79] 
boast but little of their freedom and 
independence ; they groaned under 
despotism in all its rigours, The 
government was administered by a 
governor general, and an intendant 
named by the King of France, 
whose power was absclute in their. 
respective colonies. They framed 
laws, imposed taxes, and command- 
ed the military. An appeal. lay to 
‘them from all the courts of justice ; 
and they were evenshamefully open 
to bribery and corruption. The 
victory of the prosecutor or defend- 
er depended more upon the weight 
of their purses than the justice of 
their cause. Thus, no man’s pro- 
perty or his life could be said to be 
secure. He was even exposed to 
the effects of envy and malice, of 
rapacity and violence; and as the 
fountains of justice were poisoned, 
he could not hope for redress. 
Under a system thus unreason- 
able and oppressive, the colonies re- 
mained in tranquillity till the year 
1789. But though this was the 
case, and though they gave ample 
proofs of public prosperity, we are 
not to suppose thar they remained 
in contentment; that there were no 
secret murmurings against slavery, 
no longings after change, Not- 
withstanding this seeming acquies- 
cence in the system, it might have 
been easily foreseen that dreadful 
convulsions would attend its dis- 
solution. All usurped authority is 
temporary, and the confusion which 
attends a revolution, is always 
great in proportion to the former 
deviation from the principles of 
liberty. Though till 1789 the po- 
litical fabric gave no external 
signs of decay, yet it had been 
secretly undermined for years ; and 
now it tottered to its fall. The 
hardships and sufferings endured by 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
every rank in society, had gene- 
rated discontent in. alJ, and all 
were impatient for reform, , 
The negroes, uncultivated and 
insensible, continued to ply their 
laborious. task without thinking 
much of the justice with which it — 
was inflicted. But evenamongthem 
a spirit of insubordination began to 
appear. Books calculated for their 
low capacities, tending to inflame 
their mindsagainst their masters,and 
to excite them to revolt, had been 
industriously circulated amongst 
them. 
benefit of those whocouldnot read, 
representing their degraded situa- 
tion, and instructing them in their 
violated rights. The people of co- 
lour, many of whom were men of 
liberal fortune and good education, 
had become enlightened upon the 
subject of politics. “They were un- 
happy at their lot before ; they now 
knew that it was unjust ea 
knew that they were aggrieved, 
and were exasperated, to a man, 
against the whites, who thus cruelly 
oppressed them. The writings of 
the French philosophers had found 
their way to the West Indies; and 
here they produced their natural 
effect. The planters kept pace 
with their brethren in the mother 
country, in their detestation of 
arbitrary power. They were filled 
with indignation at the thought of 
the despotism under which they had 
hitherto groaned, They enter- 
tained high ideas of colonial inde-— 
pendence, and considered theme 
selves as forming an integral part — 
of theFrench empire, and bound to 
obey no laws but what they them-— 
selves had framed. 
Thus a revolution was wished for — 
by all, and by all it was considered — 
as the certain harbinger of un-— 
bounde 
Medals were struck for the — 
Qa 
3S Se 
ao2% 
—— 
ie eh IP err ee ro oy 
A 
es) 
