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tOL. 49.
AMERICAN VOLUNTEER
PUBUSHED EVEIIV TUOnSDAY HOKMINO BY
JOHN iCE. BRATTON.
TERMS
SußßoWllttort;—Two Dollars if paid within the
:rcarj.R®d Tw.9 ’Dollars and Fifty'6onts, if not paid
’Within .the y’o'tvr. Those ternara will bo rigidly ad
jured instance. No subscription dis
continued until all arrearages are paid unless at
the option‘of the Editor.
. ADVBnTf^ExruNTS—Accompanied by the cash, and
lot; exceeding qno ; square, will;,.bo inserted three
pw.es for Oho Doling and twbnty-fivoconta for each
additional insertion. Those bf a greater length in
proportion. ; ; - ■
Job-Printing—Such ns Hand-hills, Posting-bills,
Pamphlets, Blanks, Labels, executed with
Bcuraoy and at'the shortos .notice.
[From -tho York Caucasian.]
WHAT ARMING NEGROES
HAS DONE,
THE MISTOKY
- or van . '
SAN -DOMINGO MASSACRE,
DY LOOI3.SOUADE, OP lOWA.*
Causes Which Led to ihe Massacre of the
Whiles in St. Domingo.
_ - It Ims generally been Oonccdedhy all his
torians that theonslavedpegroesin theFrenoh
part of St. Domingo, on the whole,, were
. treated with .groat leniency and indulgence.
It has never been denied that the conduct 'to
wards them was in general similar to that of
the masters towards the slaves in the United
States. It was hot the atrohg and irresista
hle impulsa.of human nature, groaning un
der.oppression, that ■excited the negroes of
Hayti to plungc thcir daggers into the bosoms
of unoffending women and helpless infants,
they wero driven into those excesses—reluc
tantly driven—by the wild machinations of
men calling themselves philosophers, whose
pretences to philanthropy ware a gross mock
ery of human reasons, as their conduct was
an outrage, on . all the feelings of' pur na
ture, andtho ties which hold society! togeth
er. Like those at Harper’s Ferry, 'the slaves
refused to join in the.rebellion against their
masters, until their African savage feelings,
their cruel propensities, were amused,by the
free mulattoos. It will be incohiroveriiblg
proved that the rebellion of the negroes , in St,
Domingo, aiidlhe insurrection ofihemulattoes,
were causes, by •the.hxry s.nne means and agen
cies which a'-e now employed'by, our Northern
fanatics, and the Republican parly in general,
against ihe Southern States.
Ihe Amis Dcs Noirs and the Old Jewry. .
“There prevailed,” says Mr. Edwards,f
•‘U at tliC*- .cunlincnremnnt 'of the French
Eevpintlon.'. throughput the cities of France,
a very strong and marked prejudice against
■the inhabitants of. the Sugar Islands, on
account of. the slavery of their, negroes. It
was not indeed supposed, nor even pretended,
that the condition of this people was worse at
this juncture' than in any former period the'
Contrary was known to bo truth. But decla
mations in support of personal freedom and
invectives against despotism of all kinds, had
■boon the favorite topics of many eminent
French writers for a scries of years j and
the public indignation was? now-, artfully
raised against the planters of the West Indies.
The spirit.of hostility against the inhabitants
of the French colonies was industriously fo
mented and aggravated by two associations,
namely, the British Association for the Abo
lition of the Slave Trade, Which held its
mootings in the Old Jewry in London, and
the society called Les Ames Dcs Noirs,
(Friends of'the Blacks), in Paris.
The 'Beechers, Choosers, and Sumners of that
Day.
“ I have observed that the society in Lon
don 1 'professed to have nothing more in view
than to obtain an act of tho Legislature for.
prohibiting tile further introduction of Afri
can slaves into the British Colonies. I. have
said that-they “ disclaimed all intention of
interfering with ihe government and condition
of ihe. negroes already in the ' plantations.;
publicly declaring their opinion to be, that,a
general emancipation of these people, in their
present state of ignorance and barbarity, 'in
stead.,of a blessing, would prove to them the
source of misfortune and misery,” But al
though such . wore their ostensible declara
tions as a public body, the leading members
of the .society, in the same moment, held
a very different language ; and oven tho
society itself (acting ns such) pursued aline
of conduct directly and .immediately repug
nant to their own professions. Besides using
every possible endeavor to inflame the public
of Great Britain against the planters, they
distributed, at a prodigious expense, through
out the colonies, tracts and pamphlets with
out number, the direct tendency of which
was to render the white inhabitants odious
and contemptible in the eyes -of their own
slaves, and excite in the latter such ideas of
their natural rights and equality of condition
'as should lead them to. a general struggle for
freedom through rebellion andbioodslled. In
many of those writings arguments are ex
pressly adduced, in language which cannot
he misunderstood, to urge the negroes to rise
jip and murder their masters without mercy.
Insistence," say they, “ is always justifia
ble where’force is the substitute of right;
nor.is the ci mlnission of a'single.crime possi
ble in a state of slavery.” ! I These senti
ments ni-o repeated in'a thousand different
forms, and in order that they might not lose
’their effect by abstract reasoning, a reverend
yivineof the Church of England, in a pamph
let addf-easod to a chairman of the society,
hours forth the .most earnest prayers in the
most undisguised expressions, “ that the ne
(po would destroy all tho’white people—men,
ponien and children—in the West .Indies,
should we;not," bo exclaims, “ approve their
conduct in their violence ? Should we not
crown it with oulogium, if they exterrmnafe
their tyrants with fire and sword. Should
‘hey even deliberately inflict the most exqidsi
“ve tortures on those tyrants, would they not be
deniable in the moral judgment of those who
properly value thoso inestimable' blessings—
rational and religious liberty.”
