Government Palace (Port-au-Prince). Riché assembles the authorities and the people there and is acclaimed President.

Lastly the commission hastened to authorize the administrator of finances to make the purchases needed by the army. At the same time it was sending to Port-au-Prince a deputation charged with handing to general Riché the act by which the people and troops of the Artibonite had named him President of the Republic of Haiti. This deputation was composed of citizens Batraville the younger, C. Grammont and Delva the son, accompanied by the officer Macajour and two troopers; its marching order stated that its mission was to proceed to President Riché.

It reached Port-au-Prince before daybreak on 1 March.

General Jacques Louis, inspector of reviews, who at Saint-Marc had been among the most ardent in bringing about Pierrot’s deposition, had gone before it. Riché, after giving audience to the deputation, invited all the civil and military authorities and the population to gather at the National Palace to take cognizance of the packet that had been addressed to him from Saint-Marc.

At ten o’clock precisely the National Palace was crowded. Among those present one noticed the generals of division Lazarre, chief of the department of the West, A. Souffrant, commandant of the arrondissement of Port-au-Prince, Mérane the younger, commanding the mounted guards of the government, S. Thélémaque, general of division and inspector of produce; Ls Dufrène, inspector general of artillery, Chs Alerte, commandant of the place of Port-au-Prince, A. Lunley, general of artillery, Ls Michel, general of brigade, commandant of the commune of L’Arcahaie; A. Rémy, commanding the gendarmerie; Vicsama, deputy to the department; Cupidon, aide-de-camp to the President of Haiti and inspector of reviews; Jn Chrysostome Imbert, general of division; general Dupuy; the artillery colonel Fils-Aimé; and a crowd of citizens of every rank, among others citizens Céligny Ardouin, Larochel and Dumai Lespinasse.(e)

General Riché had this numerous assembly shown into the great hall of the Palace, and told it that he was going to open before it a packet addressed to the President of Haiti Riché. The assembly consented, and the following dispatch was read: