“Even so, Henri. The English believed that I had acted on my own account; and that we, the children of France, should turn against our mother in the day of her perplexity, and join hands with her foes.”
“Any other man would have done it,” said Monsieur Pascal.
“No, Pascal; no man who was appointed, like me, to redeem his race.”
“How do you consider that you will injure your race by accepting the proposal of the Assembly?” asked Monsieur Pascal. “I understand why you would accept nothing from the hands of the English; and also why you would hesitate to assume a power which the government at home would doubtless disallow. But how would your race be injured by honours paid to you?”
“You are my friend,” replied Toussaint. “Is it possible that you can fail to understand?”
“I call myself your friend too,” said Dessalines, “and I declare I can comprehend nothing of it.”
“Your prejudices on one point are strong, Jacques; and prejudice is blind. Monsieur Pascal is singularly unprejudiced: and therefore I believed that he would understand me.”
“Perhaps I do: but I wish to hear your reasons from yourself.”
“Particularly,” interposed Raymond, “as to whether you believe the blacks (who are, we know, your first object) would be more benefited by continued connection with France or by independence. I believe Monsieur Pascal is unprejudiced enough to bear the discussion of even this point.”
“It is that which I wish to understand clearly,” observed Monsieur Pascal.