00w.


 TOoIJSAINT L'OUVDRTCRE. 207

 t, he would arrange with him in order to arrest
 in the most secret manner possible. Instead of be-
 the instrument of that perfidy, Christophe replied in
 and tones of virtue, saying that to arrest his friend,
 panion, his chief, would be to betray at once friendship
 or, as well as his country; and that a treason so dis-
 could not for a moment be entertained by him. He
 "'his letter with these wordQ: Show us the laws which
 e our liberty, then Toussaint, my brethren, myself, -
 will wi-h joy throw ourselves into the arms of our
 country. How could we believe the Consul's words,
 t to us as they were amid demonstrations of war ? Ex-
 he added, the I'lars and the alarm ol a people which
 fered so mul.h in slavery. Give it ground. of confidence
 desire to terminate thi calamities ol Saint Domingo;
 iforgettin the past, we ball in security enjoy the present
 future."
 Gk with the wisdom and encry of this rnply, Lelere
 Sit wa more than ever ne. r-.1ary to put away all idea
 ery, whi h could be ret-ored only in very diterent cir-
 htances. With this view he dealt freely in protestations.
 'Consul, ie urgell, could not have proposed laws for a coun-
 I'wilh which he was not acquainted; but in the name of the
 eme Being. the avenger of falsehood, he affirmed that the
 ty of the blacks was the basis of the laws which would be
 ed.
 interview ensued, and, in reliance on the protestations
 the oath of' Le'.lere, Christophe went over to the French
 Stwelve hindred men, surrendering the mountains of Limbe,
 rb.Francois, and Grande Rivibre, nith an immense amount
 IElike store.
 b.ristophe immniliatelly soulht an intitrsiew with Touasaint, :.
 Among other thingg, remark that Leclerc appeared very
 ry at having undertaken the war, that be had done so in the
 ~biasion that he could soon bring it to a successful terminal.
 iph4d that, being now disabused of that error, was deiroeu

; ",