.aWo perceive that Beechers, CheevCrs and
tim" i i PMHipsce wore not wanting at that
? ‘ How similar aro their expressions
t criinst slavery 1 How anxious and eager aro
:'y~. lllBo .pious ministers of the Gospel—to
i ‘{!’ spite’ of tliose dismal hiatoriul facts;
ehellipn of our negroes I
by taken from a Pamphlet issued
■ki.'" 3 writer, In 1800.
TBoi 1 Awards, throe volumes, published in
friu gff “ -witness of the Revolution of St. Do-
Their 'Pamphlets, Lectures, Etc.
. “ Besides distributing pamphlets of this
'poc&plei'tip&j grafts it the doors of all the;
‘churches and places of Worship in tho Kihg
-36m, (England), and throughout the colonies,
th : 6 society, or persons in their name, caused
a medal to bo struck, containing the figure of
a naked- negro, loaded with chains, and
in the attitude of imploring mercy; thou
sands of whiohialso wore dispersed among the
negroes, in each of the sugar islands, for
the instruction, I presume, of such of them
ns could not read. But this instance of pro
vident caution was hardly requisite ; for So
many negro domestics return annually from
Europe to the West Indies, as constantly
furnish a sufiicient number of living instruc
tors ; and certain it is (I 'pronounce it from
my own knowledge respecting Jamaica) that
the labors of the society on their behalf as well
as. many of the most violent speeches in the
British Parliament, wherein the whole body of
■planters were painted as a herd of blood-thirs
ty • and remorseless tyrants, were explained
to the negro slaves in terms yrell adapted to
their capacities, and suited, ns might have
beeni supposed, to their feelings. It will be
difficult to sdy what measures the Old Jewry
■associates could have taken to excite d rebel
•lion, except that of furnishing the objects of
Emir solicitude with firearms and ammuni
tion.
For general information,' it may be well to
state here, that at that time the total num
ber of whites amounted to about 30,009 ; that
of the free colored people, or mulattoea t024,-
000; andfihat of’the negro slaves to 480,000
—about sixteen dolored persons to one white
man. .., ■, .
The Trench Declaration of Rights.
. “ As already mentioned, a considerable
body of the raulattoes from St. Domingo and
the Other- French islands, were resident,
at this juncture, in the French Capitol. Some
of these were young people, sent thither for
education ; ptheas.were men of considerable
property. ■ With, theso .people, -the' society
at-Amis Dcs Noirs formed ah intimate con
nection, pointed oq,t to them the wretched
ness of their condition, filled the nation with
remonstrances and appeals on their behalf,
and,poured out such invectives against the
whole planters, as ■ boro away reason and
moderation in the torrent.
’ “ In this disposition of the people of Franco
towards tho inhabitants of their colonies in
the West Indies, the National Assembly
voted the celebrated declaration of rights.
The General Assembly of St, Domingo Em
bark for France. (
The General Assembly of St. Domingo met
on the 10th of April, 1700. One of their
first measures was to relieve, the people of
color from the hardships to which they, were
subject under the military jurisdiction. It
was decreed that in future no greater duty
should be required of them in the militia
than from the whites.; and the harsh autho
rity,' in particular, which the .King's lieuten
ants, majors, and other officers commanding
in the towns, exercised over those people
(free colored), was declared oppressive and
illegal; The Assembly, however, having ex
pressed too much spirit of independence, as
far as the authority of the mother country
Was concerned, Governor Poynier, who was
merely waiting, for an opportunity to return
to the ancient regime, being h royalist ,at
heart, issued a proclamation to dissolve the
same. A stop, however, was put to the im
mediate shedding of blood, by the sadden
and unexpected determination of the Gener
al Assembly to undertake a voyage to Franco,
and justify their conduct to the King and the
National Assembly in person. Accordingly,
e ghty - fi v e of the members (of whom sixty
four were fathers of families) actually em
barked on board the Leopold, and, on the
Bth of August, took their departure for
Europe—a proceeding which created as
much surprise to the Governor and his party,
ns admiration and applause among the peo
nle-at large.
The Raid of James Oge, ((he John Brown of
that D'ag.)
From the first meeting of-tlio General As
sembly of St, Domingo, to its dissolution and
dpsporsion, tho colored people (meaning al
ways the free colored) remained, on the
whole; more peaceable' and orderly than
might have been expected. The temperate
and lenient disposition manifested by the
Assembly towards them produced a beneficial
and decisive effect in tho western and south
ern provinces ; and, although three hundred
of them from those provinces had been per
suaded by Col. Manduit to join the forces
under his' command, they demanded and
obtained their dismission, and returned quiet
ly to their respective habitations. (Tho rea
der will bear in mind that the 480,000 negro
slaves at this time never stirred the 24,000
free colored'people alone composed the unru
ly part.) „ '
Such of tho mulatto people, however, ns
resided at tlmtjuncture in France, continued
in a far more hostile dispostion.
Where he , Got Education.
“ Among such of these unfortunate people
resident in Franco as wore thus inflamed
into modness, was a young man, under thirty
years of ago, named James Oge. lie was
born in St, Domingo, of. a mulatto woman
who still possessed a coffee plantation, lie
had been introduced to tho meetings of the
Amis Des Noirs, under the patronage ofGre
goire, Briasot and Robespierre, the loading
members of that society, and was by them in
itiated into the popular doctrine of equality
and the rights of man, Those persona, how
ever, had other objects in view. Their aim
was, not to reform, but to destroy—to excite
convulsions in every part of the’French em
pire ; and the ill-fated Ogo became the tool,
and was afterwards the victim of their guilty
ambition.
