139 



TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE. 



TOWERS, JOSEPH, LL.D. 



140 



The proclamation of the 4th of February 1794, emancipating the 

 slaves, worked a change in his sentiments. Ho opened a communica- 

 tion with General Laveaux ; and receiving the assurance that ho would 

 be recognised as a general of brigade, occupied the Spanish posts in 

 his neighbourhood, and repaired to the camp of the French general. 

 His defection was followed by the surrender of Marmalade and other 

 strong places, and throw confusion into the Spanish ranks. An 

 exclamation of Laveaux on learning the consequences of Toussaint's 

 joining his standard ("Comment, maia cet homme fait 'ouvcrture' 

 partout") is said to have been the origin of tho name Toussaint sub- 

 sequently adopted. Laveaux, left by the departure of the commis- 

 sioners governor of the colony, treated him at first with coldness and 

 distrust ; and Toussaint, now past his fiftieth year, reduced to inaction 

 and jealously watched, had reached to all appearance the close of Lis 

 political career. 



In 1795, in consequence of a conspiracy of three of the Mulatto 

 generals, Laveaux was arrested at Cape Town. Toussaint Louverture 

 assembled his negroes ; soon found himself, by the support of the 

 partisans of France, at the head of ten thousand men ; marched upon 

 the capital, and released the governor. LaVeaux in the enthusiasm of 

 his gratitude, proclaimed his deliverer the protector of the whites and 

 the avenger of the constituted authorities. " He is," runs the governor's 

 proclamation, "tho black Spartacus, who, Raynal predicted, would 

 ariso to avenge his race." Toussaint Louverture was created a 

 general of division, and became in fact the supreme arbiter of the 

 fortunes of the colony. When the peace between France and Spain 

 was concluded, Jean Francais repaired to Madrid, leaving Toussaint 

 the only powerful negro leader in Sb. Domingo. He reduced the 

 whole of the northern part of the island to the dominion of France, 

 with the exception of the Mole of St. Nicholas, of which the English 

 retained possession. He was the first who succeeded in establishing 

 discipline among the armed negroes. 



The arrival of the commissioners sent by the Directory to pro- 

 claim the constitution of the year 3, confirmed the credit of Toussaint. 

 In April 1796, Sonthonax appointed him Commander-in-chief of the 

 armies of St. Domingo. In the month of August Toussaint proceeded 

 to the Cape at the head of a large body of cavalry on a visit to Sontho- 

 nax. The day after his arrival he proposed, at a meeting of the civil 

 and military chiefs, that the commissioners should be sent back to 

 France. Raymond, a Mulatto, was the only commissoner allowed to 

 remain. The civil administration of the colony was confided to Ray- 

 mond in the first instance, but lie soon resigned the charge into the 

 hands of Toussaint. Fully aware of the boldness of the step he had 

 taken, Toussaint hastened to remove any suspicions that might arise 

 in the minds of the Directory. He sent two of his children to receive 

 their education at Paris ; and along with them Vincent, a chef de bri- 

 gade, charged with the task of explaining everything to the Directory's 

 satisfaction. The Directors professed to be perfectly satisfied, and 

 appointed a new commission, at the head of which was placed General 

 Hddouville. 



Hddouville, on his arrival at St. Domingo showed his suspicions of the 

 negro general by landing within the Spanish territory. Toussaint was 

 at this time engaged in negociations with General Maitland for the 

 surrender of the strong places held by the English. It was generally 

 known that Hddouville's staff spoke openly in the most hostile and 

 insulting terms of Toussaint ; nevertheless he visited the commissioner 

 with scarcely any attendants, and professed the utmost devotion to 

 the French government. Hddouville asserted his right aa agent of the 

 republic to reserve the power of ratifying or refusing to ratify any 

 , convention between Toussaint and the British commanders. The 

 negro chief nevertheless received the capitulation of Port-au-Prince, 

 St. Marc, Jerdmie, and the Mole of St. Nicholas without consulting 

 Hddouville. On the day when the British troops marched out, a public 

 exchange of civilities took place between Toussaint Louverture and 

 General Maitland. All this increased the distrust of the commissioner, 

 who showed it by seeking to thwart the St. Domingo chief in every- 

 thing. Toussaint Louverture persuaded his countrymen to resume 

 their agricultural occupations. Hddouville soon after issued a procla- 

 mation denouucing the dmigrds and professing to regulate the political 

 relations of whites and negroes. Toussaint immediately issued another 

 proclamation declaring that thei-e were no dmigrds among the natives 

 of the island ; and that the negroes were de facto free, but that it was 

 desirable they should continue during five years to labour for their 

 old masters, receiving one-fourth of the produce. His partisans were 

 in the mean time industriously spreading the opinion that Hddouville 

 was an enemy to the negroes and to the tranquillity of the colony. 

 An insurrection broke out at the Cape, which was suppressed by 

 Toussaint ; but the commissioner with all hi3 adherents, to the num- 

 ber of twelve or fifteen hundred men, took refugo on board three 

 French frigates which wore lying off the island, and sailed for France. 



Their departure was the signal for the breaking out of the animosity 

 between the mulattoes and the negroes into acts of open violence. 

 Rigaud, the mulatto chief, sanctioned the massacres committed by his 

 partisans; Toussaiut did all in his power to repress the ferocity of his. 

