nation of war. Being attacked and vanquished, he took refuge amongst the Spaniards, who delivered him up to his adverfaries. The horrors of his death were the harbingers of future crimes. Thefe difturbances ftill increafing, the National Affembly found it neceffary at length to decide between the contending parties.

On the 15th of May, 1791, a decree was made, consisting of two articles, by the first of which the Affembly confirmed that of the 12th of October, fo far as refpected the flaves in their iflands. It is true, that the word flave was cautioufly omitted in this document, and they are only characterised by the negative defcription of "men not free," as if right and wrong depended on a play of words, or a mode of expreffion.

This part of the decree met with but little oppofition, though it paffed not without fevere reprehenfion from a few enlightened members. The fecond article, respecting the people of colour, was strongly contested: thofe who were before known by the appellation of patriots divided upon it. It was, however, determined in the refult, that the people of colour, born of free parents, should be confidered as active citizens, and be eligible to the offices of government in the islands.

This fecond article, which decided upon a right that the people of colour had been entitled to for upwards of a century, instead of reftoring peace, has been the pretext for all the fubfequent evils that the colony of St. Domingo has fuftained. They arofe not indeed from its execution, but from its counteraction by the white colonists. Had they, after the awful warnings they had already experienced, obeyed the ordinances of an Affembly they pretended to revere; had they imbibed one drop of the true fpirit of that constitution to which they had avowed an inviolable attachment; had they even fuppreffed the dictates of pride in the fuggeftions of prudence, the ftorm that threatened them had been averted, and in their obedience to the parent state they had displayed an act of patriotifin, and preferved themselves from all poffibility of danger.

But the equalization of the people of colour ftung the irritable nerves of the white colonists. The defcendants of flaves may lose the refentments of their fathers; but the hatred of a defpot is hereditary. The European maxim allows, "That they never pardon who have done the wrong;" but in the colonies this perversity attains a more monstrous growth, and the averfion to African blood defcends from generation to generation. No fooner had the decree paffed, than the deputien

Tt2

deputies from the islands to the National Affembly withdrew their at tendance: the colonial committee, always under the influence of the planters, fufpended their labours. Its arrival in the ifland ftruck the whites with confternation: they vowed to facrifice their lives rather than fuffer the execution of the decree. Their rage originating in defpotifm and phrenzy carried them fo far that they proposed to imprison the French merchants then in the island, to tear down the national flag, and hoist the British ftandard in its place, whilft the joy of the mulattoes was mingled with apprehenfions and with fears. St. Domingo re-echoed with the cries of the whites, with their menaces and blafphemies against the conftitution. A motion was made in the streets to fire upon the people of colour, who fled from the city, and took refuge in the plantations of their friends and in the woods they were at length recalled by proclamation; but it was only to fwear fubordination to the whites, and to be witneffes of frefli enormities, Amidst these agitations the flaves had remained in their accustomed fubordination; nor was it till the month of Auguft, 1791, that the fymptoms of the infurrection appeared amongst them.

A confiderable number, both of whites and people of colour, had loft their lives in these commotions before the flaves had given indi, cations of difaffection; they were not, however, infenfible of the opportunities of revolt afforded by the diffenfions of their masters; they had learnt that no alleviation of their miferies was ever to be expected from Europe; that in the struggle for colonia! dominion, their humble interefts had been equally facrificed or forgotten by all parties. They felt their curb relaxed by the dilarming and difper fion of their mulatto mafters, who had been accustomed to keep them under rigorous difcipline. Hopeless of relief from any quarter, they rofe in different parts, and spread defolation over the island. If the cold cruelties of defpotifm have no bounds, what shall be expected from the paroxyfms' of defpair?

On the 11th of September, 1791, a convention took place, which produced the agreement called the Concordat, by which the white planters ftipulated, that they would no longer oppofe the law of the 15th of May, which gave political rights to the people of colour. The colonial Affembly even promifed to meliorate the fituation of the people of colour, born of parents not free, and to whom the decree of the 15th of May did not extend. An union was formed between the planters, which, if it had fooner taken place, had prevented the infur

rection.

rection. The infurgents were every where difpirited, repulsed, and difperfed; and the colony itself preserved from total destruction.

By a decree of the National Affembly, the 24th of September, the people of colour were virtually excluded from all right of colonial legiflation, and exprefsly placed in the power of the white colonists.

