17201: Burnham to Saint-Vil (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: thor burnham <thorald_mb@hotmail.com>

Saint-Vil:

I'll definitely be taking you up on a marinad, but now you owe me a
prestige.

Saint-Vil writes:

"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."

I think Moise was only nephew by name, not by blood, though i might be
mistaken. More importantly, the rebellion he got behind, or led, began in
late October, 1801 in the North. He was executed in mid-November of 1801.

As to the fratricidal battles, Trouillot speaks to that issue in Silencing
the Past, when he talks about the naming of the Sans Souci palace and the
"war within the war". But i think some of those battles also occurred when
Toussaint was consolidating power in the years prior to the arrival of
Leclerc in February of 1802.
I'm not sure Toussaint credited the French with noble sentiments did he?

Saint-Vil writes:

"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".  Canyou please elaborate on this?"

It wasn't meant to be a quick little move, whatever that means. Nor was it
meant to detract from the treachery of the French. It was more to shed light
on how really complicated the revolution was. Obviously the heroics of the
maroon armies should not be underestimated, and are difficult to overstate.
After Toussaint had negotiated retirement in May, and Christophe and
Dessalines were fighting for the French, it was the Black masses, most
likely bossales, who kept fighting, and who refused to go over.
It wasn't until the news of the re-institution of slavery at the end of july
(from Guadeloupe) that the Black masses knew what was up for sure. But it's
not until mid-october of 1802 that Dessalines defects from the French and he
and Petion come together. Then Dessalines issues a general call to arms and
becomes commander of the indigenous army. And I think it is Fick who argues
that the reason they defected, or could defect, was because of the heroic
resistance of the masses. Like Ghandi's old saying that the leader has to
hurry and catch up to his followers.

best,
Thor Burnham

best,
thor burnham

_________________________________________________________________
STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/bcomm&pgmarket=en-ca&RU=http%3a%2f%2fjoin.msn.com%2f%3fpage%3dmisc%2fspecialoffers%26pgmarket%3den-ca