heats of Saint Domingo it was permitted to
lay wigs aside), and the good wine animating yet further the spirit of
his lively countenance, Odeluc was received with a murmur of welcome,
before he opened his lips to speak.

"I must acknowledge, my fellow-citizens," said he, "I never was more
satisfied with regard to the state of our colony than now. We have had
our troubles, to be sure, like the mother-country, and like all
countries where portions of the people struggle for power which they
ought not to have. But we have settled that matter for ourselves, by
the help of our good Governor, and I firmly believe that we are at the
commencement of a long age of peace."

Here some applauded, while two or three shook their head. Odeluc
continued--

"I see some of my friends do not altogether share my hopes. Yet are
these hopes not reasonable? The Governor has himself assured me that
nothing shall induce him to notice the obnoxious decree, till he has, in
the first place, received it under all the official forms--in the next
place, written his remonstrance to the government at home--and, in the
third place, received an answer. Now, all this will take some time. In
three days, we deputies shall begin our session; and never were the
members of any assembly more united in their will and in their views,
and therefore more powerful. We meet for the express purpose of
neutralising the effects of this ill-judged decree; we have the power--
we have the will--and who can doubt the results? The management of this
colony has always succeeded well in the hands of the whites; they have
made its laws, and enforced them--they have allowed the people of colour
liberty to pursue their own business, and acquire property if they
could, conscious of strength to restrain their excesses, if occasion
should arise: and, as for the negro population, where in the world were
affairs ever on a better footing between the masters and their force
than in the colony of Saint Domingo? If all has worked so well
hitherto, is it to be supposed that an ignorant shout in the National
Assembly, and a piece of paper sent over to us thence, can destroy the
harmony, and overthrow the prosperity which years have confirmed? I,
for one, will never believe it. I see before me in my colleagues men to
whom the tranquillity of the colony may be safely confided; and over
their heads, and beyond the wise laws they are about to pass for the
benefit of both the sup