Notes on BLACK SEPARATISM AND THE CARIBBEAN

1860 ed. by Howard H. Bell. Essays by James Theodore Holly and J. Dennis Harris.

INTRODUCTION Howard Bell. p. 1--16.

• p. 3 Up to 1860 Douglas was a strong advocate against all emigration of blacks anywhere. After 1860 he did regularly publish ad for Haitian emigration in his journal.
• p. 6 April 1861: D.R. made moves to take Haiti.
• p. 7. Settlers found they only needed farmers. Some died of the hard condition.

LECTURE: VINDICATION OF THE CAPACITY OF THE NEGRO RACE FOR SELF-GOVERNMENT AND CIVILIZED PROGRESS. by Jas. Theo. Holly pp. 19-66. 1857

• p. 36. Vincent Oge (Oje) on March 8, 1790 got appointed a commissioner to carry back the decree of equal rights for free men of color.
• p. 39. Oge and Chavannes put to death by whites "broken on the wheel!"
• p. 43. Toussaint and Rigaud forced colonists back to France to law and order.
• p. 46. Toussaint's Rural Code returned agriculture to high level of production without lash or slavery.
• p. 48. 56 vessels in fleet of Leclerc.
• p. 56. Dessalines continued the Code Rural of Toussaint.
• p. 57. Christophe/Petion establish the Lancaster Lancasterian system of education.
• p. 58. From 1825-1857 about 6000 U.S. blacks emigrated to Haiti.
• p. 59. Rather wild claim of Holly about stability of government. From 1804--1857 there were 10 chief of state. The U.S. had 12.
• p.60-61. On the vacillation between republicanism and monarchy: Republicanism has the danger of despotic rule of the majority: i.e. U.S. slavery.

HARRIS ESSAY: A SUMMER ON THE BORDER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEAS pp. 69-184.

• p. 73 "Where his face is a crime he can not hope for justice." George William Curtis, 1860. St. Marc Assembly in 1791 after Age's proclamation. "We would rather die than share our political rights with a bastard and degenerate race."
• p. 74. Jefferson and Harris and others: Blacks/whites can't live together in America, thus Caribbean colonization.
• p. 75. Curtis: "...the insurrection of Toussaint L'Overture...reminds every thoughtful man that slavery everywhere, however seemingly severe, is only a suppressed, not an extinguished volcano."
  
• LETTER 1: p. 77-81 Dominican Republic.
• LETTER 2 P. 81-88. Harris used the source Wilshire S. Courtney

THE GOLD FIELDS OF ST. DOMINGO. N.Y. A.P.Norton, 1860.

• p. 84. Mining gold in D.R. about 1630 prosperity began to decline.
• p. 85. After Haitian revolution many Spanish slaves escaped to Haiti for Freedom.
• p. 87. 1821. D.R. independent, but Boyer took D.R. Then in 1842 Boyer fled. 1844 D.R. got back her independence.
• p. 87-88 1849 Soulouque tried to subjugate D.R. Harris holds that it is destined to be one nation after English lang. and American emigrees come!!!!
• LETTERS 3-4-5
• LETTER 6 p. 100-107 Present an a860 D.R. ordinance on immigration, encouraging farmers and skilled artisans to emigrate.
• LETTER 7 p. 107-111
• p. 108. Quite anti-Catholic celebration of Wesleyan school as converting Catholics. Settlement suggested by a St. Louisan!
• LETTER 8 p. 111-116. Mainly reports from earlier book cited, on economy of D.R.

LETTERS FROM HAITI LETTER 9 P. 117-121.

• see p. 12 for bibliographic references.
• p. 118. After 1687 D'Ogerton (?) first governor of the colony--job to civilize bucaneers. TRUE????
• p. 118. Gobin (Calvinist) established Cape Francois in 1680. Not a good location. A. At foot of mountains, no breeze B. Shaded from the sun. Good points: Rich plain at the door step. An Eden.
  Port-au-Prince about 1790 14,754 population
  2754 Whites
  4000 Affranchais
  rest slaves

LETTER 10 p. 122-127. Case of Mulattos Age/Chavannes.

• p. 122. Oge about 30 in 1789.
• p. 124. Rigaud came on to the scene pledging no peace until one class of people exterminated the other. Peynier governor resigned. Blanchelande took over. He got Spanish to arrest Age and Chavannes. They were broken on the wheel.
• p. 126. May 15, 1791. (in the wake of Age's murder/execution) gave rights to affranchais born of free parents to have citizenship. Robespierre "Perish the colony, rather than sacrifice one iota of our principles."
• LETTER 11 p. 127--134. A slave uprising caused mulattos to press for Haitian Rights and white to agree. Mulattos joined whites to get citizen rights.
  • p. 132. Peace was restored, but French assembly, hearing of the problems, repealed decree and whites reverted to oppressing mulattos.
  • p. 133. Rigaud + mulattos driven from P-a-P set up in Croix de Bouquets
• LETTER 12 P. 135-141
  • p. 135. July 1, 1801 Declaration of Independence by Toussaint.
  • p. 136. Jan. 5, 1802. French arrived off Cap Francois.
  • p. 139. Letter from Napoleon with his sons. Did not win Toussaint, but it did win the generals.
  • p. 140. Hostilities ceased May 1, 1802.
• LETTER 13 p. 142--149
  • p. 147 Oct. 8, 1804. Dessalines emperor of Haiti.

  ---

• LETTER 14 P.150-156. Grand Turk's and Caicos Islands.
• LETTER 1 p. 157-165. British Honduras.
  • p. 157. Neat quote about foreigners meeting abroad.
• LETTER 16 p. 166-171. SUMMARY An impassioned plea for humane foreign relations and trade with Caribbean to help it prosper and set the conditions for settlement. APPENDIX: THE ANGLO-AFRICAN EMPIRE p. 172--184.

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