Negotiation (1)
Although the Constitution was hit by two rounds of shelling during the battle, its sails were not damaged and its sailing ability was not greatly affected. The two ships continued to sail towards Saint-Domingue, and around 10 a. m. the next day, a huge island gradually emerged from below the horizon.
"Mr. Treville, that's Saint-Domingue, we've arrived," Captain Zola said to Victor, pointing to the island.
This was the first time in Victor's life that he had been on a ship for such a long time. Now, gazing at the island in the distance, a feeling of joy welled up inside him, and Victor couldn't help but smile.
"Missing the land, aren't you?" Captain Zola noticed this and asked with a smile.
"Yes. I hadn't noticed it before, but as soon as I saw the island, I immediately felt my legs longing to stand on a stable place," Victor replied with a smile.
"Actually, we're all the same. Whether passengers or sailors, after a long voyage, we all yearn to have our feet firmly planted on solid ground. We're all the same. The only difference is that, for us sailors, every time we go ashore, we can't stay for more than two months before we start to miss the blue sea and the swaying deck."
"Haha, that's just how humans are," Victor laughed.
Although the islands were already visible, they were still quite far away. It wasn't until around 3 p. m. that the Free Trade " and the captured " Constitution " arrived outside Port- Port-au-Prince, Saint-Domingue's largest port.
Port-au-Prince is the largest port, the largest city, and the political center of Saint-Domingue. Most of Saint-Domingue's sugar, coffee, and other products are loaded onto ships here and then transported to Europe. Therefore, it is a very busy port.
The appearance of the "Free Trade" and "Constitution" caused a stir. After all, it's rare to see such large ships in this region.
The Free Trade " anchored and waited near the channel outside the harbor. Nearly an hour later, a small boat flying a France flag approached.
The strait ship stopped not far from the Free Trade, and a small sampan was lowered. Two Black men rowed the sampan and brought over a Black man in uniform.
The Free Trade lowered a rope ladder, and the black man in uniform climbed up it.
"I am Jacques, a pilot from the Port-au-Prince -au-Prince Authority. What brings you here? Do you want to enter the port? You may have to wait a while, as we do not have a large enough berth for you at the moment," the black pilot asked.
"Hello, I am the captain of this warship," Zola replied. "We are from France, escorting the First Consul's envoy to meet with Governor-General Toussaint Louverture. If there isn't enough space, we can stay in port for now. However..."
At this point, he turned his head and proudly pointed to the Constitution behind him, saying, "On our way to Port-au-Prince, we were attacked by this United States warship. We defeated them and captured the ship. The ship sustained some damage in the battle and may need emergency repairs in port. Therefore, if possible, I hope you can prepare a berth for the ship as soon as possible."
Unfortunately, the Black water guide didn't seem to grasp the implied protest in his words. He simply said "Oh," and then added, "We'll arrange it as soon as possible."
"In addition, the First Consul's special envoy is here. You can go and inform the port authorities and the Governor's Office," Zola added.
The black man then took his leave. As it was getting dark, he returned and informed Captain Zola that a berth had been cleared in the harbor for the captured "Constitution" to use, and that the envoy could also disembark and go to the Governor's Palace.
So Victor followed the black man onto their small boat and entered Port-au-Prince first.
Port-au-Prince is a city that grew out of thin air. Its core is the port, and it expands outwards in layers from the port docks, stretching from the sea to the nearby hillsides. Because it was built without any planning or rules, it was built however it wanted. As a result, the city's roads are narrow and winding, and in many places, even two horse-drawn carriages cannot pass each other.
On both sides of the road were simple and crowded shacks. Most of these shacks were rebuilt after the 1794 earthquake. The entire port area was dirty and chaotic.
However, the area on the hillside is different. That's the wealthy area, where landowners and the like live. The roads are relatively wide, and the houses are mostly luxurious garden villas.
The governor's palace of Saint-Domingue was naturally located in this area, but while the palace used to be inhabited by white people, it was now occupied by a black man.