 One strong place was taken from the mulattoes by the negroes after 

 another, until Rigaud was shut up in Cayes, tho only hold that 

 remained to him. This was towards the close of 1799, and Bonaparte 

 had already assumed tho reins of government in France. One of the 



first steps of the new ruler was to send a deputation to Toussuint, 

 composed of his personal friends Raymond and Vincent, and General 

 Michel. They brought the intelligence that Toussaiut was confirmed 

 in his authority ; and Rigaud, seeing himself abandoned even by his 

 own partisans, embarked with a few of his retainers to seek an asylum 

 in France. 



Toussaiut Louverture was now at the summit of hi? prosperity. He 

 assumed much state ; affected to cast a shade of mystery round the 

 circumstances of his earlier career ; and took pride in proclaiming himself 

 the negro deliverer foretold by Raynal. He preserved great simplicity 

 in his own person, but surrounded himself with a brilliant staff. In 

 January 1801, ho conquered the Spanish part of St. Domingo. He 

 presented to a central meeting of his partisans^ a scheme of a colonial 

 constitution, by which he was appointed governor for life, authorised 

 to name his successor, and to nominate to all offices under govern- 

 ment. He exercised this authority to the full extent He quelled an 

 insurrection of the negroes, and did not hesitate to punish with death 

 his own nephew, who was at the head of it. Under his strict but just 

 sway the agriculture and commerce of St. Domingo flourished. 



Bonaparte in the meantime preserved an ominous silence towards 

 all Toussaint's overtures of friendship. The mind of the latter, dis- 

 quieted by the coldness of the First Consul, was not tranquillised by 

 the proclamation issued immediately after the peace with England, 

 declaring that slavery was to continue in Martinique and Cayenne, and 

 St. Domingo to be restored to order. Toussaint met it by a counter- 

 proclamation, issued on tho 18th of December 1801, in which ha pro- 

 fessed obedience to the republic, but at the same time appealed to the 

 soldiers in language which left no doubt as to his resolution to repel 

 force by force. Bonaparte despatched a squadron of fifty-four sail, 

 under the command of General La Clerc, his brother-in-law, to reduce 

 St. Domingo. 



The first view of this force discouraged Toussaint himself. He soon 

 rallied, but his followers were intimidated and divided. The flattery 

 of the First Consul, and the solicitations of his own children, were 

 brought to bear on the negro chief in vain. He re tired to the Morne of 

 Chaos, and entombed his treasures where the enemy might seek for 

 them in vain. On February 17th, 1802, he was proclaimed an outlaw. 

 The negroes who remained in arms were defeated in all parts of tho 

 island ; Toussaint continued nevertheless to defend himself, making a 

 desert around him to obstruct the progress of the enemy. At last the 

 defection of Christophe and Dessalines obliged him to listen to terms. 

 The sentence of outlawry pronounced against him was reversed. He 

 was received with military honours on paying a visit to Le Clerc, and 

 General Brunet took his advice on the imposition of taxes, and the 

 selection of cantonments. 



Brunet invited Toussaint to a conference mid-way between Sancey 

 and Gonaives, on the ]0th of June; and when the generals retired to hold 

 a consultation, the negro guard was disarmed, and their chief arrested 

 and sent on board the Crdole, which immediately set sail for Cape 

 Town, where he was transferred to the Heres, a vessel of the lino. 

 After a voyage of twenty-five days he was lauded at Brest, and without 

 delay sent to Paris. He was for a short time lodged in the Temple, 

 but soon after conveyed to the castle of Joux, near Besan^on, where 

 he was subjected to a close and severe confinement. His faithful 

 attendant Mars Plaisir was removed from him. After ten months of 

 rigorous imprisonment, he died on the 27th of April 1803. 



Toussaiut, like all eminent and successful politicians, wa=i marked 

 by a strong inclination and power to conceal his sentiments and inten- 

 tions. There was a good deal of imagination or romance in his com- 

 position. He had strong devotional feelings and a nice sense of domestic 

 morality. His reserved and energetic nature commanded the respect of 

 the negroes, enabled him to restrain them from excesses and keep 

 them to steady labour, and he thus restored confidence to the whites. 

 He loved splendour in his attendants, but was plain in his personal 

 habits. St. Domingo was peaceable and prosperous under his govern- 

 ment. These facts are proved by the concurring testimony of friends 

 and enemies ; and they entitle him to be classed among great men. 

 More it would be imprudent to say positively, considering how con- 

 flicting are the witnesses respecting him, and how biassed by passion 

 their evidence. Of the injustice and selfish meanness of Bonaparte's 

 conduct towards him there can be scarcely two opinions. 



After the death of Toussaint Louverture, his family were confined at 

 Brienne-en-Agen, where one of his sous died. The survivors were set 

 at liberty after the restoration of the Bourbon?. The widow died in 

 1S16, in the arms of her sons Placide and Isaac. M. du Broias haa 

 published a sketch of the life of Toussaint Louverture. 



TOWERS, JOSEPH, LL.D., was born in South wark, on the 13th 

 of March 1737. His education was much neglected, but being fond of 

 reading, he picked up a good deal of knowledge in a miscellaneous 

 way. He was apprenticed to a printer at Sherborne in Dorsetshire, 

 and returned to London in 1764, where at first he got his living as a 

 journeyman printer, and afterwards set up a bookseller's shop in Fore 

 Street. During this time he was also actively engaged in writing for 

 the press, and, in addition to other publications, wrote the first seven 

 volumes of ' British Biography,' of which the first was published in 

 1766. As his business did not answer, a thing not surprising, con- 

 sidering his literary engagements, ho relinquished it in 1774, and 

 became the minister of a Dissenting chapel at High gate. His theolo- 