If the decree of the 15th of May could inftigate the white colonists to the frantic acts of violence before defcribed, what shall we fuppofe were the feelings of the people of colour on that of the 24th of September, which again blafted thofe hopes they had juftly founded on the constitutional law of the parent state, and the folemn ratification of the white colonists? No fooner was it known in the islands, than thofe diffenfions which the revolt of the negroes had for a while appeafed, broke out with fresh violence. The apprehenfions entertained from the flaves had been allayed by the effects of the Concordat; but the whites no fooner found themselves relieved from the terrors of immediate deftruction, than they availed themfelves of the decree of the 24th of September; they formally revoked the Concordat, and treacherously refufed to comply with an engagement to which they owed their very exiftence. The people of colour were in arms; they attacked the whites in the fouthern provinces; they poffeffed themselves of Fort St. Louis, and defeated their opponents in feveral engagements. A powerful body furrounded Port au Prince, the capital of the island, and claimed the execution of the Concordat. At three different times did the whites affent to the requifition, and as often broke their engagement. Gratified with the predilection for monarchy and ariftocracy, which the Constituent Affembly had in its dotage avowed, they affected the appellation of patriots, and had the addrefs to transfer the popular odium to the people of colour, who were contending for their INDISPUTABLE RIGHTS, and to the few white colonists who had virtue enough to efpoufe their cause. Under this pretext, the municipality of Port au Prince required M. Grimoard, the captain of the Boreas, a French line of battle fhip, to bring his guns to bear upon, and to cannonade the people of colour affembled near the town: he at first refused, but the crew, deluded by the cry of patriotifin, enforced his compliance. No fooner was this measure adopted, than the people of colour gave a loose to their indignation; they fpread over the country, and fet fire indifcriminately to all the plantations; the greatest part of the town of Port au Prince soon after shared the fame fate. Nothing feemed to remain for the white inhabitants but to seek their safety in quitting the colony.

In

In the northern parts the people of colour adopted a more magnanimous and perhaps a more prudent conduct. "They begun," fays Mr. Verniaud, "by offering their blood to the whites. "We fhall wait," faid they, "till we have faved you, before we affert our own claims." They accordingly oppofed themselves to the revolted negroes with unexampled courage, and endeavoured to foothe them by attending to their reasonable requifitions.

After this recital of authentic and indifputable facts, it is not dif ficult to trace the caufes of the infurrection. The effects we leave to be described by the professed historian; but the prudent measures of the French government we flatter ourselves will ultimately fucceed in extending peace and liberty to every inhabitant of this, and all the other islands under their dominion; and may the godlike plan for the liberation and happiness of the African, be fpeedily imitated by thofe governments in Europe who have not had sufficient virtue to fet the example.*

In this account of the French Weft-India islands it will no doubt be remarked, that we have taken no notice of the conquest of fome of them by Great-Britain during the prefent war. The very great probability that they will foon acknowledge their former dependency on France, and perhaps join in extending her victories over some of the British islands, must be our excufe; but if this is not deemed fufficient, we have only to remark, that the common practice of furrendering, as the price of peace, what has been purchafed during a war by a torrent of human blood, render it impoffible to fay what will, in a few months, belong to England or France.

DUTCH

DUTCH

WEST-INDIES.

ST. EUSTATIUS,

SITUATED in 17° 29′ north latitude, and 63° 10' weft longitude,

and three leagues north-west of St. Christopher's, is only a mountain, about twenty-nine miles in compass, rifing out of the sea like a pyramid, and almoft round. But though fo fmall and inconveniently laid out by nature, the industry of the Dutch have made it to turn to very good account; and it is faid to contain five thousand whites, and fifteen thousand negroes. The fides of the mountains are laid out in very pretty fettlements, but they have neither fprings nor rivers. They raise here fugar and tobacco; and this island, as well as Curaffou, is engaged in the Spanish contraband trade, for which, however, it is not fo well fituated; and it has drawn the fame advantage from its constant neutrality. But when hoftilities were commenced by Great-Britain against Holland, Admiral Rodney was fent with a confiderable land and fea force against St. Euftatius, which, being incapable of any defence, furrendered at difcretion, on 3d of February, 1781. The private property of the inhabitants was confifcated, with a degree of rigour very uncommon among civilized nations, and very inconfiftent with the humanity and generofity by which the English nation used to be characterised. The reafon affigned was, that the inhabitants of St. Euftatius had affifted the United States with naval and other ftores. But on the 27th of November, the fame year, St. Eustatius was retaken by the French, under the command of the Marquis de Bouille, though their force confifted of only three frigates, fome small craft, and about three hundred men.

CURASSOU.