The Haitian Revolution by Toussaint L'Ouverture

Author:Toussaint L'Ouverture
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Verso Books

TITLE VIII

OF THE GOVERNMENT

Art. 27. The administrative direction of the government shall be entrusted to a Governor who corresponds directly with the government of the Metropole, on all matters relative to the interests of the colony.

Art. 28. The Constitution nominates the citizen Toussaint-L’Ouverture, Chief General of the army of St-Domingue, and, in consideration for important services rendered to the colony, in the most critical circumstances of the revolution, and upon the wishes of the grateful inhabitants, he is entrusted the direction thereof for the remainder of his glorious life.9

Art. 29. In the future, each Governor shall be nominated for five years, and shall continue every five years for reasons of his good administration.

Art. 30. In order to strengthen the tranquillity that the colony owes to the steadfastness, activity, indefatigable zeal and rare virtues of General Toussaint L’Ouverture, and as a sign of the unlimited trust of the inhabitants of St-Domingue, the constitution attributes exclusively to this general the right to designate the citizen who, in the unfortunate event of the general’s death, shall immediately replace him. This choice shall remain secret; it shall be cosigned under sealed envelope to be opened only by the Central Assembly, in the presence of all active generals and chief commanders of departments of the army of St-Domingue.

The Governor Toussaint L’Ouverture shall take all necessary precautionary measures to let the Central Assembly know the depository of this important envelope.

Art. 31. The citizen who shall be chosen by the Governor Toussaint L’Ouverture to take the leadership of the government upon his death, shall swear in front of the Central Assembly to execute the Constitution of St-Domingue and to remain attached to the French government, and shall be immediately installed in his functions; all this shall be done in the presence of the active generals and chief commanders of departments of the army of St-Domingue, who all, individually and without delay, shall swear obedience to the orders of the new Governor of St-Domingue.

Art. 32. At least one month before the expiration of the five years fixed for the administration of each Governor, the said Governor, jointly with the active-duty generals and chief commanders of departments, shall meet at the ordinary place of hearing of the Central Assembly, in order to nominate, concurrently with the members of this Assembly, the new Governor or to continue the administration of the one who is in place.

Art. 33. Failure of a Governor to convoke [the General Assembly] constitutes a manifest infraction of the Constitution. In such circumstance, the highest-ranked general or the senior general of equal rank, who is in active service in the colony, shall rightfully, if provisionally, take control of the government.

This general shall immediately convoke the other generals in active duty, the chief commanders of departments and the members of the Central Assembly, who shall all obey the convocation, in order to proceed concurrently to the nomination of a new Governor.

In the event of the death of, resignation of or other vacancy by a Governor before the expiration

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