TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE FRANÇOIS-DOMINIQUE: (1743-1803)

TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE FRANÇOIS-DOMINIQUE: (1743-1803)
TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE FRANÇOIS-DOMINIQUE: (1743-1803) Haitian General and revolutionary Leader. Widely regarded as the “Father of Haiti”. The most important leader of the Haitian Revolution. Toussaint Louverture fought first against the French, later for them, and finally and again against France for the cause of Haitian independence. An exceptional historical content letter, L.S., Toussaint Louverture, five pages, Headquarters of Dekao, 18th September 1798, to Citizen Vincent, Director of the engineering fortifications of Saint-Domingue, in Paris, in French. The Letter bears the printed heading “Toussaint Louverture, Général en chef de l´Armée de Saint-Domingue”, being a small writing lengthy and cleanly written manuscript letter. Toussaint Louverture makes a very extensive report of the situation on the island, giving full details on the recent events and explaining what were the ideals he fought for, and how much things have changed, and feeling betrayed blames the attitude and behaviour of the French authorities. To the beginning of the letter Toussaint Louverture announces his retirement request, stating in part `…mes dépêches au gouvernement et pour demander ma retraite au Directoire… pour me récompenser des services que j´ai rendu à la république… je suis convaincu qu´il est impossible à un officier inférieur d´opérer le bien s´il n´a pas la confiance de son gouvernement…´ (Translation: “…my dispatches to the government to request my retirement to the Directory... to reward me for the services which I rendered to the Republic… I am well convinced that it is impossible to an inferior officer to operate the best he can if he does not have the confidence of his government…”) Toussaint Louverture promptly initiates his wording attacks against General Hédouville who is in his opinion the main responsible of the chaos situation and predicts a very dark future for the colony, saying `Autant j´avais eu de plaisir à voir arrive dans cette colonie le general Hédouville, autant je m´étais plu à lui donner ma confiance sur la bonne reputation don’t on l´avait environné et d´après ce qu´on publiait de son caractère pacificateur et conciliateur, autant j´ai eu de la peine à le voir agir d´une manière entièrement oposée à ce que ces bonnes qualités semblaient announcer. La plus parfait concorde régnait à son arrive et déjà il se manifeste des germes de divisions, il porte un esprit soupçonneux contre tous les hommes qui ont le mieux servi la république; il ne rêve que complots, rassemblement, que soulèvement; il prend pour des réalités tous les rapports que les ennemis de la liberté et de l´ordre… J´aime mieux me retirer. Qu´une colonie est malheureuse d´être livrée constament à l´ignorance ou aux préjugés de nouveaux administrateurs…´ (Translation: “As much as I had had pleasure in seeing General Hédouville arrive in this colony, I was no longer able to give him my confidence because the good reputation with which he had been announced according to what was published about his pacifying and conciliatory character, as much I had sorrow to see him acting in a way entirely opposite to what his good qualities seemed to announce. The most perfect concord reigned upon his arrival and already germs of divisions are manifesting, he carries a suspicious mind against all the men who served the Republic best, he dreams only conspiracy, gathering, and uprising; he takes for reality all the reports that all enemies of freedom give and behaves accordingly... I prefer to withdraw, as the colony is unfortunate to be constantly delivered to the ignorance or prejudice of new administrators…”) Further again, Toussaint Louverture sends a very important warning and advice to the French government, predicting the future and stating in part `Je vous parle à coeur ouvert, Citoyen et ami, pour bien établir le nouveau regime à Saint Domingue, il faut des hommes sans préjugés, sans passions, il faut des hommes froids et pacifiques et je ne sais où on a trouvé que le general Hédouville avait le caractère pacificateur. S´il m´était possible de vous communiquer ma correspondence elle vous prouverait que je n´avance pas légèrement une opinion, toutes mes démarches sont amèrement censures, toutes mes actions blames et s´il n´accuse pas encore ouvertement mes intentions, je sens qu´il est très dispose à aller jusque là. Il e nest de même pour tous les militaires qui comme moi ont bien servi la république et sans notre ardent attachement à la France à la liberté et à l´ordre si solidement établi, beaucoup d´entre eux eussent déjà donné leur demission car le découragement est dans toutes les âmes. Que peut-on nous reprocher, c´est par nos soins, notre courage, notre patriotism, que la colonie est aujourd´hui totalement purgée d´ennemis, que les divisions sont