Negotiation (2)
Upon hearing this question, Toussaint Louverture laughed.
"Mr. Treville, I've heard that during the French Revolution, many nobles were hanged from lampposts. Now that there's a Parliament, why are you still hanging those nobles?"
"That's because they're trying to overthrow the republican system," Victor said immediately and with unwavering conviction. "The Republic has given them many chances, but they remain unrepentant."
"That's certainly one reason, but I would say it's not the most fundamental one," Toussaint Louverture shook his head. "The most fundamental reason is that they occupy too much land. If the France Revolution cannot destroy their control over the land, then the ordinary people of the Third Estate will still not have a good life. If that's the case, then what's the point of the revolution?"
The same was true in Saint-Domingue. Just as France society before the revolution was divided into three classes—clergy, nobles, and commoners— Saint-Domingue also had such a class division.
The first class consisted of white slave owners, whose numbers were very small. Just as in France, the first and second classes combined amounted to only a few percent, a tiny fraction in terms of sheer numbers.
At this point, Toussaint Louverture even extended his hand and made a gesture by bringing three fingers together:
"Yes, just this little bit, no more. But just as the First and Second Estates of France, though few in number, occupy most of the land in France, these white slave owners also occupy the vast majority of the land in Saint-Domingue. If this situation continues, then the blacks will still not have a good life, and will still struggle on the brink of hunger and death. If the outcome is still the same, then what was the point of our previous revolution?"
"So, your reason for wanting independence is to solve the land problem?" Victor asked. "But have you considered the economic consequences of doing so?"
"The economic consequences?" Toussaint Louverture asked. "Could you elaborate?"
"First of all, as you certainly know, Saint-Domingue's economy is actually very dependent on trade. Whether it's sugar or coffee, they must be traded to become useful; without trade, these things are worthless waste. And these things are not irreplaceable; there are many places in the Caribbean Sea that have the potential to replace Saint-Domingue."
You probably already know the attitudes of the Spain and Britain towards your ideal country. Even the United States, a country that also heavily relied on black slaves, would not want to see a wealthy, free black nation emerge in the Caribbean, because it would become a model for their own slaves to emulate.
To put it more bluntly, if the blacks of Saint-Domingue gained a prosperous life through rebellion, why don't the blacks of United States and Cuba follow your example? The better your lives are, the greater the motivation for slave revolts there, and the higher the cost for them to suppress or appease those slaves. Conversely, the worse your living conditions are and the harder your lives are, the more stable they will be.
Therefore, Your Excellency, if Saint-Domingue becomes independent and grants land to the general population, then neither the Britain, the Spain, nor the United States will trade with Saint-Domingue anymore. I suspect they must be making many assurances to you now, but Your Excellency, assurances are the most unreliable things. You'll see once you analyze where everyone's interests lie."
"But..." said Toussaint Louverture.
"Your Excellency, I understand your meaning. Even if excluded from the trade chain, independence would still be worthwhile for most Black people. Because under the existing system, the benefits of trade do not fall into the hands of Black people at all. In that case, what does it matter to Black people whether they can make money or not? Even if Saint-Domingue cannot sell a single pound of sugar or coffee, even if the land in Saint-Domingue has to be converted to grow enough food to fill their stomachs, Black people will still gain more than they do now."
"Isn't this right?" Dusan Louvidur asked.
"What's wrong with that? But the First President believes that Black people have a better path to take—a much better path than they are now," Victor said.
"What road?"
"Saint-Domingue will remain in France. Meanwhile, we will find ways to address the issue of landlessness among Black people," Victor said.
"How do we solve this?" Dusan Louvidur asked.
Victor replied, "The first option is that blacks can freely leave Saint-Domingue and go to Louisiana. The Spain have now returned this land to us. To develop this land, the First Consul has just passed a policy that anyone who is willing to swear allegiance to France can receive up to 6,500 acres of state-owned land in Louisiana as a sub-land. After cultivating it for 5 years—during which time the land cannot be left uncultivated—or after residing on the land for at least six months within 5 years and paying a fee of 21 centimes per acre, the land will belong to them. In addition, these lands are tax-free for the first 5 years."
