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of colonies towards the mother

country.

of a people who have been, for ten years, a prey to revolutions.

The basis of the provisionary organization which I shall give the colony, but which shall not be defi

I perfectly agree with you as to the consequences of such conduct, and I think it is of the greatest importance to all the powers of Eu-nitive till approved of by the French rope; but with the considerable force under the orders of your excllency, this revolt cannot be of long duration, and the devastations. committed by the rebels can only produce a temporary evil.

I have the honour to be, with high consideration for your excellency,

Your excellency's

obedient servant,
John Thomas Duckworth,
rear-admiral, &c. &c.

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TH

HE time is arrived, when order will succeed to that chaos which has been the necessary conscquence of the opposition made by the rebellious to the landing of the army at St. Domingo.

The rapid operations and progress of the army, and the necessity of providing for its subsistence and its establishment, have, hitherto, prevented my attending to the definitive organization of the colony. I could not, moreover, have any fixed or certain ideas of a country with which I was totally unacquainted, and consequently could not, without nature deliberation, form an opinion

government, is liberty and equality to all the inhabitants of St. Domingo, without regard to colour.

This organization comprises, 1. The administration of justice. 2. The interior administration of the colony combined with those measures which its interior and exterior defence require.

3. The imposition of duties: the means of raising them and their application.

4. The regulations and ordinances relative to agriculture.

5. The regulations and ordinances relative to commerce.

6. The administration of the national domains, and the means of making them most beneficial to the state, so as to be less burdensome to agriculture and commerce.

As it is of infinite interest to you, citizens, that every institution should, in an equal degree, protect agriculture and commerce, I have not determined upon this important work, without having first had recourse te, and consulted with, the most distinguished and enlightened citizens of the colony.

I have, in consequence, given orders to the generals of the south and west divisions to select for each of these departments seven citizens, proprietors and merchants (without regard to colour), who, with eight more which I shall myself choose for the department of the north, are to assemble at the Cape in the course of the present month, to im part their obat yations to me on the

plans

plans I shall then submit to their con'sideration.

It is not a deliberative assembly I establish. I am sufficiently acquainted with the evils which meetings of this nature have brought upon the colony, to have that idea. The citizens who are thus chosen, ́being honest and enlightened men, to them will I communicate my views; they will make their observations upon them, and will be able to impress on the minds of their fellow-citizens, the liberal ideas with which government is animated.

Let those, then, who are thus to be called together, consider this ap'pointment as a flattering proof of my consideration for them. Let them 'consider that, for want of their counsel and advice, I might pursue measures disastrous to the colony, which would ultimately fall upon themselves. Let them consider this, and they will find no difficulty in leaving, for some time, their private

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The General in Chief of the Army of St. Domingo to the Minister of the Marine and Colonies.

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reestablishment of tranquillity in' this immense and beautiful colony.

You have received dispatches con taining the details of the military events which took place during the latter end of March and the beginning of April. Beaten every where, and dispersed, terror established itself in the camps of the rebels, who were without magazines, almost without powder, and who were reduced to live upon bananas.

The arrival of the squadrons from Flushing and Havre gave the last blow to the rebel power.

Christophe informed me that he had always been a friend to the whites, whom he admired; that all the Europeans who had been at St. Domingo could attest his principles and his conduct; that imperious circumstances, which often decide the conduct of public men, had not left him at liberty to pursue that line of conduct which he wished; and,lastly, he desired to know if there was still any safety for him? I replied, that with the French people there was always a door open to repentance;

that it was the constant habit of the first consul to weigh the actions of men, and that one crime alone, whatever might be its consequences, would never efface from his mind services performed; that it was true, that the instructions I had received previous to my departure were personally favourable to him; and lastly, that if he chose to place himself at my discretion, he should have rea

son to be satisfied.

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thither all the cultivators who were still with him, and to assemble all the troops who were under his orders. All this he punctually executed. More than 2000 inhabitants of the Cape, who were in the most distant hills, have returned. His magazines and artillery are in our possession, and about 1200 soldiers who were under his command, are united to our troops. A part of them have been disarmed, and sent back to culture; and the remainder I propose to incorporate with the colonial troops.

The submission of Christophe completed the consternation of Toussaint. He employed every means to inform me of the unfortunate situation in which he found himself, and how much he saw with pain, that he was continuing a war without object, and without end. He added, that circumstances the most unfortunate had already occasioned many evils, but that not withstanding the force of the French army, he was still strong enough to ravage and destroy the country, and to sell dearly a life, which had been sometimes useful to the mothercountry.

These communications, frequent ly reiterated, gave rise to the most serious reflections in my mind.

Three fourths of the colony had still escaped the miseries of desolation; and Toussaint and the blacks, although they had ravaged a part of the country, and carried on the war with extreme barbarity, had never seen Franee, had never received, during twelve years, any other than false ideas of our strength

and our character.

I informed Toussaint, that if he would repair to the Cape, pardon might yet be extended to him.

Toussaint did not hesitate to profit by the permission I had given to him: he came to me, solicited for pardon, and swore to be faithful to France. I accepted his submission, and ordered hini to repair to a plantation near Gonaïves, and not to depart from it without my permission. I have placed Dessalines in a plantation near Saint Marc.

