40 Life of Toussaini 



was TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE, wIlO 



distinguished himself at the com- 

 mencement of the present century as 

 the patriotic and disinterested defen- 

 der of his suffering country. The life 

 of this extraordinary man presents so 

 many striking traits of cliaracter, — 

 and these, too, of the very lii;;hest and 

 most interesting order, — that our ad- 

 miration is mingled with nnbounded 

 astonishment, when we consider the 

 original lowly situation of the indivi- 

 dual by whom they were displayed. 

 The " eventful history" of 'I'oussaint 

 L'Ouverture is not that of a wild, un- 

 tractablc savage, — the ferocious chief- 

 tain of an Indian horde, whose pre- 

 vailing virtues, heroic though Ihey be, 

 are nevertheless tarnished by manifold 

 brutalities ; but that of tlic virtuous 

 patriot, whose consuisiinate abilities 

 in the combined and multifarious bu- 

 siness of war and government, were 

 only surpassed by his extreme huma- 

 nity and innate goodness of heart. 

 Ijct not the sensitive reader start at 

 this. Toussaint was, indeed, a negro, 

 and a slave ; but he was also a man, a 

 Christian, and a warrior; and we shall 

 endeavour to prove, not only that he 

 was a ^oorf man, but that he was also 

 brave and generous, and that he pos- 

 sessed a heart most feelingly alive to 

 all the softer endearments of huma- 

 nitj'. Before we do this, however, it 

 will be necessary to take a cursory 

 view of the transactions which drew 

 forth this great man from his obscu- 

 rity, and placed him in a situation 

 which he filled with so much honour 

 to himself, and with so much benefit 

 to his country. 



Previous to tiie Haytian revolution, 

 the French colonists, more especially 

 the inhabitants of Cape I'rau^ois,* 

 indulged themselves in all the extra- 

 vagant luxury and magnificence 

 which wealth could procure. But 

 they were not merely contented with 

 rioting in unrestrained dissipation : 

 they glutted themselves, also, with all 

 the careless and intemperate cruelty 

 which such excessive voluptuousness 

 was so well calculated lo engender. 

 'J'lie poor miserable negroes expe- 



* Tkis is the present Cape Henry, and 

 was, when in the possession of the French, 

 the richest and most splendid town in the 

 West Indies, It had a population of 

 60,000 souls, and was so celebrated for its 

 magnificence, hixuiy, and dissipation, that 

 it was called the " M estern Paris.'' 



VOuverlure, [Feb. I, 



rienced to the full the ill eflects of this 

 excess of refinement, and the despotic 

 tyranny exercised on the slaves a\ 

 length arrived at such a jjitch of bar- 

 barity, that the negroes waited only 

 for a favourable opportunity of break- 

 ing out into open and farious rebellion. 

 We have all heard too often of the 

 atrocious brutalities with which this 

 unhappy and persecuted race of be- 

 ings have been so unmerciliilly tor- 

 mented. To tlie loss of country, of 

 friends, of parents, and of children, 

 were superadded, in frightful variety, 

 the biting chains of slavery, the gallin<5 

 indignities of the purse-proud despot, 

 and the torture of punishments too 

 ]jainful and severe even for an African 

 to bear unmoved. 



I scarce can n:imc the li.-.i\ y grievance;. 

 The toils, the lahoiiiN, weary drudgeries, 

 Wliicli were inipos'd; burdens more fit lor l/c.ists, — 

 Fur senseless beasts,— to bear than thiuking men. 

 Tlieii if I told Ihe bloo'ly ciuelties 

 VVhicli were iiiftictcd f.r each slight onfence ; 

 Nay, sometimes, in tlicir proud, insulting sport. 

 How worse than dogs they lash'd their fellow- 

 creatures. 

 Your lieart would bleed for tlieni. 



And oh! amidst all this miser}-, how 

 blessed a relief was death, for it bore 

 the sufferer to other and better'climcs, 

 and shrouded in oblivion the sense, at 

 least, of nil earthly sorrow. 



Under circumstances so aggravriting- 

 as these, we must not be surprised 

 that the sensitive mind of tlit; impetu- 

 ous African, — rendered infinitely more 

 susceptible of kindness and injury by 

 the burning intlucnce of a tiopical sun, 

 — should turn again in fury to avenge 

 such inhuman atrocities. Neither 

 ought we to condemn the determi- 

 nation which influenced the conduct 

 of individuals so rigorously persecuted 

 and oppressed. Would any of us 

 tolerate such persecutions? Would 

 we sit down in content and quietness, 

 and endure such tortures with pati- 

 ence and resignation ? Would h c 



Sneak in corner;, wliisper out our griels 



For fear our m isler's heard us ? Cringe and crouch 



I'nder the Wo.idy whi)i, like beaten curs. 



That lick iheir wounJs, and know no other cure? 



Should we, let us ask, act thus ? Surely 

 not. — Then why should they? They 

 were, like us, composed of flesh and 

 blood, and like us were they enduerl 

 with all the feelings of humanity. The 

 fault, and, consequently, the censure, 

 lie with the oppressor, and not with 

 the oppressed. The negroes did not 

 merely assert a natural right, of which 

 they had been wrongfully deprived; but 

 a right which had been violated by the 

 destinction of all their dearest hopes, 



and 



