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“Liberty or Death!” — Dessalines to the People of Hayti, 1 January 1804

“It is not enough to have expelled from your country the barbarians who have for ages stained it with blood… Independence or Death! Let these sacred words serve to rally us.” Dessalines’ address to the people, issued at Les Gonaïves with the Act of Independence — its own signature line dates it 1 January 1804, the first year of independence, and that is the date this page carries.

The text

Transcription note: the text below is machine-transcribed from the printed source named on this card and lightly corrected; the scan itself (linked on the card) is the citation-grade copy.

LIBERTY OR DEATH !— NATIVE ARMY.

THE GENERAL IN CHIEF TO THE PEOPLE OF HAYTI.

Citizens,

IT is not enough to have expelled from your country the barbarians who have for ages stained it with blood— it is not enough to haj-e curbed the factions which, succeeding each other by turns, sported with a phantom of hberty which France exposed to their eyes. It is become necessary, by a last act of national authority, to ensure for ever the empire of liberty in the country which has given us birth. It is necessary to deprive an inhuman government, which has hitherto held our minds in a state of the most humihating torpitude, of every hope of being enabled again to enslave us. Finally, it is necessary to live independent, or die. Independence or Death ! Let these sacred words serve to rally us-let them be signals of battle, and of

our re-union.

Citizens-Countrymen-I have assembled on this solemn

day, those courageous cliiefs, who, on the eve of receiving the

last

the French nation.

last breath of expiring liberty, ha^-e lavished their blood to pre- no. xiv. serve it. These generals, -who ha^-e conducted your struggles Prociamaagainst t^Tanny, have not yet done. The French name still abj!,rariM^of darkens our plains : ever}' thing recals the remembrance of the cruelties of that barbarous people. Our laws, our customs, our

cities, ever}'' thing bears the characteristic of the French.

Hearken to what I say ! — the French still have a footing in our island ! and you believe yourselves free and independent of that republic, which has fought all nations, it is true, but never conquered those who would be free ! AVhat ! victims for fourteen years by credulity and forbearance ! conquered not by French armies, but by the canting eloquence of the proclamations of their agents ! AVhen shall we be wearied with brcathinothe same air with them ? What have we in common with that bloody-minded people r Their cruelties compared to our moderation— their colour to ours — the extension of seas which separate us— our avenging climate — all plainly tell us thev are not our brethren ; that they never will become such ; and, if thev find an asylum among us, they will still be the instig-ators of our troubles and of our divisions. Citizens, men, women, young and old, cast round your e}-es on every part of tliis island ; seek

there your wives, your husbands, your brothers, your sisters

what did I say ? seek your children — your children at the breast, what is become of them : I shudder to tell it — the prey of vultures. Instead of these interesting victims, the aflfi'iRhted eye sees only their assassins— tigers still covered with their blood, and whose ten-ifying presence reproaches you for your insen^i3 L 2 bilitv.

No. XIV.

Proclamation for the abjuration of the French Bation.

bility, and your guilty tardiness to avenge them— what do you Avait for, to appease their manes? Remember that you have wished your remains to be laid by the side of your fathers— When you have driven out tyranny— will you descend into their tombs, without having avenged them ? No : their bones would repulse yours. And ye, invaluable men, intrepid Generals, who, insensible to private sufferings, have given new life to liberty, by lavishing your blood ; know, that you have done nothing if you do not give to the nations a terrible, though just example, of the vengeance that ought to be exercised by a people proud of having recovered its liberty, and zealous of maintaining it. Let us intimidate those, who might dare to attempt depriving us of it again : let us begin with the French; let them shudder at approaching our shores, if not on account of the cruelties they have committed, at least at the terrible resolution we are going to make— To devote to death whatsoever native of France should soil with his sacrilegious footstep, this territory of liberty.

We have dared to be free— let us continue free by ourselves, and for ourselves ; let us imitate the growing child ; his own strength breaks his leading-strings, which become useless and troublesome to him in his walk. What are the people who have fought us? what people would reap the fruits of our labours? and'what a dishonourable absurdity, to conquer to be slaves !

Slaves-leave to the French nation this odious epithet ; they have conquered to be no longer free-let us walk in other footsteps; let us imitate other nations, who. carrying their sohcitude

into friturity, and dreading to leave posterity an example of

cowardice,

cowardice, hav'e preferred to be exterminated, rather than be erased from the hst of free people. Let us, at the same time, take care, lest a spirit of proselj^tism should destroy the work — let our neighbours breathe in peace— let them live peaceably under the shield of those laws which they have framed for themselves ; let us beware of becoming revolutionary fire-brands — of creating ourselves the legislators of the Antilles — of considering as a glory the disturbing the tranquility of the neighbouring islands; they have not been, like the one we inhabit, drenched with the innocent blood of the inhabitants— they have no vengeance to exercise against the authority that protects them ; happy, never to liave experienced the pestilence that has destroyed us, they must wish well to our posterity.

Peace with our neighbours, but accursed be the French name— eternal hatred to France : such are our principles.

Natives of Hayti— my happy destiny reserves me to be one dav the centinel who is to guard the idol we now sacrifice to. I have grown old fighting for you, sometimes almost alone; and if I have been happy enough to deliver to j^ou the sacred charge confided to me, recollect it is for you, at present, to preserve it. In fighting for your liberty, I have laboured for my own happiness : before it shall be consolidated by laws which shall ensure individual liberty, your chiefs whom I have assembled here, and myself, owe you this last proof of our devotedness.

Generals, and other chiefs, unite with me for the happiness of our country : the day is arrived— the day which will ever perpetuate our glorv and our independence.

3 If

No. XVI.

Proclamation fof the abjuration of the French nation.

W^

No. XIV.

Proclamation for the abjuration of tlie French nation.

If there exist among you a lukewarm heart, let him retire, and shudder to pronounce the oath which is to unite us. Let us swear to the whole world, to posterity, to ourselves, to renounce France for ever, and to die, rather than live under its dominion— to fight till the last breath for the independence of our country.

And ye, people, too long unfortunate, witness the oath we now pronounce : recollect that it is upon your constancy and courage I depended when I first entered the career of liberty to fight despotism and tyranny, against which you have been struggling these last fourteen years ; remember that I have sacrificed every thing to fly to your defence — parents, children, fortune, and am now only rich, in your liberty — that my name has become a horror to all friends of slavery, or despots; and tyrants only pronounce it, cursing the day that gave me birth ; if ever you refuse or receive with murmuring the laws, w^hich the protecting angel that watches over your destinies, shall dictate to me for your happiness, you will merit the fate of an ungrateful people. But away from me this fiightful idea : You will be the guardians of the liberty you cherish, the support of the Chief who commands vou.

Sw^ear then to live free and independent, and to prefer death to every thing that would lead to replace you under the yoke ; swear then to pursue for everlasting, the traitors, and enemies of

your independence.

J. J. Dessalines.

Head-quarters, Gonaives, 1st Jan. 1804,

1st Year of Independence.