Christophe, at the Cap, issued his proclamation against Pétion and the Assembly, which Saint-Rémy calls the first firebrand of civil war.

Warned by some deputies of the North, and particularly by Juste Hugonin (1), of the design of the constituent members to leave the executive power only a derisory latitude, by entangling it in a thousand fetters, Christophe betook himself to Cap, where, on 24 December, he hurled the first firebrand of civil war.

“Pétion, he declared, Bonnet, Boyer, the two Blanchet brothers, Daumec, Lys, Caneaux and some others of their infamous accomplices have just thrown off the mask; they have brought their designs to light. They are in open revolt against authority; they wish to establish a constitution that will put power into their hands and place the finances and the offices at their disposal. The general-in-chief has just given the order to march to uphold your rights and to maintain your liberty, which they would ravish from you. These scoundrels, once they have attained their ends, will not leave you even the faculty of complaining.

“We must march: our duty obliges us to maintain order and the execution of the laws. May all the evils they have prepared fall back upon their guilty heads! Your general will not compromise with the enemies of liberty; he will not equivocate with them.

“He expects of you, soldiers of every rank, that you will fulfill your duty as you have always done; he counts on all the chiefs and officers of corps, and on their attention to the service. The factious have raised the standard of revolt; it is just that they should pay with their fortunes for their disastrous plots. The pillage of all places where the rebels shall be found is abandoned to you without restriction (1).

“March, and victory will crown the justice of your cause.”