“ Ho had bean led to believe,” (like John
Brown,) “that-.the whole body of colored
people in the French islands wore prepared,
as one man to rise, up against their masters;
that nothing hat a discreet leader was want
ing to sot them in notion ; and, fondly con
ceiving that he possessed in his own person
all. the qualities of an able general, ho deter
mined to proceed to St. Domingo by the first
opportunity. To cherish the conceits of his
own.importance, and animate his exertions,
the society procured him the rank of Ijeutan
ant-oolpnel in tho army of one of the German
electors.
Jte Takes Aritts and Ammunition to St. Do-
mingo.
“ As it wris found difficult to export a suffi
cient quantity of arms and nram’unition from
Franco without attracting the notice' of the
Government, aPd awakening suspicion among
the planters resident in the mother country,
the society resolved to procure' those articles
in tiie United States, and it was recoirimtmd
od to : Ogo to make ai circuitous voyage for
that purpose. Accordingly, being furnished
with money and letters of credit, ho embark
ed for New England (I) in the month of
July,' 1790.
He secretly landed there, from an Ame
rican-sloop, on the 12th of October, 1790,
and found means to convey undiscovered the
arms and ammunition, which ho had pur
chased in the United States to the place
which his brother had prepared- for their re
ception.
He Demands Equal Rights for Mulallocs,
The notice which the white inhabitants re
ceived ‘Oge’s arrival, was from himself. Ho
dispatched a letter to the Governor, (Pey
riier,) wherein, after approaching the Gover
nor and his predecessors with the nbri-execu
tion of the code 7ioii\ he demanded, in very
imperious terms that the provisions of that
celebrated statute should be enforced through
out the colony. lie required, also, that the
privileges enjoyed by one class of inhabitants
(the whites) should be extended to all per
sons, without distinction, not including hero
in, however, the four hundred and eighty
thousand negro slaves, but the free mulattpes,
of whdm many were slaveholders themselves,
declaring himself the protector of the mulct
toes; and announcing his intention of taking
up.arms in their behalf unless their wrongs
should be redressed.
About six weeks bad intervened between
the landing of ©go .and the publication of
this'mandate, in all which time he and his
two brothers had exerted* themselves to
the utmost in spreading disaffection and ex
citing revolt among the mulattpes. ,
■ Oge's Enormities. ■ .
He established his camp at a place called
Grand Riviere, about fifteen miles from Capo
Francois, and appointed his two brothers,
together with one Mark Chavane, his lieuten
ants. Ghavane was' fierce, (intrepid, active
apd enterprising, prone to mischief, and
thirsty for vengeance.. Ogo himself, with all
his enthusiasm, was naturally mild and hu-
mane. Ho cautioned, his followers against
the shedding innocent bloqd, hut little regard
was paid in this respect. The first white
man that fell in their way they murdered on
the spot; a second, oft he name of Sieard, met,
the same fate ; and it is related that their
cruelty towards, such persons'of t'.eirown
complexion as refused to join in the revolt
was extreme. . A-mulatto man, ofsomo prop
erty, being urged to follow them, pointed to
his- wife and six children, assigning the
largeness of his family as a motive for wish
ing to remain quiet. This.conduct was con
sidered contumacious, and it is asserted that
not only the man himself, but the whole of
his family was massacred without mercy.
His Failure and his Escape to the Spanis.
Intelligence was no aoonenrooeived at the
town of Cape Francois of the enormities,
than the. inhabitants proceeded, with the ut
most vigor and unanimity, to adopt measures
for suppressing the.revolt. A body of regu
lar troops, and the Capo regiment.of militia,
wore forthwith dispatched for that, purpose.
They soon invested ■ the camp of Tevolters,
who made less resistance than plight have
been expected from men in their desperate
circumstances. The route became general,-
many of them were 'killed, and about sixty
of them ; made prisoners; thereat.dispersed
themselves in the mountains. Ogo .himself,
one of his brothers, anci Chavnne, his associ
ate, took refuge in the Spanish territories. Of
Oge’s other brother, no intelligence was ever
afterward obtained.
The Mulattoes Eeconie Troublesome. . .
After this unsuccessful attempt of Ogo, and
his escape from justice, the disposition of the
white inhabitants in- general towards, the
mulattoes was sharpened into great animosi
ty. The lower classes, in particular, (those
whom the colored people call lespelits blancs,)
breathed nothing but vengeance against
them, and very serious apprehensions wore
entertained, in all the parts of the colony, of
a proscription uns massacre of the whole
body.
A Demand for Oge—and his Execution.
“.In, November, 1700; Hons. Pcynicr
resigned the Government, and embarked for
Europe. Tho firstuieasnroof Mons. Blanche
lands, the new Commander-in-chief, was to
make peremptory demand for Ogo and, his
associates from the Spaniards ; 'and the man
ner in which it was enforced induced and im
mediate compliance therewith. Tho wretch
ed Oge, and ids companions in misery, wore
delivered over, the latter end ofDocqmher, to
a detachment of French troops, and safely'
lodged in tho jail of Cape Francois, with tho
prisoners previously taken, and a commission
was afterwards issued to hring .them to trial.
Twenty of Oge’s deluded followers, among
them his own brother, wore condemned to ho
hanged. To Ogo himself, and his lieutenant,
Chavano," a more terrible punishment was
allotted ; they were adjudged to.ho broken
alive, and left to perish in that dreadful situa
tion on the wheel. The bold and hardened
Chavnne met his fate with unusual firranoes,
and suffered not a groan to escape him during
the extremity of his tortures; hot the
fortitude of Oge deserted him .altogether.
