cause the island had been the centre of French colo-
nial interests more valuable than all the other colonies
of France together; but in any case if France in-
tended to remain a colonial and maritime power, the
recovery of St. Domingo was essential. Guadeloupe
and Martinique were in constant danger, and must
remain comparatively worthless, until the supremacy
of the whites should be re-established in the colonial
centre.

France had never relinquished the hope of restor-
ing order and prosperity to St. Domingo, and the idea
of turning French energies in that direction, as soon
as war in Europe should be ended, was never lost
from sight by the French republic. In 1795 the Re-
public obliged Spain, much against her will, to cede
the Spanish part of the island to France, -- a measure
pointing to a great extension of the French colony;
for the Spanish part, though much poorer, was much
larger than the French portion of the island. After
1795 the republic waited only for peace in order to
begin the task of restoring its complete authority
over St. Domingo, and in the mean time encouraged
Toussaint Louverture to prepare the way.

Napoleon Bonaparte obtained control of the French
government by the coup d'état of the 18th brumaire,
or Nov. 9, 1799. Toward the end of August, 1800,
he sent Berthierto Madrid to prepare a large exten-
sion of the colonial scheme. Berthier was ordered to
negotiate a treaty with Spain for the retrocession of
Louisiana to France. The motive for including Louisiana

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