After disembarking, Victor boarded a carriage and, surrounded by a group of black soldiers, drove along the narrow streets. By the time he arrived at the governor's mansion, it was completely dark.
Victor entered the governor's mansion, a black officer greeted him. The officer introduced himself as the governor's adjutant and then inquired about Victor's identity and whether he had already eaten dinner.
Victor then showed him the First Consul's authorization letter and told him that he hadn't eaten yet.
"The Governor has asked me to take you to a meal first, and then he will meet you in the reception room," the adjutant said.
Then he took Victor to the restaurant next door for dinner. After Victor finished eating, he took Victor to the drawing room, where the only black governor in France was already waiting for him.
It was common knowledge throughout France that Governor-General Toussaint Louverture harbored ambitions of secession and independence. However, at this moment, he still behaved with great politeness when dealing with Napoleon's special envoy.
Governor Toussaint Louverture first chatted casually with Victor about his journey, then asked, "Did the First Consul send you here to give me any instructions?"
Victor, however, was more direct. Victor replied bluntly, "Your Excellency, the First Consul has no intention of issuing any orders to you. He has merely sent me to have some friendly discussions with you regarding the present and future of Saint-Domingue. If I may be frank, it is no secret that the Governor has always sought to make Saint-Domingue an independent country."
"So, what is His Excellency the First Consul's opinion on this?" Since Napoleon's envoy had been so direct, Toussaint Louverture no longer concealed his intentions and asked directly.
"The First Government believes that you may not have fully considered what might happen after independence. Or rather, you may not have adequately considered the difficulties that will follow," Victor said.
"You mean the France army?" Toussaint Louverture said bluntly. "I've heard of the First Consul's formidable reputation on the Europe battlefields, but we are not afraid to sacrifice ourselves for freedom. Although we may face some difficulties in the future, if you want to conquer us with your army, then you can try."
"No, no, no, Governor, you may have misunderstood us," Victor said. "Governor, back then, I mean when the revolution against the tyrant took place in France, you also launched an uprising in Saint-Domingue. In the early stages of the uprising, you allied with the Spain and Britain to fight against us France. But soon, you parted ways with them, and later you even cooperated with us to fight against the Spain and France. Why was that?"
Dusan Louvidur glanced at Victor but did not respond.
"Because, Governor, what you seek is the freedom and liberation of black people, the abolition of slavery. But both the Spain and the Britain are supporters and beneficiaries of the barbaric system of slavery. They may support you in opposition to France, but they will not allow you to truly overthrow slavery. In fact, they fundamentally do not want to see an independent, abolitionist black nation emerge in the Caribbean. Because once such a situation arises, it could create a chain reaction in their territories, especially those that also practice slavery. This is why you have turned against the Britain and Spain."
"But France is a completely different country from Britain and Spain. I've heard that you are a learned person, that you have read the great works of France sages such as Rousseau and Montesquieu, and that you have a certain understanding of their thoughts."
"Yes, I have read their books, and they inspired me," Toussaint Louverture replied.
"Then you should also know that the French Republic of today is not the same as the France Kingdom of the past that oppressed you. In fact, when news of your uprising reached Paris, the revolutionary government responded immediately, declaring the abolition of slavery and granting full citizenship to black people."
"Governor, that is why you chose to cooperate with us to fight against those countries that still cling to the evil system of slavery." Victor continued, "Governor, after the last war, the French Republic kept its promise and abolished slavery, and the blacks of Saint-Domingue did indeed gain full citizenship rights, including the right to vote and to be elected—you, Governor, became Governor of Saint-Domingue through election."
"Governor, look around you. Is there any other country whose governor is elected? Is there any other country whose governor is Black? In all of Americas, apart from Saint-Domingue, is there any other Black person with full citizenship? Governor, the French Republic has always kept its promises, because this is not a stopgap measure, but a requirement of the very foundation of the French Republic — the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Given this, I do not understand why you are so insistent on the independence of Saint-Domingue?"