■ Till now, tho 480,000 negro . slaves had
taken no active part. Tho free, colored peo
ple, impelled by the French societies, and
aiming at equal political rights with tho
whites, had alone constituted tho revolutiona
ry element.. And even they would have
kept quiet, if outside influences, especially
those, philanthropical societies, would have
permitted them. Besides these, strong efforts
were made by tho royalists in the colony" as
well ns by the republican party at Paris
to incite bloodshed and strife for their particu
lar purposes.
The Decree of the Eighlh.of March,
Thai decree of the Bth of March, 1790,
which gave to the. colonies tho right to legis
late in their internal affairs, was accompanied
by si code of instructions for tho Governor, for
its duo and punctual observance and execu
tion. Tho code contained, among other
things, a direction “ that every porson of the
rtge of twenty-five and.upwards, possessing
property, oi* having resided two years in tho
colony, and paid taxes, should be permitted
to vote in the formation of the Colonial As
sembly,”
Every one of the friends of tho colonies in
the Assembly had not tho least doubt that
Only white persons wore meant by the phrase
of “ every person.” But those instructions’
were no sooner adopted by the National As
sembly, and converted into a decree, than its
framers and supporters throw off the mask,
and tho mulattoes resident in Franco, as well
ns the society of Amis Des Noirs, failed not
to apprise their friends and agents in St. Do
mingo, that tho people of color, not being ex
cepted, wore virtually comprised in it.
The Decree of May 15 th 1791, Carried.
In the beginning of Alay, 1791, tho consid
eration of this subject was brought forward
by Ahbio Gregorio, and tho claim of tho free
mulattoes to tho full benefit of tho instructions
of the 28th of March, 1790, and to all the
CARLISLE, VA , jtoSDAY, APRIL % 1863.
Dominions.
rights and privileges , enjoyed by the whole
inhabitants, was supported with all the
warmth add eloquenoeifor which be was dis
tinguished. Unfortunately, at this juncture,
the news of tho raiacfiliblb death of Oge ar
rived at Paris, nnd'ralsed a storm of indigna
tion .’in the all ranks of people,
which the plantors iosidont in France wore
unable' to resist.;,feverish the colonies,"
said Robespirre,' “ftttKor than sacrifice one
iota of our The majority reiter
ated the sentiment, find the famous decree of
the Ifitfiof May, 1791,'.was pronounced amid
the acclamation and hjjplause of the multi
tude. - '
“ Impartial Freedom” for Negroes.
By this decree it was declared and enacted,
" That the people of color residing in the
French colonies, born of free parents, wore
entitled to, as of right, iihihshould bo allowed
tho enjoyment of, all .tho 1 privileges of French
citizens, and, among others, to those of hav
ing votes in the choice of representatives,'
nnd ot being etegible to seats hof/i in the Paro
chial and Colonial Assemblies.” ■
Consequences in St. Domingo of the Decree
of the 15th of May.
■ I am now to enter oti the retrospect of
scones the horrors of whidh imagination cannot
adequately conceive, nor pen describe. The
disputes and contests between different class
es of French citizens;' and the violences of
indignant factions, claim no longer attention.
Such a- picture of,'human .misery, such a
picture of human miseryfsuob a scene of woe,,
presents itself, as no other country, no form
er age, has exhibited. (Upwards of one hun
dred thousand savage jfeople. habituated to
the barbarities of Alriohjiavail 'themselves of
tho silence and obscurity of .the night, and
fall,on tho peaceful and unsuspioious planters,,
like so many famished (tigers, thirsting for
human blood. Revolt, .conflagration, nnd
massacre, everywhere marked their progress ;
and death, in all its horrors, or cruelties,
compared to which immediate .death is m.erey,
■await alike the old and,tbb young, the matron,
tho virgin, end the helpless infant. No con
dition, ago, or sox, is spared. All the shock
ing and shameful enormities with,'which tho
fierce nnd unbridled ’passions of man have
over conducted war, ' prevail uncontrolled.
Tho rage of fire consumes what the sword is
unable to destroy, nnd iiifi fc\v dismal hours
tho most fertile and beautiful plains in the
world are converted into one vast field of car
cage—a wilderness of desolation 1
First Rebellion of Negro Slaves.
The decree of the loth of May was the
brand by which' the flames were lighted and
the combustibles that jvere prepared set
in action. Intelligence having been received
ofit at Cape Francois on the 30th of June, no
words.can describe the rage and indignation
which immediately-spread throughout the
colony. Tlie inhabitants now .unanimously
determined to reject the civic oath, although
groat preparations had' bop made. fo'r goner
at federation on the lath July. The nows
of this decree manned - 'Tnu.tt dis
cordant elements. The national cockade
was everywhere trodden tinder foot, and the
Governor General, who continued a sorrowful
and silent spectator of these excesses, found'
his authority aupihilated jo -a moment.
The. “ Irrepressible Conflict” Doctrine Carried
Out. ■
Justly alarmed at all these proceedings, so
hostile towards their pretended rights, and
probability apprehensive of, a general pro
scription, the niulattoes throughout the colony
began to collect in different places in armed
bodies ; and the whites, by a mournful fata
lity, suffered them to assemble without'mo
lestation. Jt is natural that the enslaved
iicgroes could not possibly bo unobservant of
these combined and concurrent circumstanc
es. They behold colored people iii open
hostility, against the whites.- They were
assured that the. former had the fullest sup
port and encouragement from the supremo
legislature of the . mother country. They
were taught to believe that they also had be
come objects of the paternal solicitude of the-
King and the National Assembly, who wished
to rescue .them from the dominion of their
masters, and,invest them with their estates.
