Correspondance de M. le Générale avec l'assemblée de la partie françoise de Saint-Domingue.

PRINTED IN HAITI: THE GOVERNOR CONTENDS WITH A SECESSIONIST ASSEMBLY

First edition. 8vo. Very good in recent paper-covered boards, red morocco label to spine, gilt, ms. number in ink to title-page. 16pp. Port-au-Prince, Mozard,

A crisp copy of this desirable eighteenth-century Haiti imprint. Published in the lead-up to the Haitian Revolution, it prints the letters exchanged between General Count de Peynier (1731-1809), Governor of Saint-Domingue, and the members of the Saint-Marc Assembly.

 

There were several contributing factors to the Haitian Revolution, one of which was the refusal of local government representatives to comply with reforms issued from Paris. Peynier was installed as governor on 26 July, 1789. Indeed, the first crisis of his governorship concerned the district of Saint-Marc which was not only firmly in support of slavery but began hinting that it wished to secede. They opened their ports to foreign ships which directly contravened French policy. The tension between the two culminated with Peynier dismissing the entire assembly.

 

The first letter is dated 27 April, 1790, the last on 16 May. Printed in Port-au-Prince, they document the tensions between Peynier and the assembly.

 

OCLC locates copies at NYPL, AAS, JCB, and BnF.

 

Roquincourt, 2360; not in Sabin.

Stock Code: 247057