return of her sons. Yet all this caused
to his sympathising heart scarcely a pang; so clear was his path now, so
distinct was the issue to which his duty, and the fate of his race was
brought.

"Here it ends then," said he, one day at the council-table, rising as
bespoke. "Here ends all possibility of compromise. For the blacks, it
is slavery or self-defence. It is so, Monsieur Pascal."

"It is. The terms of the new peace are proclaimed."

"And the fact substantiated that Bonaparte has declared that he will do
what he pleases with Saint Domingo."

"Such were certainly his words."

"Who is surprised?" inquired Dessalines. "I forewarned you of this,
long ago: and I said, at the same time, that, if we waited for
aggression, we might find it too late for defence."

"Not a word of fear, Jacques. Our victory is as sure as the justice of
Heaven."

"Perhaps so; but it would have been easier if you had not been training
your people, all these years, to love and cherish those whom they are
now going to resist."

"I see and admit our difficulty, Jacques. But if I had governed as you
would have had me, we should have been in a worse. I should then have
been the chief of a race of savages, instead of soldiers and citizens.
If we had been extirpating the whites all this time, we should now have
been destroying each other, instead of preparing to go forth to a
righteous war."

"True. Most true," declared Henri. "We may suffer for a time, and
fight with the more difficulty, from our habits of observance towards
those whom we must now oppose; but God will not allow the spirit of
forgiveness and love to be finally a snare."

"Never," said Toussaint. "He has appointed fierce passions for a yoke,
and mild affections for freedom. Though Bonaparte betrays and
oppresses, the Gospel stands.--It is now time for proclaiming the war
throughout the colony."

"I will prepare the proclamation this night," said Monsieur Pascal.

"If you will, my friend," said Toussaint. "But I intend to be my own
proclamation. To-morrow morning I set forth for Saint Domingo, to visit
my brother in his city. I shall examine every fort, and call together
the militia, as I go. The trip would be more effective if I could have
my council about me."

"I will go with you," said Henri.

"And I," exclaimed Jacques.

"And I?" said Raymond, inquiringly.

"No, Raymond; stay at Port-au-Prince, to report my proceedings to the
legislature. A