The. Massacre Commenced.
It was on the morning of the 23d of Augusl
1791, just before day, that a general alarm
and consternation spread throughout the
town df the Cape. The inhabitants were
called from their beds by persons who re
ported that all the negro slaves in the several
neighboring parishes had revolted, and were
at,that moment carrying death and desolation
over tho adjoining, largo and beautiful plain
to tlio northeast.'. The Governor and most of
the military officers on duty assembled to
gether, but the reports were so confused and
contradictory as to gain but little credit. As
daylight,began to break, tho sudden arrival,
with ghastly countenances, of persons who
had with difficulty escaped the massacre, and
flown to the town for protection, brought
a dreadful confirmation of the fatal tidings.
“ Tho rebellion first broke out on a planta-
tion called Noe, inthe parish of Acul, nine
miles only from tho city. Twelve or fourteen
of the ringleaders, about the middle of
the night, proceeded to tho refinery, or sugar
house, and seized on a young man', tho refin
er’s apprentice, dragged him to tho front of
tho dwelling house, and there hewed him
into.pieces with thoir-outlassos 5 his screams
brought out the overseer, whom they instant
ly shot. Tho rebels how found their way to
tho apartment of the reliner, and massacred
him in his bed. A young man lying sick in
a neighboring chamber was loft apparently
dead of the wounds inflicted by their cutlasses,
lie had strength enough, however to crawl to
the next plantation, and related the horrors
ho had witnessed. lie reported that nil the
whites of the estate which ho had. left were
murdered, except bn the surgeon,, whom the
rebels had' compelled to accompany them, on
tho idea that they might stand in need of bis
professional assistance. Alarmed by this
intelligence, tho persons to whom it was com
municated immediately sought their safety in
flight.
The revellers (consisting now of all the
slaves belonging to that plantation) proceeded
to tho house of a Mr. Clement, by whose ne
groes they wore immediately joined, and both
ho and his refiner were massacred. Tho
murderer of Mr. Clement was his own postil
lion - (coachman), a man to whom ho had al
ways shown groat kindness. Tho other
white people on this estate contrived to moke
their escape.
“At this, juncture, the negroes on the
plantation of.M, Favilio, a few railoa diatant
likewise rose and murdered five white per
sons,’ one of whom (the attorney of the estate)
had a wife and throe daughters. Those un
fortunate women, while imploring moicy of
tho savages on their knees, beheld their hus
band and father murdered before their faces.
For themselves, - they were devoted to a more
horrid fate, and wore carried away captives
by thefissassinS.
m “ The approach of daylight served only to
discover eights of horrors. .It was now appa
rent that the negroes of all tho estates in the
plain acted in concert, and a general massa
cre of the -whites took place in every quar
ter. On some few estates, indeed, tho lives
of the women were spared, but they
were only to. gratify the brutal
appetites of the ruffians; nnd.it .is shocking
to relate, that many of them suffered viola
tion on tho dead bodies of their husbands
and fathers 1 ' . (
T he Standard of the Negroes— the Body of a
White Infant ,
“In the town itself, tho general belief Tor
some time was, that the revolt was. by no
means an extensive one, but a sudden and
partial insurrection only. The largest sugar
plantation on the plains was that of Mono.
'Gallifot, situated about eight miles from tho
town, the negroes, belonging to Which had
always been treated with such kindness find
liberality, and possessed so many advantages,
that it became a proverbial expression among
the’lower white people, ini speaking of any
man’s good fortune, to say, il est heureux un
negre de Cillifei, (he is as happy as one of
Galljfet’s negroes.) Mons. Odoluo, the at
torney, or agent of this plantation, was a mem
ber 01 the General Assembly, and being fully
persuaded that the: negroes, belonging to it
would remain firm in their obedience, deter
mined to repair thither to encourage them in
opposing the insurgents, to which end he
desired the assistance of a few soldiers from
the. town guard, which was granted him.—
He proceeded accordingly, bat, on approach
ing tho estate, to his surprise, nnd grief; ho
found nil the negroes in arms bn the side of
tho. rebels, and (horrid to tell!) their stand
ard was .the body of a white infant which
they had recently impaled on a stake!
Mons. Gdeluo had advanced too far .'to retreat
undiscovered, and both he and his friend that
accompanied him, with most of the soldiers,’
jvere killed without mercy. Two of three of
the patrol escaped by flight, and conveyed the
dreadful tidings to the inhabitants of the
town.”
Mansions and .Canefields set oh Eire,
By this time, all or most of the'white per
sons had been,found on several plantations,
being massacred or forced to seek their safety
in flight, the ruffians exchanged the sword
for the torch. The buildings and eaneflelds
wore everywhere set on fire, and the confla
grations, which wore visible from the town
in a thousand different quarters, furnished a
prospect more shocking and reflections more
dismal than fancy can paint or powers ot man.
can, describe.
Consternation and terror now took posess
ion of every mind, and the screams of the
women and children, running from door to
door, heightened the horrors of the scene.—
All the citizens, took up arms, and the General
Assembly .vested the Governor with the com
mand of the National Guards, requesting him
to give such orders as the urgency of the ease
seemed to demand.-, One' of the first measures
was to B'enddhe white women-and children on
board the ships in the harbor ; very serious
apprehensions being entertained concerning
the domestic negroes within the town, a great
proportion of the ablest men Among them
were likewise 'sent on shipboard and closely
guarded. ' .
