1802 (The Persecution of General Maurepas): The administration of General Leclerc is specifically denounced for its “catalogue of crimes,” most notably the t…

1802 (The Persecution of General Maurepas): The administration of General Leclerc is specifically denounced for its “catalogue of crimes,” most notably the treatment of the Haytian General Maurepas. Maurepas, who had initially surrendered his post at Port-de-Paix on the condition of retaining his rank and command, was later seized by “perfidious means.” Along with his entire family, he was conducted on board a French vessel and “precipitated into the sea.” The manifesto uses this “horrible and heart-rending” event to illustrate that the French did not respect the laws of war or their own treaties. Such atrocities served as a powerful catalyst for the Haytian population to unite in a total rejection of French authority.