bloody people, addicted to human sacrifice, and other
barbarous customs; and, Thirdly, that their soil was incapable of
producing any proper articles for commerce. From these premises he
argued, as if they had been established by the unanimous and
uncontradicted testimony of the witnesses; and he drew the conclusion,
that not only had England done nothing in consequence, but that she
never would do anything which should affect the existence of this trade.

But these letters had only just made their appearance in the public
papers, when I was summoned to England; parliament, it appeared, had
met, and I was immediately to leave Paris. Among those of whom I had but
just time to take leave, were the deputies of colour. At this, my last
conference with them, I recommended moderation and forbearance, as the
best gifts I could leave them; and I entreated them rather to give up
their seats in the Assembly, than on that account to bring misery on
their country; for that with patience their cause would ultimately
triumph. They replied, that I had prescribed to them a most difficult
task; they were afraid that neither the conduct of the white colonists
nor of the National Assembly could be much longer borne; they thanked
me, however, for my advice. One of them gave me a trinket, by which I
might remember him; and as for himself, he said he should never forget
one, who had taken such a deep interest in the welfare of his mother[A].
I found, however, notwithstanding all I said, that there was a spirit of
dissatisfaction in them, which nothing but a redress of their grievances
could subdue; and that, if the planters should persevere in their
intrigues, and the National Assembly in delay, a fire would be lighted
up in St. Domingo, which could not easily be extinguished. This was
afterwards realized: for Oge, in about three months from this time, left
his companions, to report to his constituents in St. Domingo the state
of their mission; when hearing, on his arrival in that island, of the
outrageous conduct of the whites of the committee of Aquin, who had
begun a persecution of the people of colour, for no other reason than
that they had dared to seek the common privileges of citizens, and of
the murder of Ferrand and Labadie, he imprudently armed his slaves. With
a small but faithful band he rushed upon superior numbers, and was
defeated; taking refuge at length in the Spanish part of St. Domingo, he
was given up, and his enemies, to