226 TEE LIFE OP

 free. In their emancipation the colonial system would
 dangered, nay, would loon be lost; for freedom was t
 cursor of independence : and if the iolonies became i
 dent, what strongholds wold Fran:e poi)esi in the W
 dies to check the gruwing power rof England ; and where
 be its outposts to keep the United Statei in good behav
 Even more important were tho.ie d.-penden ies when c
 ered as pastures I)r the powi-rrl and the aspiring around
 Consul's person. Let the *:olonies he reduced into servit
 then would they naturally enterr am constituent parts in an
 pire under governors with more than tie F.wer of ordia
 princes, who, with Bunapart- at their head, nould form a
 lar and nugurt political hierarchy, and so lay the basis of
 minion whith might extend widely over both hemisphere,
 not in time comprehend the civihzed world. To the ambitia
 Corsican the prospect was enchanting. The herds of Hayti.
 negroes must be sent back into slavery.
 This resolution he knew wouldd not be carried into effect
 long as Toussaint L'Ouverture li\%-ed on the island. His ex
 tence there was the srcond great impe-limr:nt. That impe
 meant, to., the C'ontul dJetermine.l to reimovn The dttermin
 tion wai the mor.e readily fIrmtd l:ecaun-- the world had coH
 to regard Tou.saint as a sort of rival to Bonaparte. ThK
 phrase became current whl,.h ile.ignatonl tlhi one "* the first
 the blacks," arid the other th: fir.t ..I' the iwliile." Compa
 isons were made between the two whi, h the First Consul 4
 ways fuundl i-nffr;ivr, aul whiih were not always to the Fi
 Consul's advantage. Was his bright star to pale before
 fiery meteor of a slave ? Besides, that 6lave had not been ea
 ly subdued; he had all but overcome and destroyed the soldi4
 of Egypt and Italy. Whteu peace was concluded, it was dif
 S cult to say whelhi-r the asailant or the assailed was in the wor
S condition. This tjanly and et.'ettive resistance Bonapart
 could not I;r;give. It would have been less intolerable, had
 been made by Europeans; but to come fiom negro slaves-
 was an unpardonable odf-nce. Yes, Bonaparte hated Tol