Quote:
“No other distinctions exist than those of virtues and talents, nor any other superiority than that granted by the law in the exercise of a public charge. The law is the same for all, whether it punishes or protects.”
Source:
Quote: Art. 5, Haitian constitution 1801.
Picture: Bdx – CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia. Creative Commons.
Author Bio:
Independent Republic of Haiti of 1804
Context:
The quote comes from the constitution of St. Dominique (now Haiti) from 1801. In August 1791, black slaves revolted against the French colonial power and freed themselves. After the French National Assembly granted equal rights to all inhabitants of the colonies in 1792, military clashes broke out against white royalists. One protagonist of developing the constitution of 1801 was Toussaint L'Ouverture. He installed himself as governor for life and at the same time brought forth universalist convictions of equality. The constitution led to a political rupture. Napoleon sent military forces. L'Ouvertures‘ army was forced to surrender after three months. St. Dominique became independent in 1804 and was renamed Haiti.Further Reading:
*Massimiliano Tomba (2019): Insurgent Universality. An Alternative Legacy of Modernity. New York: Oxford University Press.
Year:
1801