“In order,” said Hédouville, as if in explanation of a friend’s purposes, “in order to yield implicit obedience to its commands.” Then resuming his seat, he observed to Toussaint, “I believe General Michel desires some little explanation of certain circumstances attending his landing at Cap.”
“I do,” said General Michel, resuming his solemn air. “You are aware that General Vincent and I were arrested on landing?”
“I am aware of it. It was by my instant command that you were set free.”
“By whose command, or by what error, then, were we arrested?”
“I hoped that full satisfaction had been afforded you by Monsieur Raymond, the Governor of Cap Français. Did he not explain to you that it was by an impulse of the irritated blacks—an impulse of which they repent, and to which they will not again yield, proceeding from anger for which there is but too much cause? As you, however, are not to be made responsible for the faults of your government towards us, the offending parties have been amply punished.”
“I,” said Hédouville, from the sofa behind, “I am held responsible for the faults of our government towards you. What are they?”
“We will discuss them at Cap,” replied Toussaint. “There you will be surrounded by troops of your own colour; and you will feel more at liberty to open your whole mind to me than, it grieves me to perceive, you are when surrounded by blacks. When you know the blacks better, you will become aware that the highest security is found in fully trusting them.”
“What is it that you suppose we fear from the blacks?”
“When we are at Cap, I will ask you what it was that you feared, Monsieur Hédouville, when you chose to land at Saint Domingo, instead of at Cap—when you showed your mistrust of your fellow-citizens by selecting the Spanish city for your point of entrance upon our island. I will then ask you what it is that your government fears, that it commits the interests of the blacks to a new legislature, which understands neither their temper nor their affairs.”
“This was, perhaps, the cause of the difficulty we met with at Cap,” observed General Michel.