A Vain Attempt io Flit Down the, Negroes.
The assemblyiJbtttin'j-ed their deliberations
throughout tlje night, amidst the glare ofsur
rounding conflagrations. The inhabitants,
being strengthened, by a number of‘seamen"
from the ships, and brought into some degree
of order and military subordination, were now.
desirous, that d detachment should bo sent
out to attack the strongest body pf the revell
ers. Orders were given accordingly, and
Mens, de Touzard, an officer who had distin
guished himself in the United States service,
took the command of a party of niilhia and
troops of the lino. With these ho marched
to the plantation of Mons. Latour, and at
tacked a body of about four, thousand of the.
rebel negroes. Many ■ were destroyed, but
to little purpose; for Touzard, finding the
number of revoltors to increase to more than
a centuple proportion of their losses, was at
length obliged to retreatf The Governor, by
the advice of the Assembly, now determined
to act for some time solely on the defensive.:
and, ns it was every moment to bo apprehend
ed that the rovedters would pour down tho
town, nil the roads and passes loading into it
were fortified. At the same time, an embar
go was laid on all the shipping in the harbor
—a measure of indispensable necessity, cal
culated as well to obtain the assistance of the -
seamen as to secure a retreat ,for the iuhabi-
tants in the last extremity.
To such of the distant parishes as wore
open to communication, either by laud or by
sea, notice of tho revolt had been, tfansriiitod
within a few hours after advice of it was re
ceived at the Cape, and the white inhabitants
of many of those parishes had therefore found
time to establish camps, and form a chain of
posts which for a time teemed to prevent the
rebellion spreading beyond tho northern pro
vince. Two of these' camps, however, were
attacked by the negroes (who were openly
joined by tho mulattoes,) and forced with
slaughter. At Dondon tho whites maintained
the contest for seven hours, but wore over
powered by the infinite disparity of numbers
and compelled to give way, with the loss of
upwards of one hundred of their body. The
survivors took refuge in tho Spanish territory.
Those two districts, therefore—the whole
of the rich and extensive plain of the Cape—
together with the contiguous mountains, were
now wholly abandoned to the ravages of tho
enemy, and the cruelties which, they exer
cised on such pf the miserable whites as fell
into their hands cannot bo remembered with
out horror, nor reported in terms strong
enough to convoy a proper idea of their atro
city. ,
The -Horrora Increased llVu’M j/e-v Saued Asunder.
“ They seized Mr. Blen, an officer of the
police, and having nailed him alive to one of
the gates of liis plantation chopped off his
limbs one by one with an axe.
“ A poor mail named Hobort, a carpenter
by trade, endeavoring to conceal himself from
tho notice of the rebels, wa's discovered in his.
hiding-place. The savages declared that ho
should die in the way of his occupation.—
Accordingly they bound him’ between two
boards, and deliberately sawed-him asunder,
“ Mens. Ca'rdineau, a planter of Grande
Riviere, had two' natural sons by a black wo
man. Ho had manumitted them in their in
fancy, and bred them' up with great tender
ness. They both - joined in the revolt, and
Whan their father endeavored to - divert them
from their purpose by soothing language and
pecuniary offers, they took his money, and
then stabbed him to tho heart.'
“All tho white and eVen - the’nViilatto chil
dren whose fathers h e’d hot joined in tho re
volt, were mOrdirod without exception, fre
quently before - fb'e 6yos or , clinging to tho
bosoms of their mothers. Young women of
ft’lf ranks were first violated by a whole troop
of barbarians, and then generally put to death.
Some of them were indeed reserved for the
further gratification of the lust of the sava
ges, and others had their eyes scooped out
with a knife.
Daughters Ravished in Presence of their Fa
. there.
“ In the parish of Bimbe, at a place called
the Great Ravine, a venerable planter, tho
father of two beautiful young ladies, was tied
down by a savngo ringleader of a band, who
ravished the eldest daughter in his presence,
and delivered over the youngest to ono of his
followers. Their passion being satisfied, they
slaughtered both the father and. the daugh
ters,’’ '
Iq the frequent skirmishes between the
foraging parties sent out by the negroes (who
after having burnt down everything, were
in scarcity of provisions,) and the whites, tho
rebels seldom stood their ground longer than
to receive and return ono single volley, but
they appeared again tho next .day; and
though they were at length driven "out of
their entrenchments with infinite slaughter,
yet their numbers seemed not to diminish.—
As soon, ns one body was cut off, anoth:
or appeared, arid thus they ■ succeeded in
tlm object of harassing and destroying tho
whites by perpetual fatigue, and reducing
the country to a.desert.
Two Thousand Persons Massacred in Cold
- Blood.
To detail the various conflicts, sldrmishes,
massacres, and scones of slaughter, which
this exterminating war produced, wore to
offer ..a. disgusting and frightful picture—a
combination of terrors, wherein we should,
behold cruelties unexampled in the annals of
mankind; human blood poured forth, in tor-,
rents ; the earth, blackened, with ashes, and
the air tainted with pestilence. It was .oom- 1
putod that, within two months after the re
volt first began, upwards of two thousand
white persons, of all conditions and ages,-had
been massacred; that one hundred and eigh
ty sugar plantations, and about nine hun
dred coffee; cotton and indigo settlements,
had been destroyed, (the buildings thereon
, being consumed by fire,) and about one thou
sand two hundred-Christian'families reduced
from opulence to such a state of misery as to
depend altogether for their clothing and sus
tenance on public and private charity?. Of
the insurgents it.wits reckoned that Upwards
of ten thousand had perished by the sword
or by famine, and some hundreds by the
hands of the executioner 1!
