r TODUSSANT L'OUVERTURE. 241

 of Toussaint L'Ouverture, impelled to espouse his cause,
 death in ways which soldiers account disgraceful.
 ISocty exacts from bad men an account of their deeds, and
 imen, unable to give a satisfactory account, feel it necessary
ippt forth, at any cot, colnrable pretexts. Leclere could not
.lare the voice of public opinion, even as it existed in Saint
rmingo. He had treachronusly seized, and hastily sent from
Island, one who had been both its hero and its pacificator.
Hie evil work given him to perform by his brother-in-law, he
OI fully executed. Yet did he fear men's tongues. As a pal-
ion of the misdeed, he set abroad a statement that Tous-
Fint was plotting against the peace of the island. What was
evidence ? A 'abriation. Two letters, said to be written
'Toussaint, and intercepted, were put into circulation. The
1ud has come down to these days; it is uJ clumsy as to bear
.own condemnation on its front. If the authenticity of these
tters were ascertained, they prove nothing to Tousaint's dis-
 antage. Even the most tortuous interpretation could not
trat from them a valid su-picion. But their broken and
uttered words only show to what extremities their fabricators
Wre driven, in the fear of detection. And, so far as their sense
n be made out, neither the ideas nor the style correspond
ih the warm, energetic, rapid, and figurative manner of Tous-
liut L'Ouverture. The fabricator was some poor, mean creo-
re, who was utterly unable to give to his wretched composi-
6a the most superti.ial mark of that genius which appears in
B that we possess of Toussaint's writing or dictation. How-
ler, the fragments in some way served their purpose, in turning
Mention from Leclere's perfidy to the allegation of evil designs
il the part of his victim. Even if the evidence were less
brthless than it is, the presumption would be against the
kptain-General, who shunnedl a public investigation and con-
hinned unheard a man to whom he had solemnly pledged his
knor.
PThe blacks, guided by a simple sense of right and justice,
DiOe no credence to the alleged conspiracy, and saw the blood