1812 (Economic Decay in the Rebel South): The Haytian government claimed that the southern faction under Pétion was forced to resort to “extreme measures” du…

1812 (Economic Decay in the Rebel South): The Haytian government claimed that the southern faction under Pétion was forced to resort to “extreme measures” due to the exhaustion of public funds. Because the state’s treasures had been “dilapidated” by the faction, they could no longer afford to pay the military or provide for public services. This economic failure was presented as a direct result of the rebels’ “licentiousness” and their departure from the “enlightened systems” established in the North. The King contrasted this southern poverty with his own “wise administration of the revenues,” which kept his troops well-clothed and his hospitals well-supplied. This economic comparison was a key part of the propaganda used to justify the King’s claim to total sovereignty over the island.