After the victory of Vertières , November 18, 1803, on the slave expeditionary force sent by Napoleon , and controlled by the Criminal Rochambeau once hunted French Island, Haitian officers assembled on the parade of Gonaives on January 1, 1804 and solemnly proclaimed their independence.
The French tricolor, he withdrew symbolically adopted the white and the blue and red colors.
The entire original document is kept in the National Archives of Great britain, London.
One can imagine, reading this text, how relations with France - which recognized the young republic in 1825 - through an unjust compensation constitutes a real racket, would be complicated.
"Act of Independence of the Republic of Haiti
Proclamation to the Nation
General Chief of Haiti People
Citizens
It is not enough to have expelled from your country the barbarians who have bloodied the last two centuries is not enough to have put a brake on ever-recurring factions played in turn the ghost of freedom France exposed that your eyes must, by a last act of national authority, forever assure the empire of liberty in the country we were born, we must delight in inhuman government has long held our minds in the most humiliating torpor, all hope of réasservir we must finally live independent or die.
Independence or death: these sacred words bring us together, and whether the signal fighting and our meeting!
Citizens, my compatriots, I have gathered on this solemn day these brave soldiers, who, on the eve of collecting the last breath of freedom, have lavished their blood to save; those generals who have guided your efforts against tyranny, have not yet done enough for your happiness ... The French name gloomy yet our country.
All recounts the memory of the cruelties of this barbarous people: our laws, our morals, our cities, while still wearing the French footprint nay? there are French in our island, and you believe that a free and independent republic which fought all nations, it is true, but never defeated those who wanted to be free.
What! victims over fourteen years of our credulity and our indulgence defeated, not by French armies, but by the pathetic eloquence of the proclamations of their agents when we lasserons we breathe the same air they? His cruelty compared our patient moderation color to ours, and the extent of the seas that separate us, our avenging climate, we say enough that they are not our brothers, they never become and that s they found refuge among us, they will still be the plotters of our troubles and our divisions.
Indigenous citizens, men, women, girls and children wear eyes on all parts of this island, look there, you, your wives, you, your husband, you, your brothers, you, your sisters, what do I say ? Looking ahead your children, your children at the breast! What are they now? ... I shudder to say ... prey to these vultures. Instead of these interesting victims dismayed your eye sees only their assassins that still disgusting tigers blood, and whose presence you dreadful reproach your insensibility and your slowness to avenge them. What do you want to appease their spirits? Remember that you wanted your remains should rest with those of your fathers, when you hunted tyranny you descend into the grave without having avenged? No, their bones would reject yours.
And you, precious men, intrepid generals, who insensitive to your own misfortunes, have risen freedom lavishing all your blood, know that you have done nothing if you do not give nations a terrible example, but just the vengeance must exercise a proud people to have regained his freedom, and jealous to maintain; frighten all those who would try to rob us again, start with the French ... They tremble in addressing our shores, if not by the recollection cruelties they exercised it, at least by the terrible resolution that we will take to devote to death anyone born French, defile his sacrilegious foot in the territory of freedom.
We dared to be free, dare to be by ourselves and for ourselves; imitate the growing child: his own weight breaks the edge which becomes useless and obstruction in his walk. What people fought for us? What people would reap the fruits of our work? And what dishonorable absurdity to overcome to be slaves. Slaves ... Let the French this qualifying epithet: they defeated to stop being free.
Walk on other traces; imitate these peoples, carrying their solicitude onto the future and dreading to leave to posterity the example of cowardice, preferred to be exterminated as striped number of free peoples.
Let us, however, that the spirit of proselytism destroys our work, let us breathe in peace our neighbors, they live peacefully under the empire of the laws they have made, and will not, revolutionary firebrands, we criminalizing legislators Caribbean, to include our glory to disturb the rest of the islands that are around us, they have not, like the one we inhabit, was sprinkled with the innocent blood of their people and they have no vengeance to exercise against the authority that protects them.
Happy never to have known the plagues that have destroyed us, they can only make wishes for our prosperity. Peace to our neighbors! but anathema to the French name! eternal hatred to France! is our cry.
Native Haiti, my happy for me to be reserved one day the sentinel who had to ensure the custody of the idol to which you sacrifice, I watched, fought, sometimes alone, and if I have been fortunate enough to put in your hands the sacred trust you have given me, remember that it is up to you now to keep. Fighting for your freedom, I worked on my own happiness. Before the consolidation by laws that ensure your free individuality, your leaders that I assemble here, and myself, we have the latest evidence of our dedication.
General, and you leaders gathered here with me for the happiness of our country, the day arrived that day which should perpetuate our glory, our independence.
If there could exist among you a warm heart, he walks away and shakes of the oath which should unite us.
Swear to the whole universe, to posterity, to ourselves, to renounce forever to France, and to die rather than live under its domination.
To fight to the last breath for the independence of our country!
And you, unfortunate people too long, witness the oath we speak, remember that it is on your perseverance and courage than I expected when I started in the career of freedom in order to combat despotism and tyranny against which you fought for fourteen years. Remember that I have sacrificed everything to fly to your defense, parents, children, fortune, and now I'm rich as your freedom, my name has become a horror to all the people who want to slavery, and despots and tyrants pronounce than cursing the day I was born, and if you ever refused or getting murmuring laws that genius which has your sleep for me to dictate your happiness you deserve the fate of ungrateful people.
But far from me this dreadful idea. You'll be supporting the freedom that you cherish, support the leader who commands you.
Therefore lends its hands the oath of live free and independent, and prefer death to anything that would tend to put you under the yoke.
Jure finally pursue forever the traitors and enemies of your independence.
SIGNED:
Dessalines
Commander in Chief
Christophe , Petion , Clervaux, Geffrard, Vernet, Gabart
General division
P. Roman, G. Gerin, L. Capois, Daut, Jean-Louis François, Férou, Cange, G. Bazelais Magloire Ambroise, JJ Herne, Toussaint Brave, Yayou
Brigadier General
Bonnet, F. Papalier, Morelly, Knight, Marion
Adjutants general
Magny, Roux
Brigade commanders
Chareron, B. Piglet, Macajoux, Dupuy, Carbon, Diaquoi elder, Raphael, Malet, Derenoncourt
Army officers
Boisrond Tonnerre
Secretary
Made at the headquarters of Gonaives on January 1, 1804, the first year of independence.
"Now prime January 10 eight hundred and four, General Chief of the native army, accompanied by generals, chiefs of the army, called for the purpose of taking the steps to reach the happiness of the country:
After informing the assembled generals his true intentions to ensure never to native Haiti a stable government, the object of his deepest solicitude which he did with a speech that tends to make known to foreign powers resolution make the country independent and enjoy a freedom enshrined in the blood of the people of this island, and, after receiving the notice, asked each of the assembled generals pronounce the oath to forever renounce France, die rather than live under its domination, and fight to the last breath for independence.
General, imbued with the sacred principles, after giving a unanimous voice their support for the project well demonstrated independence, have all sworn to posterity, to the entire universe, never to renounce France, and die rather than live under its domination. "
UAH - Google Translated
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