Paris. Consular decree and proclamation dated here.
It was at this juncture that Colonel Vincent landed at Santo Domingo, in the first days of June 1800. He was at the head of a deputation composed of General of Division Michel and Commissioner Raymond. As soon as Toussaint learned of their arrival he sent secret agents to meet them, charged with watching their conduct and seizing their papers on the high roads. He was determined to put them back on board as soon as they reached Le Cap if the dispatches were not favorable to his interests. Colonel Vincent had landed at Santo Domingo only to make sure of the state of the French colony before entering it. This conduct, which betrayed great distrust, had wounded Toussaint’s sensibilities and increased his suspicions. Yet the three members of the deputation had already served his cause warmly in the colony. Two white officers were arrested on the high road from Santo Domingo; the dispatches they carried were sent to Toussaint, who, having read them, satisfied himself that the deputation had no hidden mission. General Michel, who had come to the colony at the time of Sonthonax’s last mission and had won the esteem of men of every color, was also arrested on the high road to Le Cap; as for Colonel Vincent, he was seized on the road to Port-Républicain. Having made certain that their instructions were not hostile to him, Toussaint ordered that they be allowed to enter the French part. He had put no faith in the goodwill of France toward him since he had believed that an expedition had sailed for Saint-Domingue: his two sons, Isaac and Placide, had been embarked with General Sahuguet on a squadron commanded by Admiral Ganthaume, bound to carry reinforcements to the army of Egypt. But the French government had spread the rumor that the squadron was sailing for Saint-Domingue, in order to draw the attention of the English away from the Mediterranean; and the embarkation of Toussaint’s sons lent credit to the rumor. Toussaint therefore expected at every moment the arrival of a European force that might have been used to restore the authority of the mother country in absolute form. He went to Le Cap, where he received the deputation. Vincent officially announced to him the revolution of 18 brumaire, the establishment of the Consular government, and his confirmation in the rank of general-in-chief of the armies of Saint-Domingue. The two principal documents brought by Colonel Vincent were the following:
Liberty, Equality. Paris, 4 Nivôse (25 December 1799), Year 8 of the Republic, one and indivisible.
The Consuls of the Republic decree as follows: Art. 1. Citizens Vincent, engineer, Raimond, man of color, former agent, and General Michel shall leave without delay and proceed to Saint-Domingue.
Art. 2. They shall carry the proclamation annexed hereto.