutionists and finally
III 1895, made himself the master Of
| the whole country, and proclaimed
| the entire independence Of Haiti and
| San Domingo.
! SO remarkable was his military
! genius that he was universally called
| 1.-The Bonaparte Of Haiti" and he
! thoroughly demonstrated his right
to this title by defeating strong
| English force which was sent to in
| wade Haiti in 1898 and a year or two
| later made such q determined, even
| ferocious, defense against q force OF
$4,000 seasoned troops which Ma
| poleon Bonaparte had sent against
! him, that LeClera, the French Com
! mander, proposed terms. LOWER
| ture, weary Of war, and at heart a
! lover of peace and desiring only free
dom for himself and his people, in
! duced by the most solemn guarantees
| on the part of France, laid down his
arms and dispersed his forces
Almost Immediately thereafter, he
was treacherously seized and sent to
! France, where he died miserably in
| J
the moment when the great Negro
was dying in his loathcsome prison.
the blacks, Infatuated by the treach-
cry Of France, were driving the
| French from Haiti, and the tri-colol
was being hauled down to float over
Haiti and San Domingo no more. But
the great liberty-loving heart OF
L'Ouverture had ceased to beat!
Haiti was free; but, alas! her liber
ator had been buried in namelese
grave in the yard Of prison at Joux
But what an inspiration to the Ne
gro race in this life! What a model!
For here, in the glowing words OF
FitZ Greene Halleck, is,
Zone Of the few, tn immortal names
That were not born to die!