NOTES AND TESTIMONIES. 335

 their clutches. In favor of independence under the constitu-
 tional assembly, terrorists under the Jacobins, and, finally, zeal-
 ous Bonapartists, they knew how to assume the mask of any
 party, in order to obtain place and favor. It was thus, by their
 insdious counsels, they urged Bonaparie to undertake this in-
 iquitous expedition to Hayti. It was this faction who, after
 having advised the expedition, furnished the pecuniary resources
 which were nece-sary, by means of subscriptions which were at
 this time c..mmenced. In a word, it was this faction which
 caused the Ilood of our compatriots to flow in torrents,- which
 invented the exhausting tortures to which we were subjected;
 it is to these colonists that France owes the loss of a powerful
 army, which perished in the plains and marshes of Hayti; it is
 to th-m .he owes the shame of an enterprise which has fixed an
 indelible stain on the French name.
 Immediately, the greater part of the people took up arms
 for the preservation of life and lberty. Even this first move-
 ment alarmed the French, and appeared to General Leclerc so
 important as to cause him to summon a special meeting of the
 colonists, in order to adopt measures suitable to bring about
 a better state of affairs; but these colonists, far from desisting
 from their atrocious principles, notwithstanding the imminence
 of the danger, unanimously exclaimed, If there is no slavery,
 there is no colony I'
 SMlemberm of the council, it was in vain that we raised our
 voices toi prevent the total ruin of our country; in vain we rep-
 rewented to them the horrible injustice of again casting so many
 free men into slavery ; in vain (for we knew the spirit of lib-
 erty which animated our compatriots) we denounced this meas-
 ure as the c-rtain ruin of the country, and that it would detach
 it forever from France: it was all in vain. Convinced that
 there no longer remained any hope of con iliation, and that we
 wer-e compelledl loeboose between slavery and death, then, with
 our wapons in our hands, we undeceived our compatriots,
 whone whole attention was directed toward us, and we unani-
 mously seized our swords, resolved either to drive those tyrants
from the land forever, or to die.