TOUSA.sNT L'OUVERTURE. 309

 this part of the island; against whom, only two months before
 the arrival of the squadron, I had been obliged to march, and
 whom I lbr1..rd to hide in the forests ? Why were rebels and
 others ami.abtlly reffivred, while my subordinates and my elf, who
 remained I teadl'f-tly faithful to the French Government. and
 who had maintained order and tranquillity, were warred upon ?
 Why was it made a crime to have executed the orders of the
 Gov.:-rnm>-ut t Why wai all the evil which had been done and
 the di-orderi- whiih had exi-ted imputed to me? All these facts
are know L-y every inhabitant, of St. Domingo. Why, on ar-
 riling, lid thc.y not go to the root of the evil? Had ? e troops
 which gave themselves up to Gen. Leclerc received ie order
 from me ? Did they consult me ? No. Well I those who com-
 Smitted the wrong did not consult me. It is not right to at-
 tribute to me more Tronm than I dec-rve.
 I shared these retlletionq with some prisoners which I had.
 They replied that it was my ind en'e upon the people which
 was tlar-d, and that th-se violent means were employed to de-
 stroy it. Thi y caused me new reflections. Considering all
 the mi-:brtunrs which the colony had already suffered, the
 dwell;inv destroyed, ataissinations committed, the violence ex-
 ercised even upon women, I forgot all the wrongs which bad
 been done me, to think only of the happiness of the island and
 the intrre-t of thml Government. I determined to obey the order
 of the First Consul, sinie Gen. Ledere had just withdrawn from
 the Cape with all his Ibrn.es, alter the affair of Crdte-h-Pierrot.
 Let it be obr .rved that up to this time I had not been able
 to find an instant in which to reply to the First Consul
 I seized with (eagrnen s this momentary quiet to do so I
 assured th First Coniul ofl' my isunmi-sic.n and entire devotion
 to his ordtrd, but repre~sented to him that itf he did not send
 another olie-r -en,-ral to take command, the resistance which I
 must ronrinue .to oppoi to G'en. Letlore would tend to increase
 the prevaicut diiordv-r."
 I rtemimberrcl then that Gen. Dessalines had reported to me
 that two officers of the squadron--one an aide-do-camp of