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1802 (Christophe’s Rejection of Defection): In a detailed reply to the Sieur Vilton, General Henry Christophe firmly declined the offer to betray his cause i…

HT-HAPA-1816-000057

1802 (Christophe’s Rejection of Defection): In a detailed reply to the Sieur Vilton, General Henry Christophe firmly declined the offer to betray his cause in exchange for personal wealth or a “liberal fortune” in France. He expressed profound skepticism regarding the “good faith” of the French generals, noting that their actions in the colony had already contradicted their promises of liberty. Christophe asserted that his “wandering and vagabond life” was a necessary sacrifice for the preservation of his honor and the rights of his fellow citizens. He emphasized that he would rather live in “frightful misery” than secure a “splendid establishment” through the betrayal of his duty. This letter serves as a definitive rejection of the French attempt to use personal ambition to dismantle the Haytian resistance.

Source  ·  HT-HAPA-1816-000057  ·  p. 36-39 Sanders, Haytian Papers, 36-39 / Bates: HT-HAPA-1816-000057, 000058, 000059, 000060