All the cultivators who had been carried off have returned. I have incorporated with the colonial troops, as many of the black soldiers as I thought might be allowed to continue under arms.

The magazines, and the pieces of artillery which had been drawn up steep rocks, and hidden in the most secret places, are daily delivered up to us there are still more than an hundred remaining.

A new epoch commences: you will see by the arretté, and the measures which I have taken, that we are occupied with activity in organizing the administration of the country.

The bad season has commenced, but the repose which our troops will now experience will enable us to go through it with the least possible loss. We have abundance of provisions, thanks to your care.

Health and respect.
Leclerc.

(Signed)

The Same to the Same.

Cape, May 8, 1802:

We are labouring to reestablish the Cape, with an activity which it is difficult to conceive. This town is rising out of its ashes.

I cannot dissemble the mischief which has been done in several can tons of the colony; but having now, however, received the different ac

counts,

counts, I am convinced that more than three fourths of the colony are untouched. The quarters of l'Arti bonite, all the south part, the Mole, and Fort Liberté, are entirely preserved.

American vessels arrive in crowds in our ports, laden with flour, with deals, and other materials for building. Citizen Pichon writes me, that the Americans are much discontented at the measure which I took at the moment of my arrival; but I think they are wrong. Agents of the American government were with Toussaint, who did not always suggest to him the best opinions.

Muskets, powder, and cannon, were furnished with a renewed activity from the United States, as soon as the preliminary treaty was known there. It was natural, therefore, that I should take measures to prevent that communication with the rebels. Our commissaries in. America were not sufficiently alive to the interests of the public purse. An unfortunate little brig which you sent thither cost 28,000 francs (1166/. 13s. 4d.). Citizen Pichon ought to have known that the brig was not worth half that sum..

The national commerce begins also to send out some vessels. I have given orders to place the colonial system in a state of activity as speedily as possible. Vessels coming from France pay no duty whatever on importation. They pay ten per cent. on exportation, but it may be found suitable to exact only five. As to the rest, I expect your directions forthwith. This can do no injury to commerce, as you can proportionably diminish the duties on West India produce.

The colony, otherwise, is in a situation to receive such commercial

regulations as you may make; and if the great commercial towns prepare to furnish us with what we want, there will be little difficulty in reviving the edicts of 1784, respecing the customs.

For the rest, citizen ministers, assure the first consul that I shall not lose an instant in considering the instructions given to me, in every point of view, political and commercial; and that I shall regard the day when the national commerce will be alone sufficient for St. Domingo, as a happy day for myself and the army, as a colonial war ought to have for its result the triumph of commerce.

I have sent general Dugua into the south part: general Rochambeau is on the side of St. Marc.

I can only pronounce au eulogy on the whole army; but I must make particular mention of the zeal and services of gen. Rochambeau.

I must also praise the activity of the chief commissary Daure. Health and respect. (Signed)

Leclerc.

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H

masse. The information I received from all the generals, even from general Dessalines, of his conduct since his surrender, left me no doubt upon the subject. I intercepted the letters he had written to a man of the name of Fontaine, who was his agent at the Cape. These letters prove beyond a doubt, that he was conspiring to regain his former influence in the colony. He placed considerable reliance upon the sickness which prevailed in the army. Uuder these circumstances, I did not think it right to give him time to effect his criminal purposes. I ordered him to be arrested: this was not easy to be accomplished; it was nevertheless effected by the skilful measures of general Brunet and of citizen Ferrari, my aide-de-camp, whom I had entrusted with this business.

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Speech of his Honour the Lieutenant-
governor of Jamaica (General
Nugent) to the General Assembly
of that Island.

Kingston, June 17, 1802.
Gentlemen of the council,
Mr. Speaker, and

Gentlemen of the assembly,
IT is with much reluctance that

I have sent to France, with all his family, this man, who is so profoundly perfidious, and who with so much hypocrisy has done us so I have felt myself obliged to call much evil. The government will you together at this season of the see what is fit to be done with him. year; but the importance of the obThe arrest of general Toussaint ject will, I trust, sufficiently point has given rise to new assemblies of out to you the necessity of the the rebels: two chiefs of the insur- measure. I am at the same time. gents have been already arrested, happy that it affords me an opporwhom I have ordered to be shot; tunity of congratulating you upon and one hundred of his principal ad- the return of the blessings of peace, herents have been also arrested; a by the signing of the definitive part of whom I have put on board treaty. the frigate La Meuron, which I have ordered to sail for the Mediterranean. The remainder have been disposed of in the different ships of the squadron.

I am continually occupied in the reorganization of the colony, with as little force as possible; but, the excessive heat, and the maladies which afflict us, render the labour extremely difficult. I expect with

Mr. Speaker, and gentlemen of the assembly,-You will, I hope, with your usual patriotism and liberality, take into your consideration, the peculiar circumstances in which this island is at present placed, and make a full provision for, the exigencies of the service accordingly..

Gentlemen of the council, Mr. Speaker, and gentlemen of the assembly,

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