The Horrors of San Domingo. [June

7G8 The Horrors of San Domingo. [June, THE HORRORS OF SAN DOMINGO* [Concluding Chapter.] T h e subject which I hoped to present It is only in the remote historical sense intelligibly in three or four articles has that Slavery provoked Insurrection. The continually threatened to step out of the first great night of horror in San Domin columns of a magazine and the patience go rose from circumstances that were not of its readers. The material which is at explicitly chargeable to the absence of hand for the service of the great points freedom or to the outrages of the slave of the story, such as the Commercial Dif holder. But if these things had not ficulty, the Mulatto Question, the State fuelled the lighted torches and whetted of Colonial Parties, the Effect of the the blades when grasped, it would have French Revolution, the Imbroglio of been strange an d ' monstrous indeed. Races, the Character of Toussaint l’Ou- Stranger still would it have been, if the verture, the Present Condition of Hayti, flames of that first night had not kindled and a Bibliography of the whole subject, in the nobler breasts among that un is now detached for perhaps a more de chained multitude a determination never liberate publication ; and two or three to endure plantation ferocity again. The points of immediate interest, such as the legitimate cause for rebelling then took French Cruelties, Emancipation and the the helm and guided the rest of the story Slave Insurrection, and the Negroes as into dignity. Soldiers, are grouped together for the The frequency of enfranchisement purpose of this closing article. might mislead us into expecting that the colonial system of slavery was tempered with humanity. It was rather like that PLANTATION CRUELTIES. monarchy which the wit described as be T h e social condition of the slaves can ing “ tempered by assassination.” The not be fully understood without some ref mulatto was by no means a proof that erence to the revolting facts connected mercy and justice regulated the planta with plantation management. It is well tion life. His enfranchisement reacted to know what base and ingenious cru cruelly upon the negro. It seemed as if elties could be tolerated by public opin the recognition of one domestic senti ion, and endured by the slaves without ment hurt the master’s feelings; the exciting continual insurrections. Won damage to his organization broke out der at this sustained patience of the against the lower race in anger. The blacks passes into rage and indignation connections between black and white of long before the student of this epoch fered no protection to the former, nor reaches the eventual outbreaks of 1791: amelioration of her lot. Indeed, the over it seems as if a just instinct of manhood seer, who desired always to be on good should have more promptly doomed these terms with the agent or the proprietor houses of iniquity, and handed them over of a plantation, was more severe towards to a midnight vengeance. And there re the unhappy object of his passion than to sults a kind of disappointment from the the other women, for fear of incurring discovery, that, when the blacks finally reproach or suspicion. When he became began to burn and slaughter, they were the owner of slaves, his emancipating not impelled by the desire of liberty or humor was no guaranty that they would the recollection of great crimes, but were receive a salutary and benignant treat blind agents of a complicated situation. ment. When a Frenchman undertakes to bo * See Numbers LYI., LVIII., LIX., and LXV. of this magazine. cruel, he acts with great esprit. There 1863.] The Horrors of San Domingo. 7C9 is spectacular ingenuity in the atrocities cylinder just large enough to receive his which he invents, and even his ungov body: potted in this way, he remained ernable bursts of rage instinctively aim till the overseer considered that he had a coup de theatre at his victim. The ne improved. Sometimes he was left too gro is sometimes bloodthirsty, and when long, and was found spoiled ; for this mode he is excited he will quail' at the opened of punishment soon ended a man, be vein; but he never saves up a man for cause he could not move a limb or change deliberate enjoyment of his sufferings. his attitude! Dungeons were construct When the wild orgy becomes sated, and ed with iron rings so disposed along the the cause of it has been once liquidated, wall that a man was held in a sitting there is no further danger from this dis posture with nothing to sit upon but a position. But a French colonist, whether sharpened stick : he was soon obliged to smiling or sombre, was always disposed to try it, and so oscillated between the two be tormenting. The ownership of slaves tortures. Other cells were furnished unmasked this tendency of a race which with cases, of the size of a man, that at home, in the streets of Paris and the could be hermetically sealed : these were court-yard of the Abbaye and La Force, for suffocation. The floors of some were proved its ferocity and simple thirst for kept submerged with a foot or two of blood. The story of the Princess Lam- w ater: the negroes who came out of them balle’s death and disfigimation show's the were frequently crippled for life by the broad Gallic fancy which the sight of dampness and cold. Bon cages, collars, blood can pique into action. But the and bon masks, clogs, fetters, and thumb every-day life of many plantations sur screws wrcrc found upon numerous plan passed, in minuteness and striking refine tations, among the ruins of the dun ment of tormenting, all that the sans geons. culotte ever dared or the savage ever The qualre piquet was a favorite style dreamed. of flogging. Each limb of the victim was Let a few cases be found sufficient stretched to the stake of a frame which to enlighten the reader upon this point. was capable of more or less distention; They are specimens from a list of horrors around the middle went an iron circle which eye-witnesses, inhabitants of the which prevented every motion. In this island, have preserved; and many of position he received his modicum of lash them, being found in more than one au es, every muscle swollen and distended, thority, French as well as colored, are till the blood dripped from the machine. to be regarded as current and unques After he was untied, the overseer dress tionable facts. ed the wounds, according to fancy, with The ordinary brutalities of slavehold pickled pimento, pepper, hot coals, boil ing were rendered more acute by this ing oil or lard, sealing-wax, or gunpow Creole temper. Whippings were carried der. Sometimes hot irons stanched the to the point of death, for the slave-vessel flow of blood. was always at the wharf to furnish short M. Frossard * is authority for the story lives upon long credit; starving was a of a planter who administered a hun common cure for obstinacy, brine and dred lashes to a negro who had broken red-pepper were liberally sprinkled upon a hoe-handle, then strewing gunpowder quivering backs. Economy w'as never a in the furrows of the flesh, amused him virtue of this profuse island. Li ves were self with setting the trains on fire. sauce piquante to luxury. M. de Creveeoeur put a negro who had The incarceration of slaves who had killed an inhuman overseer into an iron marooned, stolen vegetables, or refused * L a Cause des JEsclaves N'egres et des Ilabi- to work, had some features novel to the tans de la Guinee, portee au Tribunal de la Bastille and the Inquisition. A man Justice, de la Religion, de la Politique: I. 335; would be let down into a stone case or II. 66. VOL. XI. 49 770 The Horrors of San Domingo. [June, cage, so confined that the birds could After the dessert, Caradeux repaired to have free access to him. They fed daily the court, where the negro had bceu upon the unfortunate m an; his eyes were obliged to dig his own grave and to get carried off, his jaws laid bare, his arms into it, which he did with singing. The torn to pieces, clouds of insects covered earth was thrown around him till the the lacerated body and regaled upon his head only appeared. Caradeux pulls out blood. his handkerchief; the ladies run, throw Another planter, attests M. Frossard, themselves at his feet; after much feign after having lived several years with a ed reluctance, he exclaims, — negress, deserted her for another, and “ I pardon you at the solicitation of wished to force her to become the slave these ladies.” of her rival. Not being able to endure The negro answered, — this humiliation, she besought him to sell “ You will not be Caradeux, if you par her. But the irritated Frenchman, af don me.” ter inflicting various preparatory punish “ What do you say ? ” cried the mas ments, buried her alive, with her head ter, in a rage. above ground, which he kept wet with “ I f you do not kill me, I swear by my eau sucree till the insects had destroyed god-mother that I will kill you.” her. At this, Caradeux seized a huge stone, How piteous is the reflection that the and hurled it at his head, and the other slaves made a point of honor of preserv blacks hastened to put an end to his suf ing their backs free from scars,—so that fering.

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