1809, August 17 (Paternal Patience of the President): General orders issued to the army on August 17, 1809, explained that King Henry Christophe had intentio…

1809, August 17 (Paternal Patience of the President): General orders issued to the army on August 17, 1809, explained that King Henry Christophe had intentionally refrained from aggressive warfare to give the rebels “time for repentance.” The document stated that the President wished to avoid the “fire and sword” that would inevitably cause innocent people to fall victim to the disasters of war. However, the southern insurgents under Alexandre Pétion reportedly misinterpreted this “mild policy” and “paternal intentions” as a sign of military weakness. The government concluded that since the rebels were “unmindful” of this mercy, they would be left to their own “intense blindness” until they met their ruin. This narrative was used to frame subsequent royal offensives as morally justified actions against an ungrateful and stubborn enemy.