17199: Saint-Vil responds to Burnham re Toussaint's Capture: (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Jean Saint-Vil <jafrikayiti@hotmail.com>

Indeed Thor, there aren't 2 years between Toussaint's murder by starvation in a
French jail, and the declaration of independence. My bad! He was kidnapped and
exiled never to return to his homeland in June 2002, a year and a half before
Haiti’s independence was declared....And , as we all know, the old man managed
to endure his torturers mistreatment all the way to April 7, 1803. So you have
picked up on my error and may have a "marinad" on me at the best fritay in town
:-)

Now, I also noticed your quick little move, stating:  "In June, 1802 Christophe
and Dessalines--while working for the French to crush rebel resistance-- helped
denounce Toussaint, after which he was kidnapped and deported to France".  Can
you please elaborate on this?

We all know there was a period of confusion in the year 1802, whereby for a
period of time, Toussaint, Christophe and Dessalines were all engaged in
fratricidal battles against the maroons. Toussaint's nephew, Moise died during
that period. However, it is in fact  Toussaint’s fatal error to credit the
French with noble sentiments which they never possessed that led to his
eventual capture by treachery – not betrayal from Christophe or Dessalines.

In fact, the historical record shows Chistophe’s blunt response to Leclerc when
this little wicked man tried to seduce him into selling out. (if only when had
more folks like him alive today !!!).



On April 19 1802 Leclerc wrote to Henri Christophe:



"I will honour all promises made to you and, if you intend to submit yourself
to the republic, remember that one of the most important service you can render
unto us would be to help us capture General Toussaint” .



Then Christophe, who had already been persuaded by Toussaint Louverture himself
to give up the resistance responded to Leclerc:



"Citizen General, you've propositioned me to help you capture General Toussaint
Louverture, right!?. How perverse! how treacherous! The very fact that
you though of presenting me such an indecent proposal is testimony to the fact
that you think of me as some sort of bastard with no sense of honour or
respect. You know full well that Toussaint is my higher in command and also a
friend. Citizen General, do you consider a perversion such as the coward act
you hereby propositioned me to be compatible with sentiments of friendships?".



The above is an amateur translation – from a Kreyol translation I made of the
original French. I leave it to the historians on the list to point us to the
original sources or even another English translation.



Haiti’s AFRICAN heroes were certainly not saints. But, neither were they the
monsters some would want to paint them to be up to this very day - for rasons
they cannot admit evn to themselves…yet as these same folks continue to create
false Tarzan-like  personalities for their Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
Jacques Cartier and Napoleon Bonaparte it is plain to see what the old
motivation is.



"Until she spoke no Christian nation had given to the world an organized effort
to abolish slavery....

...Until she spoke the slave ship, followed by hungry sharks, greedy to devour
the dead and dying slaves flung overboard to feed them, ploughed in peace the
South Atlantic, painting the sea with the Negro's blood..." Frederick Douglass

 Jafrikayiti

«Depi nan Ginen bon nèg ap ede nèg!»
http://www.jafrikayiti.com

______________________________________________________________________________________
Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.