J8?3.i the Haytian Patriot. 



protection, in the name and on the 

 behalf of the Englisli government. 

 The result of this unfortunate inter- 

 ference is >yell known. After five 

 years of disastrous warfare, — durin;^ 

 which period no less than seven new 

 commanders-in-chief were successive- 

 ly exported from Enj^land, — the Bri- 

 tish troops were compelled to leave 

 the country; and the Haytians found 

 themselves in full possession of tlie 

 most important parts of the island, and 

 on the high road to liberty and inde- 

 pendence. They had fought the fight 

 with unshrinking valour, and liad I'roed 

 themselves from the trammels of the 

 most ignoble bondage. 



It was daring this convulsion that 

 Toussaint L'Ouverture emerged from 

 obscurity, and entered upon the active 

 scene of public life ; but he was not 

 raised to dignity and power till the 

 contest between the blacks and their 

 former masters had nearly ceased. 

 The events of his life, Ujcrcfore, do not 

 consist so much of the heroic deeds of 

 the warrior, as of llic more interesting 

 actions of the philanthropist ; at least, 

 it is upon the latter point that we are 

 inclined to dwell with greater minute- 

 ness and delight. The tremendous 

 tumult which threw his country into 

 chaotic confusion liad in great measure 

 subsided before he became conspicu- 

 ously concerned in its afi'airs; and it 

 was reserved for him to re-organize 

 its disordered fragments, and to re- 

 store it to its pristine form and gran- 

 deur. 



There has been a trifling dispute 

 respecting the birth of Toussaint, but 

 it is generally supposed that he was 

 born a slave in the year 17-15, on the 

 estate of the Count de Nos, about nine 

 miles from Cape Frani^ois, in the 

 western province of St, Domingo, — 

 a spot which b;;s since become re- 

 markable as the very source of the 

 revolution, and as the seite of a camp 

 whence this extraordinary man has 

 issued mandates as powerful as those 

 of any monarch on the earth. Even 

 in his earliest years, 'J'oussaint gave 

 ample proof of that extensive benevo- 

 lence wliicli so materially inlhienced 

 his actions in after life ; and his dispo- 

 sition was marked by a i)lacid sedate- 

 ness and patience of temper, which 

 .scarcely any thing could provoke or 

 even disturb. 



A period was now rapidly approach- 

 ing ulien all these acquirements were 



43 



to be called into prompt and effective 

 action, — when this comparatively quiet 

 and unambitious condition was to be 

 changed for the bustle of the camp, 

 and for all the perilous activity of 

 public life. The insurrection of the 

 negroes in 1791 found Toussaint in a 

 situation far more comfortable tiian 

 that of his fellow-bondsmen. His 

 extraordinary abilities, added to a 

 disposition so replete with modesty 

 and benevolence, had rendered him 

 honoured and beloved not merely by 

 the slaves on the plantation of Noe, 

 but by many of those on the neigh- 

 bouring estates. When the rebellion 

 broke out, therefore, his co-operation 

 in the proceedings of the negroes was 

 considered as an advantage of tlie very 

 first importance, and several of the 

 leaders of this terrible revolt eagerly 

 solicited him to join them. But, so 

 little reason had he, — as far as his own 

 person and family were concerned, — 

 to be discontented with his condition, 

 and so horrible were the consequences 

 which he anticipated from the insur- 

 rection, that ho could not at first be 

 prevailed upon to take any part in the 

 proceedings of the revolutionists. On 

 the contrary, all his attention in the 

 first instance was directed to the pre- 

 servation of such Europeans as he 

 conceived worthy of being rescued 

 from the general slaughter. Accord- 

 ingly his patron, M. Bayou, became 

 tlic first object of his solicitude in this 

 respect ; and, when the plantation of 

 Noe was about to be ravaged by the 

 infuriated blacks, Toussaint imme- 

 diately set about the means of rescuing 

 this gentleman and his family from the 

 impending destruction. In this he 

 succeeded, and also procured a pas- 

 sage for them to North America, em- 

 barking at the same time a consider- 

 able quantity of sugar, to support 

 tiiem in their exile. But his gratitude 

 did not rest here ; for, after M. Bayou 

 had settled himself safely at Balti- 

 more, this generous slave availed him- 

 self of every opportunity of securing 

 to his benefactor a comfortable coni- 

 ])ctency for life. His extraordinary 

 elevation enabled him to do this most 

 ell'ectually; and, while he gratified his 

 own noble heart by such acts of muni- 

 ficent gratitude, he impressed on the 

 mind of his former master a sense of 

 ol)ligation, which no exertion on his 

 part could ever adequately return. 

 Having thus providod lor the safety 

 aud 



