LetterbyToussaintL’OuverturetoLaveaux
20February1796
InFebruary1796,plantationworkersinthenorthernmountainsofSaint
DominguenearPort-de-PaixrevoltedinresponsetothedismissalofEtienneDatty,
alocalblackcommander.Toussaint,whorodeovernighttoputdowntherebellion,
describesinthisletterhisnegotiationswiththerebels....ForToussaint,freedomis
onlypossiblethroughorganizedlabourundertheruleofuniversal,rights-based
lawofferedbytheFrenchRepublic.Fortherebelliousworkers,freedomarises
insteadthroughasharedcommunalexperienceofsufferingsuchasthattheyhave
sharedwithDattywhichhasnonecessaryconnection,andiseveninimical,to
large-scaleplantationlabour.
1Ventôse,an4
[...]AssoonasIarrived[inPort-de-Paix],IwrotetoPageot,commanderofthe
Northernprovince,toalerthimtomyarrival,andsentBaptisteAndrowithtwo
ofmydragoonstodelivertheletter.Atthatmoment,alargenumberoffarmers,
bothmenandwomen,cametomewithfood,somechickensandeggs.Theytold
mehowgladtheyweretoseemeandthattheyhopedIwouldputanendtoall
thesedisorders.Iorderedthemtogetmehay,whichtheydidimmediatelyand
seemedtodowithpleasure.Itookthistobeagoodsignthatitwouldnotbe
difficulttoresolvethings.
Atsevenintheevening,Etiennearrives,inconformitywiththeorderIhadsent
him,witharoundfivehundredmen,manyofthemarmed.Isaddledmyhorse
andorderedEtiennetoformacircleofallthecitizenswhohadgonewithhim,as
wellasthosewhohadjustarrivedwiththehay.Imountedmyhorseandentered
thecirclewhere,afterhavingcondemnedthemurderstheyhadcommitted,Itold
themthatiftheywishedtopreservetheirlibertytheywouldhavetosubmitto
thelawsoftheRepublic,andbedocileandwork,thatitwasonlyinthiswaythat
theywouldbenefitfromtheirfreedom.Furthermore,Isaidthatiftheyhadany
claimtomakethattheywouldneverobtainitinthismanner,andthatGodhad
said:Askandyeshallreceive,knockandmydoorwillbeopentoyou,butthathe
hasnotsaidtocommitcrimestoobtainwhatoneneeds.
Iaskedthemiftheyknewmeandwhethertheyweregladtoseeme.They
answeredyes,thattheyknewthatIwasthefatherofallblacks,andthatthey
alsoknewthatIhadneverceasedtoworkfortheirhappinessandfortheir
liberty,buttheybeggedmetolistentothemandthatperhapsIwouldseethat
theywerenotsointhewrongasIbelieved.Iwasquietandlistenedtothem.One
ofthemspokeandsaidtome:‘General,allofuslookuponyouasourFather,itis
youafterGodwhoaredearesttousandinwhomwehavethemostconfidence.’I
toldhimtobesilentandsaidthatiftheythoughtofmeinthiswaytheyshould
nothaveactedastheyhad,andthatiftheyhadfearedtoaddresstheGovernor
General[Laveaux]whomwemustallregardasourfatherandthedefenderof
ourliberty,theyshouldhavecometome.Iwouldthenhavetriedtoconvincethe
GovernorGeneraltomeettheirdemandsifIfoundthemjust,andthatIwouldin
thiswayhavepreventedthemfromcommittingsuchcrimes.Theyansweredme
thattheylovetheGovernorGeneral,butthatunfortunatelyforthem,allmenare
notlikehim,forthentheywouldsurelybehappy.Theywentontosay,‘Sincethe
beginningoftherevolution,Étiennehasalwaysbeenourleader,itishewhohas
alwayscommandedus.Hehasalwayssharedinourmiseryinourstruggleto
winourfreedom.Whyhashiscommandbeentakenfromhim,andwhyishe
seenassoundeservingastogiveittoanotherwithoutouragreement?Thatis
why,general,wetookuparms.Itisunfortunateforusthattherearebadmen
amonguswhohavecommittedcrimes.Butwearebynomeansaccomplicesin
allthat.Alas,general,theywishaswelltomakeusslaves;thereisnoequality
here,asitseemsthereiswithyou.Lookhowthewhitesandcolouredmenwho
arewithyouaregoodandareunitedwiththeblacks.Onewouldthinktheywere
brothersfromthesamemother.That,general,iswhatwecallequality.Hereitis
notthesame.Wearelookeddownupon,theyvexusateveryturn.Theydon’t
payuswhatweareowedforthefoodwegrow.Theyforceustogiveawayour
chickensandpigsfornothingwhenwegotoselltheminthecity,andifwe
complain,theyhaveusarrestedbythepolice,andtheythrowusinprison
withoutgivingusanythingtoeat,andthenmakeuspaytogetout.Yousee,
general,thatoneisnotfreeifheistreatedlikethis.Wearecertainfromwhatwe
observethatallthosewhoarewithyouarecontentandloveyou.’
Whenhestoppedspeaking,Iaskedhimifthiswasalltheyhadtocomplain
about.Heansweredme:‘Yes’.Iaskedalltheothersifwhathehadsaidwastrue.
Theyansweredmealltogetherthatitwastrue.Iquietedthemdownandsaid,
‘Myfriends,Ishouldn’ttreatyouinthisway,becausetheshameyoubringtome
andallthemenofourcolourmakesmeseethatyourarenotmyfriends.Allthe
reasonsthatyougiveappearjusttome,butifyoushouldgivemeahousefullof
them’–Iusedthisexpressiontomakethemunderstandthattheycouldhaveall
thereasonstheywishedandstilltheywereinthewrongbecausetheyhad
renderedthemselvesguiltyintheeyesofGod,ofthelaw,andofmen.‘WhatwillI
telltheNationalConventionwhenitwillaskmeforanaccountofwhatyouhave
justdone?Howisitpossible,whenIhavejustsentdeputiestotheNational
Conventiontothanktheminthenameofalltheblacksforthemagnanimous
decreethatgrantsthemliberty?HowcanIassurethem,afterthis,thattheywill
worktodeservethisdecreeandwillprovetoFranceandtoallnationsthatthey
areworthybytheirsubmissiontothelaw,bytheirworkandtheirdocility,thatI
cananswerforthemall,andthatsoon,withthehelpofFrance,weshallproveto
theentireuniversethatSt-Domingue,workedbyfreehands,willrecoverits
wealth?Answermethis.MyshamewillshowthatIhavedeceivedthem;itwill
provetothemwhattheenemiesofourfreedomhavetriedtomakethembelieve,
thatblacksarenotfittobefree,thatiftheybecomefreetheywillnolonger
work,andthattheywillstealandkill.’
Theyansweredmethattheywerewrongandbeggedme,inallmyfriendshipfor
them,torepairthismistake,andsworetomenevertodowrongagainandtobe
wiseandobedient,todonothingmorewithoutconsultingmeandtostopthe
firstamongthemwhowoulddaretogivebadadvice.[...]IpromisedthemthatI
hadcomefornothingelse,butthatitwasuptothemtoprovethattheywanted
peaceandtranquillitybyallofthemreturningimmediatelytotheirrespective
plantationsandstartingbacktowork,andthatthiswasentirelyuptothem.
‘Forgiveus,general,wewillbesogoodthatyouwillbeforcedtoforgetwhatwe
havejustdone.’SoIaskedthemtogoaway.