TOUSS9AIT L'OUTERTURE. 149

 became greater, and affected his demeanor in
 manner, when he heard that preliminaries of
 England and France had been signed at Lon-
 'In Europe he saw foreboded war to Hayti.
 should be his course i Should he anticipate the
lperepe for it by proclaiming the independence of the
gBy rousing its inhabitants to resistance, and marshall-
i a with his own ability and vigor, he might repel
tack of France when at peace with the world. And
bd such a policy have been. Not impossibly it would
sid succestfl. But L'Ouverture was not prepared to
. Equal to the demands on his courage and energy
determination of the kind would' make, he was not
It4 requitte demands on his sense of justke. Hayti,
..nch colony ;-as a Fren.'h colony it had gained its
SA free republic would nnt sam tino its subjugation;
Lld Bonaparte attempt to wrest the rod of empire"
h-own hands, he had better lose his power than forfeit
imspect. Any way, the duty of the moment was tlear;
talm men's minds. For that purpose he issued a proc-
r'(18th December, 18)1), which, among other things,
I that it was necessary to receive the orders and the
of the mother i country with respect and filial regard.
lle he encourantd obedience, he could not be insensible
possibility that resistance might be his duty. He was,
p under an obligation to tb0ter the means of resistance,
Ienly to appear confident himself, but to keep up the
Ifhis soldiers. This twolild state of mind is seen in
rich he uttered from time to time, as in these: "A
rated child owns submis'ion and obedience to his
i but itf that mother become s6o unnatural as to seek
;of her child, the child mu-t look Ibr justice with Him
t vengeance belongs. If I must die, I will die as a brave
p a man of honor. I fear no one."
inot escape the eye of those who, having access to the
ptnarrowly watched him, that the agitation of his mind
 IS*