Excerpt from Buonaparte in the West Indies, or the History of Toussaint Louverture, the African Hero

Every body has beard of Toussaint, the famous Negro General. Who does not know that it was he who fought so bravely for the freedom of the poor blacks of St. Domingo, and who also defended the island for France during the whole of the last war. In this, by the by, he did no more than his duty as a Frenchman, and every loyal Englishman will like him the better for it. He has been basely requited for all his services by that same slavish republic, but what of that! Had he played the traitor he would not have fared better in the end, and he would in that case have lost his honour, and his brave followers, perhaps, their freedom, both which are now out of danger. I hope too, we all are Christians enough to believe that it makes a mighty difference to him now he is dead and gone, that he was found faithful in the great duties to which it pleased God to call him.

Well! we have all heard, as I was saying, of Toussaint's feats in the last war, but it is not so well known how good a man he was, and what has happened to him and his brave islanders since, and f am resolved to give some account of both, aye, and to tell some home truths too about that wicked business, the murder of this great and good man, let the Consul take it how he may.

I thank God, Englishmen may still dare to tell the truth, though Buonaparte takes care that Frenchmen shall not hear it. What! are he and his ruffians to stab and drown all the poor labourers of St. Domingo because they chuse to work as men for wages, and not like horses under the driver's lash, and must Englishmen be kept in the dark about it, forsooth, for fear that his mightiness should be angry? No, this foul business shall out in spite of him. It shall be seen as plain as I can make it, who are the true friends of the common people, and who are not, for I can never for my part believe that they who hate, oppress, and murder the labouring poor in one part of the world, can really wish to make them free and happy in another.

But I must come to the point, for I have a long story to tell, and wish to be read by honest hard-working men, who cannot afford much time to books, especially now when their help may be wanting to keep the man-whip out of England.

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