are in the world! What would he have thought of the spectacle one day
seen in Hayti, when Toussaint L'Ouverture ranged his negro forces before
him, called out thirteen men from the ranks by name, and ordered them to
repair to a certain spot to be immediately shot? What would he have
thought of these thirteen men for crossing their arms upon their
breasts, bowing their heads submissively, and yielding instant
obedience? He might have pronounced Toussaint a ferocious despot, and
the thirteen so many craven fools: while the facts wear a very different
aspect to one who knows the minds of the men. It was necessary to the
good-will of a society but lately organized out of chaos, to make no
distinction between negro and other insurgents; and these thirteen men
were ringleaders in a revolt, Toussaint's nephew being one of them.
This accounts for the general's share in the transaction. As for the
negroes, the General was also the Deliverer,--an object of worship to
people of his colour. Obedience to him was a rule, exalted by every
sentiment of gratitude, awe, admiration, pride, and love, into a
religion; and a Haytian of that day would no more have thought of
resisting a command of Toussaint, than of disputing a thunder-stroke or
an earthquake.--What would an unsympathizing observer make of the
Paschal supper, as celebrated in the houses of Hebrews throughout the
world,--of the care not to break a bone of the lamb,--of the company all
standing, the men girded and shod as for a journey, and the youngest
child of the household invariably asking what this is all for? What
would the observer call it but mummery, if he had no feeling for the
awful traditional and religious emotion involved in the symbol?--What
would such an one think of the terrified flight of two Spanish nobles
from the wrath of their sovereign, incurred by their having saved his
beloved queen from being killed by a fall from her horse? What a puzzle
is here,--even when all the facts of the case are known;--that the king
was looking from a balcony to see his queen mount her Andalusian horse:
that the horse reared, plunged, and bolted, throwing the queen, whose
foot was entangled in the stirrup: that she was surrounded with
gentlemen who stood aloof, because by the law of Spain it was death to
any but her little pages to touch the person, and especially the foot of
the queen, and her pages were too young to rescue her; that these two
gentlemen devoted themselves to