1804.1

in the country, calls at the same time upon the justice of general Rochambeau to set at liberty all the natives of the country (whatever may be their colour), as they cannot be constrained, under any pretext of right, to embark with the French army.

VII. The troops of both armies shall remain in their respective positions until the tenth day after the signature hereof, which is the day fixed on for the evacuation of the Cape.

VIII. The general in chief, Rochambeau, will send as a hostage for the observance of the present stipulations, the adjutant commandant, Urbain de Vaux, in exchange for whom the general in chief Dessalines will send an officer of the same rank.

Two copies of this convention are hereby executed in strict faith, at the head-quarters on the heights of the Cape, on the day, month, and year aforesaid. (Signed)

DUVEYRIER, DESSALINES.

REYNOARD.

"Head-quarters, Hant-du-Cap, (the 27tb Brumaire), Nov. 19, 1803. "The commander in chief of the indigenous army, to the citizens inhabitants of the town of the Cape.

"Citizens,

"Having entered this day into a negotiation with the commander in chief, Rochambeau, respecting the evacuation by his troops of the town of the Cape, that opportunity enables me, citizens inhabitants, to tranquillize the fears by which you may be alarmed on such an event. The war which we have continued to wage up to this day, has no relation whatever to the in

habitants of this unhappy colony. I have uniformly held out protection and security to the inhabitants of every complexion; and on the shall find me present occasion you adhere to the same line of conduct. The manner in which the inhabi-. tants of every description of Jeremie, Cayes, and of Port-auPrince, have been received and treated, afford a certain pledge of my good faith and honour. Let those among you, citizens, who feel repugnant to leave their country, remain: you shall experience under my government protection and security, both for your per. sons and property: those who may

be

Between John Bligh, captain of his majesty's ship Theseus, invested with the powers of J. Loring, esq. of his majesty's ship Bellerophon, and the senior officer of the squadron cruizing before Cape François on the one hand; and on the other, Jaques Boyé, general of brigade, chief of the staff of the French army, and Henry Barre, captain of a ship, commander of the naval forces at St. Domingo, authorised conjointly by the commander in chief, Rochambeau, captain-general of the colony. The follollowing articles were agreed to:

Art. I. The French ships of war and merchantmen, which now lie at anchor in this port, shall be delivered up to the English.Answer. Granted.

. II. The garrison of Cape François, embarked on board the ships, as likewise their crews, shall be prisoners of war, and shall be sent to Europe, on condition not to serve until they shall have been exchanged, and that as soon as possible, in order that the exchange may take place without delay. Answer. Granted.

III. All the generals and other officers are comprised in the preceding article, and shall retain their arms.

IV. The sick who are embarked on board the Nouvelle Sophie and of the Julienne, shall be sent directly to France, and the English shall engage to give them every possible assistance to that effect, and also to furnish them with provisions and medicines.--Answer. The crews of the Nouvelle Sophie, and of the Julienne, being insuffi cient to navigate these vessels to France, the number requisite for that purpose shall be filled up from sailors out of the crews of the other ships, and all the provisions and medicines which may be furnished without inconvenience, shall be so furnished from his majesty's ships.

V. The property of indivi shall be rigorously respected. The papers belonging to the army shall be given into the hands of the chief of the staff.-Answer, Granted.

VI. The American, Spanish, and Swedish ships, on board of which are embarked such of the inhabitants of St. Domingo who shall be inclined to follow the army, and who consequently shall constitute a part of the evacu ation, shall be at liberty to proceed to their respective destinations without being molested.-Answer. Granted; provided it be proved that these ships belong to those nations; and an inquiry shall be instituted to that effect.

VII. The frigates shall sail out under French colours, and shall discharge their guns before they strike. Answer. Granted.

VIII. The servants of the officers shall be considered as belong. ing to the army, and individuals

who

The following proclamation of the independence of the island of St. Domingo, has been published by the three principal military chiefs, Dessalines, Christophe, and Clerveaux, chiefs of St. Domingo:

In the name of the black people and men of colour of St. Domingo.

The independence of St. Domingo is proclaimed. Restored to our primitive dignity, we have proclaimed our rights; we swear never to yield them to any power on earth! The frightful veil of prejudice is torn to pieces, and is so for ever.-Woe be to whomsoever would dare again to put together its bloody tatters!

