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Throughout the reign of Louis XVII, it was a favorite object of his ministry, to regain authority in Hayti. At length, when the Haytian government had indignantly rejected several other overtures, made by the French, Louis caused Boyer to be informed, that he would confirm the independence of Hayti, on condition of being paid an indemnity and acknowledged as suzerain. Hereupon, Boyer, decidedly rejecting the last condition, intimated his willingness to comply with the other; and was therefore invited to appoint an agent to treat with France. Gen. Boye was accordingly despatched to Brussels, in 1823; but accomplished nothing. Urged again to Urged again to negotiate, Boyer sent two agents to France, in May, 1824, Larose, and Rouanez, with full powers to conclude a commercial treaty. France again renewed her demand of external sovereignty over Hayti; and of course, the negotiations were abruptly terminated.

It would seem, however, from the sequel, that some communication was still kept up between the governments of the two countries; for in May, 1825, baron de Mackau, of the navy, sailed from Rochfort in the frigate Circe, bearing despatches to the French admiral Jurien, commanding in the West Indies,and with an ordinance, dated April 17th, containing the following articles :

"Charles, by the grace of God,king of France and Navarre: To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting: Considering,&c. we have ordained, and do ordain, as follows:

"Art. 1. The ports of the French part of St. Domingo, are open to the commerce of all nations.

"The duties levied in the ports, either upon vessels or merchandize, whether entering or going out, shall be equal and uniform, for all flags, except for the French flag, in favor of which, these duties shall be reduced one half.

"2. The present inhabitants of the French part of St. Domingo, shall pay into the caisse, &c. of France, in five equal instalments, from year to year, the first of which will become due, December 31st, 1825, the sum of 150,000,000 of francs destined to indemnify the ancient colonists, who shall claim an indemnity.

"3. We grant, on these conditions, by the present ordinance, to the actual inhabitants of the French part of the island of St. Domingo, the full and entire independence of their government. Given at Paris, &c. CHARLES." Bearing this extraordinary instrument, baron Mackau appeared off Port au Prince, July 3d. It had been arranged, that admiral Jurien, with a powerful squadron, should be in readiness, to hasten there, on receiving notice to that effect.

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soon as Mackau appeared in sight, two officers came on board the Circe, and conducted him to a suitable residence, in the city. Conferences were immediately opened, between him and three commissioners appointed by Boyer, to accept this ordinance as a recognition of independence. After three days, they not arriving at any result, Boyer himself, took up the discussion in person; and July 8th, wrote to Mackau, signifying his acceptance, in the name of the people of Hayti, of the king's ordinance. Boyer, it is said, consulted some of his principal officers, on the subject, who all declared that they would confide in the wisdom of the chief of the republic.

A few days afterwards, the senate convened to confirm the acceptance of the ordinance, according to the laws of the country. The occasion was celebrated as a holiday. A numerous body of troops formed a double line from the sea shore, to the senate house. Baron de Mackau, accompanied by admiral Jurien, and the officers of his squadron, which was now in port, carried the ordinance to the senate house, where they were received with due respect and ceremony. Here the ordinance was read and confirmed by the senate; and Boyer immediately issued a proclamation, announcing the act, which, he said, added the formality of a law to the

political existence which the Haytians had already acquired.

From that day, until the twentieth, when Mackau left Port au Prince, the French were entertained in a series of brilliant fetes; by which the inhabitants manifested their joy at the supposed full acknowledgment of their independence. Three Haytian agents, Messrs. Daumee, Rouanez, and Fremont, accompanied the baron de Mackau to France, for the purpose of negotiating a loan for the payment of the first instalment of the indemnity; which they successfully accomplished.

Meantime, when the French had departed and the rejoicings of the people were over, they had time to reflect upon the nature of this ordinance. In fact, it contained no renunciation of sovereignty. On the contrary, it treated the Haytians as subjects. Charles did not negotiate with Boyer as sovereign with sovereign: but sold him an empty, unsubstantial, nominal recognition of independence, at an enormous price. Boyer acquired nothing; Charles parted with nothing; the whole was, in fact, an claborate imposition, either upon the French, or the Haytians; and so the transaction was universally understood.

In France, the ministerial journals carefully protested that the acceptance of the ordinance by Boy

er, was, in fact, an acknowledgment of sovereignty in Charles. The net revenue of the colonists, they calculated, was fifteen millions; and ten years purchase being a fair price for land in the Antilles, France, they said, had merely sold, her property at its just price. The king, using the full exercise of his legitimate sovereignty, opens the ports of St. Domingo. The inhabitants, received the king's orders with respect and gratitude; and after a full submission on their part, he acknowledges the independence of their government. Such was the language holden in France, in reference to the fact. A commission was immediately instituted there, having the duc de Levis for president, to decide upon the claims of the ex-colonists for indemity out of the payments to be made by Hayti.