Black people in Saint-Domingue also have France citizenship, and they can apply for land in Louisiana. Of course, one person cannot actually cultivate such a large amount of land, but as long as you can cultivate it, it becomes yours after five years. If he remained in Saint-Domingue, he would never have been able to obtain so much land."
"Heh..." Toussaint Louverture sneered. "Mr. Treville, the reason I am still qualified to negotiate with you, the First Consul, is because we Black people are united today. And are you trying to separate us Black people first?"
"Your Excellency, neither the First Consul nor I have such intentions. If you do not approve of this plan, or if you feel that you cannot accept this plan for the time being, then we have a second plan, which is to resolve the land issue through other means."
"A redemption?" Toussaint Louverture laughed. "Other ways? You mean a redemption? Aren't I doing just that right now? And aren't the white men of Saint-Domingue trying to oppose me because of that? And isn't that why you're here? Of course, I know the price I'm offering is low, but it's much gentler than you hanging the nobles outright. At least, the money I'm giving them is enough for them to go to Louisiana and claim that piece of land, isn't it?"
"Governor," Victor said, frowning, "I've suddenly realized there might be a serious misunderstanding between us. You may mistakenly believe that because I and the First Consul are white, we would naturally side with the whites. But that's absolutely wrong. Just like the United States and the Britain are also white, but did they side with us this time?"
"What do you mean?" Toussaint Louverture was quite surprised.
"From the perspective of the Republican government, the vast majority of white slave owners in Saint-Domingue are remnants of the feudal aristocracy; they were never on the same side as the Republic. After the Republican revolutionary government abolished slavery and granted citizenship to Black people, they were filled with even more hatred towards the Republic. I'm sure most of them have secret dealings with those exiled nobles. If they were in France, they would probably have been sent to the guillotine for counter-revolutionary crimes long ago. The current Consulate is also a republican government that wants to defend the achievements of the revolution; how could we possibly stand on the side of these people?"
"So what does First Consul mean?" Toussaint Louverture asked.
"Although these guys are our political enemies, this is no longer an era where we can just hold Revolutionary Tribunal at will. The First Consul has just promulgated the Code; I wonder if you've seen it?"
"I have read it. It is indeed an immortal Codex," Toussaint Louverture praised.
"The Code of Laws stipulates the protection of private property. Although these guys are our enemies, we can't break our own rules, so directly confiscating their land is not an option. However, if they commit treason first, then it's a different story. Do you understand what I mean?" Victor replied with a smile.
"You mean...?"
"As the highest authority of the France Consulate in Saint-Domingue, the Governor-General's office has the right to investigate any treasonous crimes and punish those traitors. Since the Governor-General is punishing traitors, there's naturally nothing wrong with these actions. Many economic consequences can also be avoided. At least, France merchants won't abandon Saint-Domingue ..." Victor said. Since those white slave owners would never truly be grateful to or support the France Republican government, and since the Consulate had already decided to betray them, it was better to do it completely and avoid leaving any hidden dangers.
"Your Excellency, I think you no longer doubt our sincerity, do you?" Victor said with a smile. "Of course, if you still wish for Saint-Domingue to become an independent country, that's not out of the question."
Toussaint Louverture thought for a moment, then asked, "What if I still want Saint-Domingue to be independent?"
"Then France must receive some compensation. First, those white slave owners, although they are our political enemies, are still France. If you become independent, you will be foreigners. We cannot tolerate foreigners bullying the France and depriving France of their legitimate property. So if you wish to maintain the trade routes, you must adopt a genuine 'redemption' approach, and it must be on a truly 'voluntary' basis."
Furthermore, Saint-Domingue is France territory, and if you wish to gain independence on France soil, the cost of purchasing this land is essential. Of course, we can provide you with loans. Finally, Saint-Domingue holds a very important military position; if you side with Britain and the United States after independence, it will pose a significant threat to France interests. Therefore, if you still desire independence, you must accept France as a protectorate. Additionally, France will need to maintain some military bases in Saint-Domingue to ensure that the connection between Louisiana and mainland France is not easily severed..."