human
France ought not to yield such powers, said Toussaint;
gpt
he continued, in answer to the inquiring looks of his friends,
human
I have in my possession a treaty proposed to me by the British Government, in which the English offer to make me king of this island--in such case to be called by its ancient name of Hayti--on condition of exclusive commerce.
gpt
Is it even so?
human
Even so, Henri. The English believed that I had acted on my own account; and that we, the children of France, should turn against our mother in the day of her perplexity, and join hands with her foes.
gpt
Any other man would have done it,
human
No, Pascal; no man who was appointed, like me, to redeem his race.
gpt
How do you consider that you will injure your race by accepting the proposal of the Assembly? asked Monsieur Pascal.
human
I understand why you would accept nothing from the hands of the English; and also why you would hesitate to assume a power which the government at home would doubtless disallow. But how would your race be injured by honours paid to you?
gpt
You are my friend, replied Toussaint.
human
Is it possible that you can fail to understand?
gpt
I call myself your friend too, said Dessalines,
human
Your prejudices on one point are strong, Jacques; and prejudice is blind. Monsieur Pascal is singularly unprejudiced: and therefore I believed that he would understand me.
gpt
Perhaps I do: but I wish to hear your reasons from yourself.
human
Particularly, interposed Raymond,
gpt
It is that which I wish to understand clearly,
human
Whether, if I believed my race would be benefited by the independence of this island, I could answer it to my conscience to separate from France, said Toussaint,
gpt
Some favourite passages in Epictetus, perhaps, or in the Bible, said Jacques:
human
Patience, Jacques!
gpt
I believe, said Christophe,
human
I should act as you do, Henri continued,
gpt
Hear him!
human
You were not wont to doubt Bonaparte, Henri,
gpt
Because, till of late, there was no reason to doubt him. I still believe that he was in earnest at the outset, in his professed desire to serve France for the sake of France, and not for his own. But I believe that he has a head less strong than yours; that we shall see him transformed from the pacificator into the aggressor--that, instead of waiting upon his pleasure, we may have to guard against injury from him.
human
These words from the generous Henri, said Toussaint,
gpt
I may be wrong, Toussaint. God grant, for the sake of the liberties of the world, that I may be proved mistaken! But, in the hour of choice between your sovereignty and continued dependence, you must not suppose the sympathy between the First of the Whites and the First of the Blacks to be greater than it is.
human
Are you willing, he asked of Monsieur Pascal,
gpt
I cannot predict confidently, replied Pascal;
human
Alas! my poor blacks, if this be indeed Bonaparte! exclaimed Toussaint.
gpt
Their supreme need is of peace; and they may become the subjects of a conqueror.
human
And happy if they be no worse than subjects,
gpt
If, said Toussaint,
human
Bonaparte respects the liberties of the French no more than to reduce them from being a nation to being an army, he will not respect the liberties of the blacks, and will endeavour to make them once more slaves.
gpt
Ah! you see!
human
I neither see nor believe, Jacques. We are only speculating. I will be thoroughly faithful to my allegiance, till Bonaparte is unquestionably unfaithful to the principles by which he rose. At the moment, however, when he lifts his finger in menace of the liberties of the blacks, I will declare myself the Champion of Saint Domingo;--not, however, through the offices of the English, but by the desire of those whom I govern.
gpt
Say King of Hayti, exclaimed Christophe.
human
This island was Hayti, when it lay blooming in the midst of the ocean, fresh from the will of God, thronged with gentle beings who had never lifted up a hand against each other. It was Hayti when it received, as into a paradise, the first whites who came into our hemisphere, and who saw in our valleys and plains the Eden of the Scripture. It became Saint Domingo when vice crept into it, and oppression turned its music into sighs, and violence laid it waste with famine and the sword. While the blacks and whites yet hate each other, let it be still Saint Domingo: but when you withdraw us from jealousy and bloodshed, let it again be Hayti. While it holds its conquered name there will be heart-burnings. If it became our own Hayti, we might not only forgive, but forget. It would be a noble lot to be King of Hayti!
gpt
If so ordained, Henri. We must wait till it be so. My present clear duty is to cultivate peace, and the friendship of the whites. They must have their due from us, from Bonaparte himself, to the youngest infant in Cap. You may trust me, however, that from the hour that there is a whisper about slavery in the lightest of Bonaparte's dreams, I will consent to be called by whatever name can best defend our race.
human
It will be too late then, said Dessalines.
gpt
Why wait till Bonaparte tells you his dreams? We know, without being told, that all the dreams of all whites are of our slavery.
human
You are wrong, Jacques. That is no more true of all whites, than it is true of all blacks that they hate the whites as you do.
gpt
You will find too late that I am not wrong, said Jacques.
human
Remember, in the day of our ruin, that my timely advice to you was to send for your sons from Paris, and then avow yourself King of Saint Domingo--or of Hayti, if you like that name better. To me that name tells of another coloured race, whom the whites wantonly oppressed and destroyed. One cannot traverse the island without hearing the ghosts of those poor Indians, from every wood and every hill, calling to us for vengeance on their conquerors.
gpt
Take care how you heed those voices, Dessalines, said Christophe.
human
They are not the voices of the gentle Indians that you hear; for the whites who injured them are long ago gone to judgment.
gpt
And if they were still in the midst of us, said Toussaint,
human
Never.
gpt
Nor shall you while I am obeyed. If the hour for defence comes we shall be ready. Till then we owe allegiance.
human
You will find it too late,
gpt
The Assembly, said Toussaint to Raymond,
human
They have already published their request, said Raymond;
gpt
I regret it much, said Toussaint.
human
It will incense France.
gpt
I do not regret it, pursued Raymond,
human
On the point of Toussaint's supposed ambition it may satisfy France, observed Christophe.
gpt
But if Bonaparte be jealous of the influence of the First of the Blacks, this homage of the Assembly will not abate his jealousy.
human
Have you more messages for us, Raymond?--No. Then Monsieur Pascal and I will examine these reports, and prepare my replies. This our little council is memorable, friends, for being the first in which we could report of the entire pacification of the colony. May it be only the first of many! My friends, our council is ended.