Boyer had deemed it expedient not to print in Hayti, the pretended acknowledgment ofindependence. But the subject necessarily became, very soon, the topic of conversation, and produced great dissatisfaction. The veteran soldiers, who had bled to achieve their independence, were chagrined to discover that, under the insidious guise of a recognition of it, they had in fact gained nothing; and had substantially mortgaged the whole island to France, for the payment of a heavy idemnity. The Americans, English, and Ger

mans, whose trade enabled the island to prosper, were incensed at the conclusion of an arrangement, which sold the commerce of Hayti to France. All, who deplored the past distractions of the country, and desired peace and good order, apprehended that on some future occasion the blacks and mulattoes, who never had been the most cordial friends, might again involve the island in bloodshed.

Indeed, Nord, Prophet, and others, the old black officers of Christophe, who lost much of their importance on his death, and who had always been jealous of Boyer's being under French influence, now loudly accused him of treason, and engaged in a conspiracy to cut off the mulattoes, in the northern arrondissemens. They seized, it is said, the opportunity of the rejoicings at Cape Haytian, as the acknowledgment of independence, and intended to strike a decisive blow in the unsuspecting moments of general festivity. The conspiracy failed, from the want of co-operation in the privates of the garrison, who tired of civil war, denounced their revolutionary generals. Boyer was at Gonaives, when informed of the plot; and immediately took effectual measures for suppressing it, and securing the principal conspirators.

The friends of Boyer, alleged that Hayti gained a full equivalent

for what she paid, in the advantages of increased security to her ports, and the quiet possession of property; that she might now reduce her military force, and economize in her expenses; that France was the natural ally of Hayti, and would hereafter faithfully support her interests; and that she had become entitled thenceforth to consideration in the political world. All these advantages, however, were nominal. Hayti was more safe from the dangers of invasion before, than after the arrangement with France; and to gain the friendship and commerce of her inveterate enemy, she cast off all her steadfast friends, and burthened their commerce with discriminating duties.

Thus matters stood for a while. Afterwards, it was disclosed that Boyer had been induced to accept the ordinance, only by the addition of certain modifications and explanations to it, tending to make the acknowledgment of independence unqualified, and, of course, satisfactory; and, also, limiting the duration of commercial privileges to the period of five years. On these conditions, Boyer accepted the ordinance, relying in the good faith of Charles X. to ratify the doings of his commissioners. Boyer's agents went to France, therefore, not merely for the purpose of obtaining a loan; but to receive the

king's ratification of the supplementary articles. In eight months his commissioners returned, having fully succeeded in procuring a loan for the first instalment; but bringing a document, in explanation of the ordinance, altogether unsatisfactory, and, in fact, a mere evasion. Of course, the Haytians, who had frankly and confidingly treated with the French, finding themselves deceived, immediately conceived distrust of the future intentions of their old enemies. The government, therefore, found itself under the ne cessity of maintaining all its military force, as a precaution against any breach with France.

Nor was this all. Hayti contracted to pay France thirty millions of francs annually; and borrowed, of French subjects, that sum for the first instalment. But how was she to fulfil her contracts? The expenses of her government amounted to two and a half millions of dollars; and Boyer must, consequently, raise eight and a half millions every year, if he would pay the indemnity. But the whole produce of the island is not estimated at above seven millions; and, therefore, Hayti could not, and would not, prove able to com. ply with her engagements; and either a new rupture, between the two governments, would have to ensue; or France must make an

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other bargain with Hayti, within the means of the latter to perform. Such were the state of things, and speculation upon the subject in Hayti, when the conclusion of the negotiation opened to them a view of the whole ground. France seemed, in fact, to have overreach ed herself, as well as Hayti; for the subjects of France having lent the islanders six millions, actually had a deeper stake in its welfare than before.

In the fall, murmurs of discontent in Hayti, on account of the operation of the arrangement with France, grew loud and constant. Its commerce was deplorably reduced, foreign goods high, and but little produce brought into market. The government saw itself reduced to the ruinous necessity of putting à paper medium in circulation; and Boyer issued a proclamation, declaring that it would be done the beginning of October. But in consequence, it was said, of the urgent representations of the foreign merchants, this disastrous scheme was at least suspended. The government finding its situation altogether precarious, summoned a meeting of the generals commanding the different arrondissemens, to devise measures for relieving the public embarrassments. consequence of this call, the generals and principal military officers of the republic assembled at

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During the last summer, the political circles in France began to apprehend a difficulty with Hayti. No commercial treaty had as yet been concluded with that island. The French accused the Americans and English of strenuously endeavoring to excite the suspicions of the Haytians against France, and to obtain a monopoly of their trade. The Americans and English, on the other hand, replied, with great justice, that all they wanted, was exact equality in the trade for all nations, and exclusive privileges for none; that the French had impoverished Hayti, and driven away all other nations from the island, by an arrangement, to which they had only obtained Boyer's consent,by assurances, which they never intended to fulfil; and that it was the right of Hayti, as it was her interest and duty, to annul the whole contract.

Rumors now prevailed, that England was actually negotiating a commercial treaty with Hayti. Connected therewith, was a report, which greatly alarmed the French merchants, that the half duties in their favor would cease at the expiration of the year, and all vessels be admitted on equal foot

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