STATE PAPERS. 



717 



soldiers. Already I congratulated 

 myself on the success of my solici- 

 tude, which had for its object to 

 prevent the effusion of blood : but 

 at this time a fanatic priest had 

 not kindled in your breasts the rage 

 which predominates therein: the 

 incensed Ferrand had not yet in- 

 stilled info you the poison of false- 

 hood and calumny. Writings, ori- 

 ginating in despair and weakness, 

 have been circulated ; and immedi- 

 ately some amongst you, seduced 

 by perfidious insinuations, solicited 

 the friendship and protection of the 

 French ; they dared to outrage my 

 kindness, by coalescing with my 

 cruel enemies. Spaniards, reflect! 

 On the brink of the precipice which 

 is dug under your feet, will that dia- 

 bolical minister save you, when 

 with fire and sword Ishallliave pur- 

 sued you to your last entrench- 

 ments i Ah ! without doubt, his 

 prayers, his grimaces, his relics, 

 would be no impediment to my ca- 

 reer. Vain as powerless, can he 

 preserve you from my just anger, 

 after I shall have buried him^ and 

 the colleclion of brigands he com- 

 mands, under the ruins of )our ca- 

 pital ! Let them both recolledl that 

 it is before ray intrepid phalanxes 

 that all the resources and the skill 

 of Europeans have proved incfl'ec. 

 tual : and that into my victorious 

 bonds the destiny of the captain-ge- 

 iieral Rochambeau has been sur- 

 rendered. To lure the Spaniards 

 to their party, they propagate 

 the report that vessels laden with 

 troops have arrived at Santo Do- 

 mingo. Why is it not the truth ? 

 They little imagine that, in delaying 

 to attack (hem until this time, my 

 principal object has been (o suller 

 Ihcm to increase the mass of our 

 rckourccs; and thit number of uur 



victims. To spread distrust and 

 terror, they incessantly dwell upon 

 the fate which the French have just 

 experienced : but have I had rea- 

 son to treat them so ? The wr ngs 

 of the French, do they appertain 

 to Spaniards ? and must I visit on 

 the latter the crimes which (he for- 

 mer have conceived, ordered and 

 executed upon our species ? They 

 have the cflrontery to say, that, 

 reduced to seek safety in flight, I 

 am gone to conceal my defeat in the 

 southern part of the island. Well 

 then ! Let them learn that I am 

 ready ; that the thunderbolt is go- 

 ing to fall on their heads. Let them 

 know that my soldiers are impati- 

 ently waiting for the signal to go 

 and re-conquer the boundaries which 

 nature and the elements have as- 

 signed to us. A few moments more, 

 and I shall crush the remnant of the 

 French under the weight of mighty 

 power. Spaniards! you, to whom 

 I address myself, solely because I 

 wish to save you ; you who, for 

 having been guilty of evasion, shall 

 speedily preserve your existence only 

 so far as my clemency may deign to 

 spare you; it is yet time ; abjure 

 an error which may be fatal to you ; 

 and break oH all connexions with 

 my enemy, if you wish your blood 

 may not be conl'ounded with his. 

 Name to me, without delay, that 

 part of your territory on which my 

 first blow is to be struck, or inform 

 me whether 1 must strike on all 

 points without discrimination. I 

 give you fiflecn days, from the date 

 of this notification, to forward your 

 last intentions, and to rally under 

 my banners. You are not ignorant 

 that all the roads of St. Domingo in 

 every direction are familiar to us ; 

 that more than once we have seen 

 your dispersed bands fly before us. 



In 



