Des Colonies, et particulièrement de celle de Saint-Domingue ; mémoire historique et politique ou l'on trouvera : 1° Un exposé impartial des causes et un précis historique des guerres civiles qui ont rendu cette dernière colonie indépendante ; 2° Des considérations sur les moyens de la rattacher à la métropole, d'y ramener une paix durable, d'en rétablir et accroître la prospérité

First edition. (cf Sabin, 44114. Duvivier, Haïti, II 92.)

Bound in Havana sheep, spine with five raised bands framed by blind fillets, marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns of marbled paper, original plain blue wrappers preserved, later binding.

A rare and appealing copy.

Colonel Charles-Marie-François Malenfant (1763-1827) was a landowner in Saint-Domingue and a delegate of the French government to Suriname. He fought alongside the Republicans against the English and was taken prisoner in 1794.

Once released, he was appointed by the Directory to negotiate with Toussaint Louverture, opposed the expedition of 1802, and fell into disgrace.

He wrote this work to dissuade the government of the first Restoration from undertaking a new expedition against Haiti. Chapter VIII is entitled "Des Noirs" because, as he writes, "je sais que rien n'affecte plus ces hommes que d'être appelés nègres par un blanc"; the following chapter is devoted to the slave trade.

Chapter XIII deals with Cayenne (which he knew well, having lived there) and Senegal. Finally, after proposing the emancipation of the blacks after nine years of servitude, he concludes his treatise with a "Code ou règlement de culture" in 57 articles. Schoelcher later cited Malenfant, notably in his Abolition de l'esclavage ; examen critique du préjugé contre la couleur des Africains et des Sang-mêlés (Paris, Pagnerre, 1840, p. 153).