Are the people of the United States pre
pared for such horrid scones of-.devastation;
atrocities and bloodshed in thfeir midst? Will
they profit from these unhappy experiences,
or is the ■“ irrepressible conflict” doctrines to
be carried out m.this country in.-a similar
manner?
The Revolt in the Western Fart of the Island.
■ The flames of rebellion soon began to break
forth also in, the western division. Here,
however, the insurgents were chiefly” men of
color, of whom upwards of two thousand ap
peared in arms in the parish of. Mirabalias.
Being jollied by about six hundred of the ne
gro slaves, they began their operations' by
burning the. cofl'oo plantations in the moun
tains.- Some d'fctfiebtnents of tho military,
which were sent against them from Port au T
Prince, were repulsed and tho 'insurgents
continued to ravage And hura the country
through an extent of thirty miles, practicing
tho saint} excesses and ferocious .barbarities
towards such of the whites as fell into their
bands, as they were displayed by the rebels
in tho North, They had . the audacity at
length to approach Port-au-Princo, with tho
intention of setting it on fire. So defenceless
was the state of that devoted town, ; that its
destruction seemed inevitable, Many of tho
mulatto chiefs,, however, finding that their
attempts to gain over the negro slaves on the
sugar plantations in this, part of tho country
were not attended with that success which
they expected, expressed an unwillingness to
proceed to this extremity, declaring that they
took up arms, not to desolate the colony, but
merely to support tho national decree of the
15th of May, and that they were not averse
to a reconciliation. Those sentiments coming,
to the knowledge of Mohs, do Jumceourt, a
planter of eminence, ho undertook the office
of. mediator; and through his influence a
truce called the concordtii was agreed upon
tho-X1 th of September, between tho free peo
ple of color and tho white Inhabitants of
Port-au-Prince, of which the chief provisions
were, an oblivion of the past, and an engage
ment, on the part of whites; to admit in full
three the national decree of the 15th of May,
certainly the ostensible, though perhaps not
the solo and original, cause of rebellion.—
Thus peace was once more restored.' All
would have been well, if only outside influ
ences would have ceased to bo used to stir up
commotion and strife in the unfortunate
country.
The liecepiion of the Act os of the Massacre in
I’aris.
But lot us return to Franco, where vyo loft
Gregoire,-Robespierre, and the rest of the so
ciety of Amis des Mbit's, exulting in the tri
umph they had obtained on the 15th of May,
and perhaps waiting that their obnoxious.de
oroo would produce those very evils which
actually-resulted from' it. Zt'.wfts not until
tho.ljogipiiing of September that information
arrived at Paris concerning' the- reception
which the account of this decree had mot with
St. Domingo,
Tho tum'nlts, disorders an-
contusion, that it produced there, were now
represented in the strongest coloring, and tire
loss of tho colony to Franco was universally
apprehended. At this time, however, no sus
picion , was entertained concerning the en
slaved negroes ; but a civil war between the
whites and mulattoes was believed to ho in-
evitable. The commercial and manufactur-
ing towns, predicting the ruin of tlioir trade
and the, loss of tlioir. capital from existing
dangers, pfeson toil remonstrances and peti
tions to the National Assembly, urging tho
necessity of an immediate repeal of ii'll the
decrees hy which the tights of the planters
were invaded—that of tho 15th of May, espe
cially. At length, a motion was made to an
nul tho obnoxious decree, (and strange, to
toll 1) on the 24th of September its repeal
was actually voted Ijy n largo majority I—
thirteen days after tho concordat, or truce be
tween tho white inhabitants of Port-au-
Prince and tho nidlattoes bad boon estab-
lished and pea'eo restored I It will bo re
membered that the concordat recognized all
the rights find privileges conferred hy'* the
decree of tho 15th of May upon tho free col
ored people.’
The Decree of the Fifteenth of May Repealed,
Doubts had already arisen in the minds of
tho mulattoes concerning tho sincerity and
good faith ol the white people with respect to
the concordat. Their suspicions and appre
hensions had indeed grown to svJch height as
to induce them to insist on a renewal abd
confirmation of its provisions, which were
accordingly granted to them by n now instru
ment.- or treaty, on. the 11th of October. But
ttb sooner was authentic information, of tho
repeal of tho decree received from Franco,
than all trust and confidence, and every
hope of reconciliation and amity between tba
two classes vanished foreyer. There was 119
longer,; they said, an alternative. The “ irre
pressible conflict” doctrine was once mere
brought into operation 1
The Negroes Engaged—The Massacre Breaks
out Afresh
The enslaved negroes in the district Cal
do-sao joined the mulattoes—a bloody en
gagement took place, in which the negroes
(the slaves) being ranged in front .and acting
without any kind of discipline, left two thou
sand of their number dead on the field. •’ Of
the mulattoes, about fifty were killed : and
several taken prisoners. The whites claimed
the victory, bat for want of cavalry wore un
able to improve it by a pursuit, and content
ed themselves with satiating their revenge OJX
thoir captives. But, in order fo prevent mis
understandings, it, will'ho here proper to *
state that the whites comprised in their ranks
not only the “slaveholders,” but French
soldiers and the non slayeholding white pop
ulation. The whole white fate was 1 in armai
The Horrible Deeds o/ the Sfulattoee, ■ :
" The mulattoes scorned to be outdone iii
deeds of vengeance and atrocities shameful
to humanity. . in the. neighborhood of /ere-. .
mie, a body of them attacked the house of
Mens. Lcjourne, and securing the person of ■
both him. and his wile.- This unfortunate
women—my hand trembles while I write—
was far advanced to pregnancy. The mon
sters,.whose prisoner gho was, having first .
