HISTORY 
tendants, landed at Cape Frangois, 
(Sept. 13) “ much in the same dis- 
position,” says Mr. Edwards, “ as 
the Duke of Alva, when he appear- 
ed in the Netherlands, in 1568,”’ 
burning with vengeance, elated with 
the hope of the riches, power, and 
splendor which they were to enjoy 
at the expence of the wretched co- 
Jonists. 
The first measure of their new 
government was violent and arbi- 
trary. They dissolved their colo- 
nial assembly, which was then sitt- 
ing, and sent Blanchelands, the go- 
_vernor, a prisoner to France; where, 
to be accused, was to be condemn- 
ed: he soon after suffered by the 
guillotine. 
The greatest consternation and 
dismay again prevailed throughout 
the colony. All parties joined in 
looking upon the commissioners as 
so many demons sent to aggravate 
their misery; and they had reason, 
for all groaned under the most ri- 
gorous despotism. A new general 
assembly was eagerly longed for, 
and importunately demanded. The 
‘commissioners listened neither to 
_wishes nor demands. The public exi- 
“gencies, it was thought, would ren- 
ee this measurenecessary. By their 
own authority, they imposed new 
taxes, and assumed to themselves 
every branch of sovereign power. 
_ The first object to which they di- 
rected their attention, was the esta- 
blishment of their own authority. 
They formed a body of life-guards 
of all the thieves, murderers, and 
‘assassins whom they could findin the 
ong of St. Domingo. The troops 
shewn some mutinous symp- 
toms “4 immense largesses they 
“gained their decided support. 
Now absolute masters of the co- 
lony,and firmly seated on thethrone, 
commenced a career of tyran- 
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[83 
ny which stands without a parallel. 
They madearbitrary regulations,im- 
posed oppressive taxes, and raised 
exorbitant contributions. All who 
presumed to oppose them, they ar- 
rested and put inirons. The prisons 
were every where crowded; and 
they sent numbers to be tried cri- 
minally in France; among which 
number was M. Desparties, the new 
governor, whom they deposed. 
The country continued still to be 
infested with bands of insurgents ; 
who, issuing from their fastnesses in 
the mountains, made predatory ex- 
cursions into the plains. Owing to 
these, but still more to the oppres- 
sion of the tyrannical triumvirates, 
the wretched inhabitants had often 
reason to regret the turbulent year 
of 1791. Their misery was now 
more certain and more hopeless. 
This was the melancholy posture 
of affairs at the end of 1792. Of the 
proceedings of these scourgesof hu- 
manity in the emancipation of the 
slaves; of the nomination of M. 
Galban to supercede them upon the 
cries of injured innocence at length - 
reaching across the Atlantic, and 
stirring up compassion in the flinty 
hearts of the savage murderers of — 
Louis XVI; of the bloody evil war 
which ensued upon his arrival; of 
the general revolt of the negroes ; 
of the conflagration and sack of 
Cape Frangois, we speak.not at pre- 
sent, as these mournful events did 
not take place till the subsequent 
year, and as this subject is of too 
great extent and importance not to 
be resumed in another volume. 
The internal circumstances of all 
the other French colonies were the 
same with St. Domingo. ‘The de- 
crees of the National Assembly ex- 
tended to all; and upon all they 
produced the same woeful effects. 
The state of Guadaloupe and.Mar- 
[G] 2 tinico, 
