The Negro Question in the French Revolution ... |
Common terms and phrases
Abbé Abbé Grégoire abolition Alexander Lameth Arch argument Assem Aulard Barnave Blacks Brissot Charles Lameth Clarkson Clavière colonial assembly colonial committee colonial deputies colonial proprietors colored citizens commerce commissioners Condorcet constitution Convention Corps Legislatif couleur Courrier de Provence debate Declaration decree demand députés Déschamps Dillon discussion elected emancipation extraordinary deputies France free colored free mulattoes free negroes French Friends Garran Gazette de Paris gens de couleur Gerbaux et Schmidt Gouy d'Arsy Governor Grégoire Guadeloupe Hodey interests issue Jacobin Club Journal des débats l'Assemblée nationale Lameth law of September Legislative Assembly letter liberty Martinique Massiac Club Mirabeau Moniteur motion mulattoes National Assembly negro question organization parish assemblies parl party Pétion petitions planters Point du jour political Port-au-Prince principles Procès-verbal radical Raimond régime repeal revolutionary Saint-Domingue San Domingo secure September 24th slave trade slavery Société society Sonthonax speech suffrage tion troops VIII vote white colonists
Popular passages
Page 5 - It is hardly to be believed that God, who is a wise being, should place a soul, especially a good soul, in such a black ugly body. " The colour of the skin may be determined by that of the hair ; which, among the Egyptians, the best philosophers in the world, was of such importance, that they put to death all the red-haired men who fell into their hands. " The negroes prefer a glass necklace to that gold which polite nations...
Page 5 - The negroes prefer a glass necklace to that gold which polite nations so highly value. Can there be a greater proof of their wanting common sense? It is impossible for us to suppose these creatures to be men, because, allowing them to be men, a suspicion would follow that we ourselves are not Christians.
Page 89 - Réponse aux observations d'un habitant des colonies sur le mémoire en faveur des gens de couleur ou sang-mêlés de Saint-Domingue et des autres isles françoises de l'Amérique adressé à l'Assemblée Nationale par M.
Page 29 - ... the motion was about to pass without mention of embarrassing topics, when Abbe Maury, the irreconcilable enemy of the revolution and assiduous mischiefmaker of the National Assembly, endeavored to provoke a general debate by declaring : "I will make you decree the freedom of the slaves; it is the necessary consequence of your principles. Commerce will be ruined, bankruptcy will follow, and you will all be hanged."* His proposal that the question of slavery be taken up for discussion was defeated...
Page 24 - is a host in himself ; and I should not be surprised if by his own eloquence and popularity only, he were to carry it ; and yet I regret that he has taken the lead in it. The cause is so lovely, that even ambition, abstractedly considered, is too impure to take it under its protection, and not to sully it. It should have been placed in the hands of the most virtuous man in France. This man is the Duke de la Rochefoucauld. But you cannot alter things now. You cannot take it out of his hands. I am...
Page 10 - The natural right of man to be governed only by laws to which he has given his consent cannot be invoked in favor of a man who is himself at the very moment violating the law of nature. " The pamphlet closes with the remark that the planters can doubtless speak concerning their own interests, " but that on their lips the sacred word 'rights' would be blasphemy against reason."1 The last sentence gives the key to the conflict that was to follow.
Page 24 - ... people would daily more and more admire their constitution; that this constitution would go down to the next Legislature, from whence would issue solid and fixed principles which would be resorted to as a standard for decision on all occasions.
Page 87 - Paris, 1889-92. 5 vols. have so far appeared. This and other similar collections, published under the auspices of the Municipal Council of Paris, will greatly facilitate the work of historical writers in the future. Memoirs and Correspondence. The numerous...
Page 31 - It is probable that the large percentage of houses recently built or remodeled out of personal funds is to be explained, in part at least, by the fact that there has been a real credit shortage in many rural districts.3 It must be kept in mind that the farm is a home as well as a business. The type of home which a farmer can afford to build and the method by which he can finance it are dependent upon the possibilities which his farm offers as a place...
Page 8 - Brissot de Warville returned from his trip to America just as the Assemblée nationale was to meet, and read before the Société des Amis des Noirs his Mémoire sur les Noirs de l'Amérique septentrionale. At the same time Condorcet, then president of the Amis des Noirs, " addressed a circular letter " to all the bailiwicks of France, urging that there be inserted in the cahiers a demand that the Estates-General destroy the slave trade and make preparations for the ultimate abolition of slavery.