Ardouin on Haitian Independence and Dessalines

Came across this fascinating translated account of the proclamation of Haitian independence online today. Our old friend Beaubrun Ardouin's clear bias against Dessalines shines throughout, as well as his alleged dedication to the principles of the French Revolution, but it's an engaging read regardless. Boisrond Boisrond Tonnerre's immortal words (“In order to draw up the act of our independence we need the skin of a white man to serve as parchment, his skull for inkwell, his blood as ink, and a bayonet as the quill.”) and the removal of the white from the French tricolor still resonate today, as well as the political turmoil of the Haitian state (something Ardouin alludes to quite clearly, though still defensive of the initial type of government adopted in 1804). Placing the Haitian Revolution in a much broader regional and global perspective, Ardouin  also emphasizes the importance of Haitian independence for the progress of the black race. Much thanks to the Marxists who provided this enthralling excerpt, translated by Mitchell Abidor.