• murdered her husband in her presence, ripped
her up alive, and threw the infant to the hogs!
.They then (how shall I relate it!) sewed up
the head of the murdered husband in w 111,
Such are the triumphs, philanthropy I And
such an act was committed by mulattoes,
some of whom had received an education hi •
Franco 1 What may have.been thß deeds of
(ho untaught negro slaves 1”
With justice may we exclaim, of our Abo
lition and Kepublican loaders, who are now,
pusily engaged in preparing the advent df
such horrid scenes—the impending crisis;.as
they style it—in our midst. .** Forgive them ;
they know not whnt they do !”—or if they do,
they are the groatest ■; hut everybody
ban answer that for himself.
The Close of the ,i"ear ,1791. . ,
With these enormities terminated tho dis
astrous year 1791. Ju’st before Christmas,
the three civil commissioners nominated by ■
the National Assembly for St...Dotriingo,. Ar
rived at Uapo Francois. , - ,i.
They proclaimed a general amnesty ana
pardon to all who should desist from acta of
insubordination, and who would subscribe to
the new Constitution. This proposition was
disproved by the Colonial Assembly and. by.
all parties. The Commissioners.thon left the
ialand, in which they found tliems'elv'eS pojv
crless arid disrespected. By the/white in?
habitants, A general amnesty to the men of
color And revolted slaves was consid'ersd
justification of the ifioat horrible atrocities,
and as holding out a dangerous to
such of tire negroes as preserved thoir-fidelity.'
The mulattoes received the decree of tho.com
inissionera with contempt and indignity, as
it annulled their favorite decree of the 15th,,
of May. At Petit Soave, tho free colored,
persons were masters, aria held ih Mb’Se
confinement thirty-four white persons whom
they reserved for vengeance. On ,the pnbli--
cation of this amnesty, they led. them to
exeaution; hilt instead of putting them w
immediate death, they caused each of them
to ho broken alive, and, in the midst of theiP
tortures, read to them, in a strain of diabol
ical mockery, the proclamation, affecting to
consider it a? a pardon for tho cruellies they
had just committed.
The Decree, of'the Fourth of April 1792.'
The Society of Amis des Noil's had soon
obtained considerable influence in .tho NA-
tional Assembly. - On the 29 of February;
1792, Garan de Coulon, after a long and in
flammatory harangue against the planters iri
general, proposed a decree for ; abrogating
that of the 2-kh of September, declaring a
general amribs'ty throughout all the French
colonies,' and granting to all free colored per
sons the right of suffrage, and of being eligi
ble to the Legislature and places of triist;
enacting that new Coloriial Assemblies shoiild
bo lermod, which should transmittheir sen
timents, not only nn the subject of the internal
governemnt of tie colonic,s, but also on the
be.-t method of effecting the. abolifpn of
negro slavery in toto. Frantic as the new
Legislature bad shown itself on many oc
casions since its first meetings a m'rtjof
ity could not at this time be found to Vote
for so senseless and extravagant a proposi
tion. But d short time afterwards, this As I
(jcmbly passed the famous doored of the 4th
of April, 1792.
The carrying of this decree into effect was
intrusted to three commissioners—Santho
nax, Pulverel and with a
force of 8,000 men,' arrived at St. Domingo
on the 13th of September following. ' They
immediately dissolved the Colonial Assembly;
and- sent the Governor (Blnnohelandej to'
France, whore ho was tried and guillotined.'
Moos. Desprtrbos, h'is sifccbssof; having disa
greed with the commissioners, was suspen
ded and sent to' France, where ho .was, it is
said, also guilutined. .
The commissioners of the national Asssn?-
bly r in the oriel, openly declared that the mu
lattoes, with'the free negroes, should enjoy
Hie- civil privileges, and the protection of
8,000 National Guards. , The commissionoW
held secret communications -with the, chiefs,
of the mnlattocs. in all parts of the colpny.s-s-V,
Besides, they sent a groat number of whites 4
in a state of arrests to Europe, to oitewOf
before the National Assembly to the accusa
tions which they pretended to transmit
against them'. •’
A IVeto Prinhh Governor Arrives,
A.now'.Governor, Mons. Galbaud, arrived
in May, 1703, to take tho oommoind, and to
place the. Island in a state of defence, in
case tho British might invade it; war having
been declared between'Abo two Powers. Tho
National Assembly of Franco soon after sent
ogt commissioners with frosb
nnd suspended the now Governor.
Galbaud,' aided by his brother; armed if
force composed of militiit, seamen from, the
ships in the harbor of Cape Uaytien, (Fran
cois,) nnd a great number of volunteers, ami
marched without delay against the cofifmisß
ionors, who wore with the regular troop;.—
A bloody conflict ensued, and ,tho battle war
continued with obstinate bravery, until th
sailors, who composed the greatest strong-!-
of Galbaud’s force, became disorderly. Gai
baud’s brother fell info the hands of the
commissioners, nnd the son of dha of the
oommisioners was captured by Galbaud.
The Mandcre of tho fnhaiitai\U, dnf Pillayaof thb
City of Oap'p lJaytien, • j % ,
The coramissioricrs, findmcdh/it ihijf.wooptf
were rapidly dcserting r
forces were resolute, apd-ughting.With unex
-nmpled bravery, callod'to their flidthe revol
[Ooncfuded on fourth patye.}
NO. 42.