18142 (The Perfidy of the First Consul): King Henry Christophe’s manifesto denounces the French expedition as an enterprise built upon “perfidious and infamo…
18142 (The Perfidy of the First Consul): King Henry Christophe’s manifesto denounces the French expedition as an enterprise built upon “perfidious and infamous means” designed to ensure the success of re-enslavement. The King highlights how the First Consul’s proclamation, which declared all Haytians “equal and free before God,” was a masterpiece of deception meant to mask the secret instructions of General Leclerc to restore slavery. Even the sons of Toussaint L’Ouverture were pressed into service for this expedition to provide a veneer of legitimacy to the French projects. The manifesto argues that the French did not hesitate to insult the Divinity by using a “horrible and blasphemous appeal” to truth while planning the nation’s destruction. This historical betrayal is cited as the primary reason the Haytian people can never again trust French diplomatic overtures.