Show TOUSSAINT LOOVKRTURE Story of a Remarkable Career Begun In Slavery at tho Age of ot Thirty years ago Toussaint 1Ouverture was a name to conjure with Poets and orators described his virtues and his genius and cited him as an illustrious example of the capabilities of his race A romantic interest will always attach to bis name The fact that he lived for fiftyfour years in deepest obscurity as a slave on 3 Haitian plantation and the epic character of his subsequent achievements gives a tinge of antique heroism to his history The French colony In Haiti was long one of the greatest slave marts in tho world At the time of the French revolution there tme were in the colony 30000 whites 20000 free mulattos and 500000 slaves The mulattoes many of whom had been educated edu-cated in France took advantage of the revolution and obtained a recognition of their political rights from the French Assembly the whites of Haiti refused to recognize the decision and a war broke out which was complicated by an uprising of the whole slave population On a memorable memor-able night in August 1791 the plantations were fired and many whites murdered Toussaint had not at this time acquired the name of LOuverture This word meaning the openintr was applied to him afterward because he opened a way for the freedom of his race through the chaotic conditions of the following folowing year In the dreadful war of the year following the uprisal of the slaves his extraordinary influence over his race and his military genius gave him preeminence over all other chiefs design of freeing his race vhich could only be accomplished Dy making it the ruling race of Haiti gradually took shape in his mind and forms the keystone of his career France Spain and England each bid high for his alliance but France declared for the freedom of the slaves and he finally ranged himself under the French flag It was evidently evi-dently his desire to maintain u desirable connection with s European power which would yet leave him at liberty to develop his plans for his own race but the realize tion of his idea required a disinterested cooperation co-operation of which no European government govern-ment was capable In a few years he had been recognized by France as commanderInchief of the army of Haiti and was practically dictator As a ruler of Haiti he surrounded himself him-self with the pomp of a prince although personally he retained habits of severe simplicity He ate sparingly and slept little being possessed of extraordinary I powers of endurance In dignity of manner man-ner he was entirely equal to his position He endeavored to reconcile conflicting races his rule was impartial and able But Napoleon was not a man to allow a dictator under himself Ho sent an army of 30000 men tc Haiti to restore slavery and reduce the colony to subjection Suspecting true purooo of the expedition expe-dition Toussamt resisted the landing of the army but finally laid downs his arms after he had been assured that there was no intention in-tention of restoring slavery and that he injured in-jured the cause of his race by resisting Ho was still too powerful to be openly seized but be was decoyed into the French quarters and was then hurried on board a vessel and carried to France He hoped to meet Napoleon and defend his conduct but on landing ho was secretly hurried to a lonely fortress in tho Alps where he shortly aftew rd died Many wild stories attributing his death to murder found credence cre-dence at the time Neglect and the change from the tropic to an Alpine climate doubtless doubt-less hastened his death By his removal the progress of his race was incalculably retarded While Toussamts fate and place of imprisonment im-prisonment were still unknown Wads worth wrote the beautiful sonnet To Toassaint LOuverturo His history is the subject of a drama by Lam irtine and of a novel The Hour and the Man by Harriet Murtineau During the antislavery slavery agitation in the United States he was cited as a most illustrious example of the capabilities of his race A poem by Whittier and an oration by Wendell Phil lips commemorate his virtues and genius |