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A RARE BOOKWITH A FINE ASSOCIATION
339
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(HAITI.) SANDERS, PRINCE.
Haytian Papers. A Collection of the Very
Interesting Proclamations and Other Official Documents;Together with Some
Account of the Rise, Progress and Present State of the Kingdom of Hayti.With
a Preface by Prince Sanders, Esq, Agent for the Haytian Government.
Tall 8vo,
original fine Regency binding of straight-grained deep green morocco, gilt extra; spine
with four raised bands, wide gilt inner dentelles, red silk moire doublures, all edges gilt.
London:W. Reed, 1816
[1,500/2,500]
FIRST EDITION
.
A FINE ASSOCIATION
,
BEARING A PRESENTATION
fromWilliam Harvey,
author of “Sketches of Hayti” (London, 1827): “FromWilliam Harvey, a Citizen of Hayti,
to his Friend the Paton [?].” Prince Sanders, sometimes spelled Saunders (1775-1839) was
an African-American teacher, scholar, diplomat, and author. During his life, Saunders helped
set up schools for African-Americans in Massachusetts and also in Haiti, for Emperor Henri
Christophe. The latter took the young Sanders under his wing and made him his courier.
During his time in Haiti, Saunders edited the Haitian Papers, basically a translation of the
Haitian laws, with his commentary. Sanders was also a proponent of black emigration to Haiti.
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(HAITI.) BOYER, JEAN-PIERRE.
Jean Pierre Boyer President D’Haiti
by Barincou.
Chromolithograph portrait. 12-3/4x9 inches. matted and framed.
[Paris?, circa 1821]
[800/1,200]
RARE PORTRAIT OF HAITI
’
S
“
REUNIFIER
.”
Jean Pierre Boyer, took power in 1821
following a long period of division and bloodshed under the regimes of Dessalines and
Christophe. Boyer however was faced with a dilemma.The French gave him a choice of paying
off an enormous debt owed them because of the loss of the colony, or facing a flotilla of French
gun-ships that lay just off the coast. As a result, Boyer was forced to compel the Haitians to
hand over a large portion of their crops or the earnings therefrom. He was thus accused of
putting the island back into a state virtual slavery.
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(HAITI.) BOYER, JEAN PIERRE.
(TRANSLATION) Rural Code of Haiti. Port-
au-Prince. Printed at the Government Press,
July, 1826. Liberty! Equality! Republic of Haiti.
Rural Code.
18 pages folio, original printed self-
wrappers, stitched, spine with almost imperceptible
archival reinforcement, modern thread.
London: Ordered by the House of Commons,
to be Printed, 25 May 1827
[800/1,200]
SCARCE FIRST PRINTING IN ENGLISH OF JEAN PIERRE
BOYER
’
S
“
CODE RURAL
”
WHICH ESSENTIALLY PUT
H
AITIANS BACK INTO A STATE OF VIRTUAL SLAVERY
.
Jean Pierre Boyer (1776-1850), sometimes called the
“Mulatto Machiavelli” ruled Haiti from 1818 until 1843.
In 1820 he invaded Santo Domingo, thus unifying the
island. However, Boyer, one of the four generals who
liberated Haiti from France, still faced a constant threat from
its old master. France claimed 150 million francs in debt
from Haiti in lost property. In 1825, with 14 French
warships moored off the coast, Boyer was persuaded to sign
an agreement to pay France over a period of five years.This
however proved to be impossible, even after France agreed to
reduce the sum to sixty million. As a result, Boyer put into effect his “Code Rural,” redistributing
the land and binding farmers to what was essentially forced labor in order to raise funds.
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