anéanties, que l´ordre s´est établi, et que la culture a fait de grands progress…´ (Translation: “I am speaking to you with an open heart, citizens and friends, to establish the new regime in Saint-Domingue you need men without prejudices, without passion, you need cold and peaceful men and I don't know where it was found that General Hédouville had a pacifying character. if it was possible for me to communicate my correspondence, it would prove to you that I do not lightly advance my opinion. All my steps are bitterly censured, all my actions blamed and if he does not yet openly accuse my purposes, I feel that he is very willing to go as far as he can. The same for all the soldiers who like me have served the Republic well and without their attachment to France, to liberty and to the order so solidly established, many of them would also have already given their resignations because discouragement is in all souls. What can we be blamed for? It is because of our care, our courage, our patriotism that the colony is today totally purged of enemies, that divisions are annihilated, that order is established, that culture has made great progress…”) Further again, and before concluding, Toussaint Louverture seems to announce what can happen, and what will finally happen, saying `J´entrai en campagne le Treize pluviose, et avant le premier prairial, l´armée de la république avait conquis le Mirbalais, les grands bois, la partie espagnole au pouvoir des anglaise, les montagnes de l´arcahaye et pris possession des places de Saint-Marc, l´Arcahaye et port républicain… Toutes ces places son ten Meilleur état que lorsqu´elles ont été livrées aux ennemis de la france; plus de quince mille noirs sont entrés dans la colonie et ont été reportés sur leurs anciennes habitations, une très grande partie de l´armée va Être licenciée, et d´jà j´ai comencé cette opération en renvoyant plus de trois mille soldats sur leurs habitations respectives sans que ce licenciment ait produit la plus légère sensation, ni la moindre réclamation. Voila mon cher concitoyen les bonnes Nouvelles que vous pouvez donner à la france. J´ai trouvé la colonie livrée à toutes les horreurs de la guerre civile, ruinée, incendiée, saccagée, je la rend à la france purgée d´ennemis extérieurs, tranquille et sa culture atant fait de grands progres…. Mon dernier voeu sera pour la France et mon dernier soupir pour la liberté. Vous savez mon cher concitoyen avec quel acharnement on a accuse les noirs de barbarie et d´atrocités; ils voulaient être libres… on disait qu´ils éyaient les ennemis des blancs et que jamais ils ne voudraient les recevoir dans les colonies et maintenant que les noirs ont reçu leurs anciens maitres à bras ouverts…´ (Translation: “I entered the campaign on the thirteenth pluviose and before the first prairial, the army of the republic had conquered the Mirbalais, the big woods, the Spanish part in the power of the English, the mountains of arcahaye and took possession of the places of Saint Marc, the Archaye and Port-Republican… All these places are in better condition than when they were delivered to the enemies of France; more than fifteen thousand blacks have entered the colony and have been spread out over their former homes. A very large part of the army is going to be dismissed and I have already begun this operation by sending back more than three thousand soldiers to their respective homes, without this dismissal producing the slightest sensation, nor the least complaint. Here are my dear fellow citizen, the good news that you can give to France, I found the colony dismembered, delivered to all the horrors of the civil war, ruined, burned, ransacked, that makes France purged of external enemies, quiet and its culture having made great progress,.. my last wish will be for France, my last breath for liberty. You know, my dear fellow citizen, how relentlessly the blacks were accused of barbarism and atrocities; they wanted to be free,… It was said that they were the enemies of the whites and that they would never want to receive them in the colony, and now that the blacks have received their former masters with open arms…”) An excellent historical content letter. With spine reinforced. G to VG

Gabriel d´Hédouville, (1755-1825) Comte d´Hédouville. French soldier and Diplomat. Toussaint Louverture was negotiating their withdrawal when France's latest commissioner, Gabriel d´Hédouville, arrived in March 1798, with orders to undermine his authority. Nearing the end of the revolution Louverture grew substantially wealthy; owning numerous slaves, obtaining properties, and earning almost 300,000 livre per year. As leader of the revolution, this accumulated wealth made Louverture the richest person on Saint-Domingue. Louverture's actions evoked a collective sense of worry among the European powers and the US, who feared that the success of the revolution would inspire slave revolts across the Caribbean, the South American colonies, and the southern United States.