ell-known slaves. The
whites concealed this. They did not believe him; they believed only that
the blacks were their born slaves, fit for the whip, incapable of
courage or honor or martyrdom. Experience only was to teach them.

At first the whites acted upon the defensive. The Assembly was rancorous
against France in the midst of this destruction, and effaced from behind
the Speaker's chair the motto "_Vive la Nation, la Loi, et le Roi!_"
Even when destruction was over them they heeded not: their bickerings
continued. The negro generals declared that they were fighting for their
King, and against slavery--for a rumor had reached them that Louis
favored emancipation. They had the strongest party and the strongest
side. At length the whites determined upon a war of extermination. The
blacks responded. Heads of whites were stuck on poles around the negro
camps. Bodies of negroes swung on gibbets in the white encampments and
on trees by the roadside. Within two months two thousand whites and ten
thousand blacks perished. _Te Deum_ was sung in both camps and daily
thanksgivings were said for what was done. Pale ghosts hovered over them
and sighed in the tropical groves; but they could not speak for pity or
for justice. The insurrection spread to the southwest, and two thousand
mulattoes, headed by Rigaud, rose to revenge the death of some of their
comrades; many negroes joined them and they threatened Port au Prince.
The colonists were now thoroughly alarmed, and proceeded to try
reconciliation. The inhabitants of Port au Prince and Rigaud agreed upon
a truce, and the whites admitted that the slaughter of certain mulattoes
had been "infamous," and agreed that the civil rights of the mulattoes
should be allowed them. At last! Was it not too late?

Governor Blanchelande issued a proclamation earnestly entreating the
revolted negroes to lay down their arms and return to their duty. It was
too late. They laughed in derision at his small request. What! to
slavery and work and degradation and cruelty, even! They had burst
their fetters and stood with arms in their hands. "Will you," they
replied to the Governor, "will you, brave General, that we should, like
sheep, throw ourselves into the jaws of the wolf? It is too late. It is
for us to conquer or die!"

On September 11, 1791, the whites at Port au Prince had consented to the
civil rights of the mulattoes. On October 23d the _Concordat_ had been
signed; the whites and mulattoe