1816 (Colonial Civil Service): The French Republic’s decree required that all civil and military officers in the colony wear a specific uniform and maintain …
1816 (Colonial Civil Service): The French Republic’s decree required that all civil and military officers in the colony wear a specific uniform and maintain a strict hierarchy of rank. Any officer who failed to follow the direct orders of the Captain-General or the Colonial Prefect was subject to immediate dismissal. The decree also outlined that the “Colonial Prefect” was to act as the second-in-command, stepping in for the Captain-General in matters of civil administration if necessary. This bureaucratic structure was part of the “system of policy” that governed St. Domingo before the rise of the Haytian Empire. Sanders included these documents to prove that the current Haytian government was far more “enlightened” than its colonial predecessor.