1823. J the Hiiijtiitit Patriot. 



and which had been torn from tlicm for oppr.ituuitj ; 

 ■with all the ag:g:ravated rancor of 

 elated pride and pampcrtd luxury. 



Affairs were in this condition at St. 

 Domiiiiowlien the Nalional Asscnibly 

 in France m;idc their celebrated " De- 

 claraliun," decreeing tliercby, that 

 " all men are born and continue free, 

 and equal as to their rights." This 

 decree soon became known to Uie co- 

 lonies ; and, although by a subsequent 

 edict it was declared, "that it never 

 was the intention of tiie Assembly to 

 comprehend the interior government 

 of the colonies in the constitution 

 which they had formed for the mother 

 country," yet the peojile of colour 

 hailed their communication as an invi- 

 tation to shake off the prejudices with 

 which they were n gardcd by the 

 whites, and as an esjjecial hint for 

 them to establish themselves upon the 

 same footing with those wlio liad hi- 

 therto so tenaciously arrogated to 

 themselves such a decided superiority 

 in all matters both moral and jiolitical. 

 This important revolution, tlierei'orc, 

 was commenced by the Mulattoes, 

 many of whom resided at Paris, and 

 were for the most part men of property 

 and intelligence. They connected 

 themselves with a society, which had 

 been established for the purpose of 

 abolishing the slave-trade, and which 

 was known by the name of " L'Ami 

 des Noirs." These individuals soon 

 connected themselves with their bre- 

 thren in the colonies, and the wliole 

 body of Mulattoes determined to claim 

 the full benefit of the privileges which 

 were enjoyed by the Whites; which 

 object they obtained, in little more 

 than a year after their insurrection, 

 by the following decree of the National 

 Assemblv : — "Enacted, That the peo- 

 ple of colour resident in the French 

 colonies, and born of fice parents, be 

 entitled to, as of right, and be allowed 

 the enjoyment of, all the privileges of 

 French cilizcns, and, among others, 

 those of having votes in the choice of 

 representatives, and of being cligiiile 

 to seats both in the parochial and co- 

 lonial assemblies." 



This important accession not only 

 destroyed liic barrier which had hi- 

 therto scpiirated (he Whites from the 

 Mulattoes, but it afforded the whole 

 negro pcjpuialion sulhcicnt (Mi(;ourage- 

 nirnt to ( laiin an eipntl proportion of 

 jii.sticr' and liberty. \\ acctlciatcd, 

 ill' rclore, the arrival of a l<i!ig-«ished- 



AlosTHLY Mag. Wo. 078. 



41 



nd accordingly, oti 

 the 2.3'l of August, in the same year, 

 (1791,) jnst before da3'-break, a gene- 

 ral alarni was spread throughout Cape 

 Franc;ois by tlie appalling report, that 

 all the nesro-slavcs in the adjacent 

 districts lia.d revolted, and were carrj- 

 ing desolation and death over the 

 neighliosiring plaiitations. This dread- 

 ful intelligcQce came upon the teir> 

 fied colonists like a tlunider-bolt from 

 heaven. They well knew how richly 

 they deserved the severest retiibntioii 

 of infuriated revenge; and most pain- 

 fully did thi'y anticipate the hmrible 

 cruelties which awaited them. The 

 rumour, at first vague and scarcely 

 credible, became speedily confirmed 

 by bands of frightened fugitives, who 

 brought with them the dreadful tidings 

 t'hat the revolt originated at a ])lantu- 

 tion only nine miles from the capit;i!, 

 and that it was spreading like wild- 

 fire over the country. " Vengeance, 

 long withheld, went loose," — the work 

 of murder had begnsi. and several 

 wiiites had been already massacred, 

 eonsternation now evcry-wherc pre- 

 vailed tiironghout Cape Francois ; and 

 tiie screams of women and children, 

 rniming in their fear from door to 

 door, together with the hurried and 

 imperfect preparations for defence 

 which the inhabitants in their terror 

 adopted,^ — added lo the horror of a 

 scene which can better be imagined 

 than described. 



Thpn stood » liisperin? men, 



As the' revealing some portentous secret; 



At every sound cried, Hist! and look'd reproach- 



fiillj 

 TJpon eiich other. 



Tlie forc'd, nnnalural quiet that spread o'er 

 Tliose myriads of arm'd and liurried warriors. 

 Presaged some eartiily tempest, — as the cloud 

 That in its mute and ponderous blackness hangt 

 Over our heads, — a tumult in the skies. 



The citizens took up arms, and the 

 General Assembly vested in the gover- 

 nor, M. Blanchelande, the entire com- 

 mand of the national guards ; the 

 women and children were sent on- 

 board the ships in the harbour, accom- 

 panied by the majority of the negroes 

 in the town, apd under as strong a 

 guard as the exigencies of the mo- 

 ment afforded. But the plans of the 

 negroes had been too skilfully con- 

 trived to be readily disconcerted ; and 

 the tide of revolutionary fury, nnstcm- 

 mcd by any obstiicle, rolled rapidly 

 on towards its height. The blacks 

 gained every day some new accession 

 ,to their .Mrenglh, an<l, still ."smarting 

 under the lash of their oppres.virs. 

 G w«rc 