O, Landholders of St. Domingo, wandering in foreign countries! by proclaiming our independ ence, we do not intend to forbid you indiscriminately from return ing to your property: far be it from us this unjust idea. We are not ignorant that there are some among you that have renounced their old errors, abjured the injustice of their exorbitant preten sions, and acknowledged the lawful ness of the cause for which we

The

have been spilling our blood these twelve years. Towards these men, who do us justice, we will act as brothers; let them rely for ever on our esteem and friendship; let them return among us. God who protects us, the God of freemen, bids us to stretch out towards them our conquering arms. But as for those who, intoxicated with a foolish pride, and interested slaves of a guilty pretension, are blinded so much as to think that they are the essence of human nature, and affect to believe that they are destined by Heaven to be our masters and cur tyrants, let them never come near the land of St. Domingo; if they come hither, they will only meet with chains and deportation! Let them stay then where they are; and, tormented by their well deserved misery and the frowns of the just men they have too long mocked at, let them still continue to move the pity and concern of nobody.

We have sworn not to listen to clemency towards all those who would dare to speak to us of slavery; we shall be inexorable, perhaps even cruel towards all the troops who, themselves forgetting the object for which they have not ceased fighting since 1780, should come yet from Europe, to carry among us death and servitude. Nothing is too dear, and every means are lawful, to men from whom it is wished to tear the first of all blessings. Were they to cause rivers and torrents of blood to run; were they, in order to maintain their liberty, to conflagrate seven-eights of the globe, they are innocent before the tribunal of providence, that has not created men to to see them groaning under harsh and shameful servitude.

If, in the various insurrections

that

that took place, some inhabitants against whom we had not to complain, have been victims of the cruelty of a few soldiers or cultivators, too much blinded by the remembrance of the past sufferings to be able to distinguish the good and humane land-owners from those that were unfeeling and cruel; we lament, with all feeling souls so deplorable an end, and declare to the world, whatever may be said to the contrary by wicked people, that the murders were committed contrary to the wishes of our hearts. It was impossible, especially in the crisis in which the colony was, to be able to prevent or stop these horrors. They who are in the least acquainted with history, all know that a people, when assailed by civil dissentions, though they may be the most polished on earth, give themselves up to all kinds of excess, and the authority of the chiefs, always but poorly consolidated in a time of revolution, cannot punish all those that are guilty, without always meeting with new difficulties. But now-a-days the Aurora of peace lets us have the glimpse of a less stormy time; now that the calm of Victory has succeeded to the troubles of a dreadful war, every thing in St. Domingo ought to assume a new face, and its government henceforward to be that of justice! Done at the head-quarters, Fort Dauphin, Nov. 29, 1803. (Signed)

DESSALINES, CHRISTOPHE, CLERVEAUX.

(True copy) B. AMIE, Sec.

LIBERTY OR DEATH!

Indigenous army of St. Domingo. This day, the first of January 1804, the general in chief of the

indigenous army, attended by the generals, chiefs of the army, being required to take measures tending to the welfare of the country, after having made known to the generals assembled, his real intentions to secure for ever to the native inhabitants of Hayti, a stable govern ment, the object of his most lively solicitude. This he has done by an address, which will make known to foreign powers the resolution of making this country independent, and of enjoying a liberty conse crated by the blood of the people of this island. After having collected their sentiments, and required from every general assembled an oath, to renounce France for ever, to die sooner than live under her dominion, to fight to the last breath for independencethe generals, deeply impressed with these sacred principles, after having with one voice shown their assent to the declared object of independence, swore every one to posterity, and to the whole universe, to renounce France for ever, and to die rather than live under her dominion.

Done at Gonaives, the 1st Jan. 1804, and the 1st day of the independence of Hayti. (Signed)

DESSALINES, gen. in chief.

Gabard. Christophe, black. Geffiad, mulatto. Vernet, mulatto. Petwi, mulatto. Clairveaux, mulatto, general of division. Capoix, black. L. Herne. P. Rouain, black. Egerin, black. L. Francois, black. Guage, mulatto. Feron, mulatto. Yayou, black. Toussaint Brove, black. Magloire Ambroise, black. E. Bazelais, mulatto, general of brigade.

Then follow the signatures of the adjutant-generals, chiefs of brigade,