The Counter Revolution of June-July 53 



was peopled with 25,ck)0 whites only. The blacks could not be 

 counted so long as they were regarded as pack animals. ^^* Let 

 them be enfranchised and we will then count all the population in 

 determining the number of deputies. "-^^ Turkheim of Strasbourg 

 felt that the 364,000 blacks, who were neither free nor French, 

 could not be represented by their masters.-**' 



Bouche stated that he had learned there were but 23,533 whites 

 on the island and that these alone constituted the assembly. It 

 seemed strange to him that San Domingo should expect to be 

 granted 20 deputies under these circumstances.^^' Garat talked 

 for a long time putting the question in a definite way by asking 

 if six, twelve or twenty deputies should be received. "To decide 

 this is to decide what part San Domingo shall have in the legisla- 

 tive and sovereign authority of the nation. On such a question a 

 great supply of information is necessary ... If we give too much 

 power to the colony of San Domingo our constituents will have 

 the right to reproach us with having allowed some of their legisla- 

 tive and sovereign power to be usurped — the worst reproach that 

 can be made to a representative. In asking that we admit twenty 

 deputies, the colony of San Domingo bases its rights, or its pre- 

 tentions on the extent and nature of its territorial productions, its 

 commercial wealth and on the contributions it pays to France." 

 He then referred to doubts which arose in considering the extent 

 of production, commerce and contributions in the system of a 

 national representation and concluded that " in determining the 



28* Point du jour, I, 99 ; Asscmhlee nationale, I, 325, says : " Mais parlez- 

 vous de ces populations nombreuses que vous traitez de betes de somme'? 

 Mais ces betes de sommes, connues sous le nom de gens de couleur, sont 

 libres, paient des impots, sont proprietaires ; et pourquoi vous etes-vous 

 opposes a ce qu'ils eussent aucune influence dans les elections? Pour- 

 quoi n'avez vous pas voulu les admettre au rang d'electeurs? " Bulletins 

 de I'assemblce nationale (July) says he favored four deputies, and two 

 others with the right to attend sessions and advise. 



^^^ Point du jour, I, 99. 



^sa Point du jour, I, 99; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 160, does not give his 

 ideas but says he made " des observations tres sages, avec beaucoup d'ordre 

 et de clarte." 



-^"^ Assemble e nationale, I, ^27; Point du jour, I, 100; Bulletins de 

 I'assemblee nationale, July 3. 



335 



