Chapter 617: If You Insist on Joining the Fray, Don't Blame Me for Playing Rough
In the second-floor conference room of the Port-au-Prince Assembly Hall, Ogé and three pro-abolitionist legislators stared in shock as Brissot delivered an impassioned speech. They tried repeatedly to stop him, while two pro-slavery legislators sat frozen in disbelief.
Brissot, undeterred by their reactions, raised his arms and spoke fervently:
"We cannot be satisfied with the liberation of the slaves in Saint-Domingue alone. This great cause must shine across the entire Caribbean!
"The sinful and shameful institution of slavery must vanish from this world.
"Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Lesser Antilles—there, the wicked whips still strike against those who should be free!
"And we, the bearers of liberty's torch, possess the strength to challenge the slaveholders. With the support of 500,000 freed black men, how can we not rise to free the slaves of the Caribbean?"
Finally, Ogé reluctantly stood up, forcing himself to speak:
"Mr. Brissot, while we do wish for slavery to be abolished throughout the Caribbean, perhaps such a task is best left to the British and Spanish to resolve themselves…"
The other legislators nodded in agreement.
"Interfering in those regions could provoke retaliation from Britain and other nations."
"Mr. Brissot, abolition is a matter that takes decades to achieve…"
"Even if we wanted to push for abolition throughout the Caribbean, we lack the strength to do so."
"Forgive us, but this is simply impossible…"
Brissot swept his gaze across the room, his expression filled with disdain.
"This is what you call 'breaking the chains and letting freedom and equality illuminate every inch of land under Heaven's watch?'
"Do you truly believe that liberating 500,000 slaves in Saint-Domingue alone fulfills your ideals?"
Ogé sighed and confessed:
"Alright, Mr. Brissot. To be honest, this does not align with our interests, so…"
"You speak of interests?" Brissot smiled coldly.
"Then what if I told you Saint-Domingue could gain independence? Would such an interest satisfy you?"
The room fell silent instantly.
Ogé and the others exchanged glances, then turned back to Brissot.
"Apologies, but I don't understand. Are you speaking metaphorically, or…?"
"No, I mean full independence," Brissot said calmly.
"The establishment of the Republic of Saint-Domingue. Your Assembly will mint your own currency, control trade, set tariffs, decide diplomacy, command an army—France will not interfere in any way."
One middle-aged legislator burst into laughter.
"Mr. Envoy, you're quite the joker."
"I'm not joking." Brissot pulled a decree from his coat.
"His Majesty the King has already agreed to relinquish Saint-Domingue as a colony. You will become a sovereign nation."
Ogé hurriedly took the decree and saw the King's and Queen's signatures and royal seals upon it. His hands trembled with excitement as he passed it to the legislator beside him.
Moments later, everyone's faces turned red with excitement, their eyes gleaming as they confirmed there had been no mistake.
If Saint-Domingue could shed its colonial status, the benefits would be monumental—for example, no longer paying taxes to the French government, no longer restricting markets to French trade, minting their own currency, managing their finances. Most significantly, the legislators themselves would ascend from being mere colonial politicians to national representatives, with a massive increase in power.
Previously, Joseph had merely promised a 70% reduction in taxes for Saint-Domingue and greater authority for the Assembly. Even those modest benefits had been enough to win over most pro-slavery legislators to support abolition. Now, independence offered vastly greater rewards.
Ogé was the first to raise his fists, shouting excitedly:
"Long live His Majesty the King! Thank you for granting Saint-Domingue freedom and independence!"
The others were about to cheer as well, but Brissot raised his hand to stop them.
"Gentlemen, His Majesty's consent for Saint-Domingue's independence comes with certain conditions."
All eyes turned to him.
"First, His Majesty requires that slavery be abolished throughout the entire Caribbean.
"Second, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Lesser Antilles must also achieve independence—ideally forming a Caribbean Confederation with Saint-Domingue."
The legislators murmured among themselves. The difficulty of the task was obvious, but the temptation of independence was far greater.
After a moment, Brissot added:
"The French government will also provide Saint-Domingue with weapons, ammunition, and an annual subsidy of 2 million francs."
Ogé and Governor Mably exchanged glances, swallowing nervously before turning to Brissot.
"Mr. Envoy, allow us to discuss this further. We'll give you an answer by noon tomorrow."
"Very well, gentlemen. But I must remind you to keep this matter absolutely confidential."
Brissot didn't have to wait until noon the next day. That very evening, at 10 p.m., Ogé and Mably arrived at his quarters together, declaring that Saint-Domingue would wholeheartedly lead the Caribbean abolitionist movement.
The two longtime political rivals, who had battled each other in the Saint-Domingue Assembly for over a decade, were now remarkably united.
Ogé, however, couldn't hide his concern as he said:
"But you must understand, Mr. Envoy, this will not be easy…"
Brissot smiled knowingly and summoned an officer from the Intelligence Bureau.
"This is Major Delman. He'll explain a simple plan to you."
Delman handed two documents to Ogé and Mably.
"First, we need to ensure that other nations believe the French government opposes abolition. Otherwise, France will face immense international pressure and be unable to support Saint-Domingue."
Ogé and Mably nodded.
Delman continued:
"Therefore, the Governor's forces and the abolitionist militias will need to maintain the appearance of conflict.
"With the British meddling unexpectedly in Saint-Domingue, we've decided to turn this to our advantage."
Ogé looked surprised.
"How so?"
Delman raised the documents.
"The French government will make a public announcement declaring its intent to punish Saint-Domingue's Assembly for their abolitionist decision by sending 10,000 troops to crush the abolitionists.
"Mr. Ogé, you will then use this as a pretext to seek British assistance, claiming that without increased aid, the abolitionist movement will have no choice but to surrender to France. Ideally, this should persuade them to provide a large, lump-sum contribution rather than monthly installments.
"Coincidentally, a pro-slavery legislator will 'overhear' your conversation and leak it. Under public pressure, you will be 'forced' to admit the truth.
"Your forces will then 'defeat' the Governor's troops, seizing a large cache of weapons and taking in over a thousand of his soldiers as 'surrendered reinforcements.'"
Ogé's eyes widened.
"Wait, that's… allowed?"
Brissot continued seamlessly:
"When the French expeditionary force lands, you will 'ambush' them. They will retreat in disarray to British Jamaica, leaving behind even more weapons, supplies, and perhaps a few warships for you to capture…"
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10