80 | 
strong posts in the neighbourhood, 
disciplined troops, and at length 
cotitinenced offensive operations 
against the insurgents, 
Our bounds would not permit us 
to enter into the warfare which en- 
sued; nor would the most circum- 
stantial account of this, have any 
other effect than that of exciting a 
painful sympathy, or serve any 
other purpose than that of illustrat- 
ing the degrading andthe deplorable 
excesses to which human nature, 
untutored by education, and unre- 
strained by religion, is, in certain 
circumstances, capable of being 
carried. 
The negroes, notwithstanding 
every effort of the white people, 
still maintained their ground. They 
were routed to-day, but to-morrow 
they appeared in still greater force. 
The rebellion spread to the other 
provinces; and Port au Prince was 
in danger of being burnt to the 
ground. 
It was computed, that within two 
months after the revolt began, two 
thousand white people had been 
massacred ;—that between ten and 
twelve thousand of the insurgents 
perished by the sword, by disease, 
and by famine.;—that one hundred 
and eighty sugar plantations, and 
about nine hundred coffee, cotton, 
and indigo settlements had been 
destroyed; and one thousand two 
hundred christian families reduced 
from opulence to such a state of mi- 
sery, as to depend altogether for 
their clothing and sustenance on 
public and private charity. 
The mulattoe chiefs at length, be- 
coming tired of beholding scenes of 
carnage, and beginning to lose their 
authority with the negroes, seeing 
no prospect of tranquillity being 
restored, and fearing that they them- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
selves would be utterly ruined by 
this attempt to amplify their privi- 
leges, began eagerly to long fora 
reconciliation with the white people, 
To bring this about, they declared 
that they had taken: arms, not with 
any view to desolate the colony, but 
merely in selfsdefence, that they 
might enforce the exaction of the 
decree of the 15th of May ; and that 
they were willing to lay them down 
as soon as their demands were com- 
plied with. 
These overtures were gladly re- 
ceived by theplanters, who now bit- 
terly repented of their »former vio-~ 
lence and precipitancy; and who 
would have purchased peace by any 
concessions. Accordingly, the Ge- 
neral. Assembly, bya decree of the 
20th September, declared that they 
would no lenger oppose the decree 
of the National Convention of 
France, enacted on the 15th of May, 
and that they would willingly admit 
the people of colour to a free par- 
ticipation of.every privilege with 
themselves.,, Upon this proclama- 
tion, the insurgents in general dis- 
persed, many of them returned 
home, and many of them)retired to — 
the woods and fastnesses, . 
Thus the flame of civil war was 
smothered for the present; but jea- 
lousy and hatred. still rankled in 
the breasts of all parties: it was 
ready to burst forth into a fresh 
conflagration. 
Numberlessare the disadvantages 
which are laboured under by a dis- 
tant colony. In war it is the seat 
of blood-shed ; upon a peace, it is 
handed about from one state to.an- 
other. Its privileges are undefined 
and insecure; all its enjoyments are 
precarious. | Whatever may be 
pretended, it is ever at the mercy of 
the country to which itis attached. 
But, 
