At this point I wonder if he even wanted to abolish slavery, given the following part of his notes against the dantonists (March 1794):
Danton said to me one day: “It is annoying that one cannot propose to hand over our colonies to the Americans; this would be a mean to forge an alliance with them.” Danton and Lacroix have since [then] made a decree pass whose probable result was the ruin of our colonies.
The decree Robespierre is talking about here is abolition of slavery, put forward by Delacroix and supported by Danton on February 4 1794:
Lacroix, d’Eure et Loir: in working on the constitution of the French People, we did not focus our attention on the unfortunate men of color. Posterity will have a great reproach to make of us in this regard; but we must right this wrong. Needless to say, we decreed that no feudal rights would be levied in the French Republic. You have just heard one of our colleagues say that there are still slaves in our colonies. It is time to rise to the height of the principles of liberty and equality. Although we might say that we do not recognize slaves in France, is it not true that men of color are slaves in our colonies? Let us proclaim the freedom of colored men. By carrying out this act of justice, you give a great example to the enslaved men of color in the English and Spanish colonies. The colored men, like us, wanted to break their chains; we have broken ours; we did not want to submit to the yoke of any master, let us grant them the same benefit.
Levasseur: If it were possible to put before the eyes of the Convention the heartbreaking picture of the evils of slavery, I would make it shudder at the aristocracy exercised in our colonies by a few whites.
Lacroix: President, do not allow the Convention to dishonor itself by a longer discussion.
The Assembly rises by acclamation.
The president pronounces the abolition of slavery, amid applause and cries repeated a thousand times, long live the Republic! long live the Convention! long live the Mountain!
The two colored deputies are at the rostroom, they embrace each other. (applause). Lacroix leads them to the president, who gives them a fraternal kiss. They are successively embraced by all the deputies.
Danton: Representatives of the French people, until now, we have only decreed freedom as egoists and for ourselves alone. But today we proclaim universal freedom to the face of the universe, and future generations will find their glory in this decree. Yesterday, when the President gave the fraternal kiss to the colored deputies, I saw the moment when the Convention was to decree the freedom of our brothers. The session was too small. The Convention has just done its duty. But after having granted the benefit of freedom, we must be, so to speak, its moderators. Let us refer to the Committees of Public Safety and the Colonies, to combine the means of making this decree useful to humanity, without any danger for it. We had dishonored our glory by truncating our work. The great principles developed by the virtuous Las-Casas had been misunderstood. We work for future generations. Let's get it started, freedom in the colonies; Today the Englishman died. (applause) By throwing freedom into the New World, it will bear abundant fruit there, it will grow deep roots. In vain will Pitt and his accomplices, through political considerations, try to crush the enjoyment of this benefit. They will be dragged into nothingness. France will regain the rank and influence provided by its energy, its soil and its population. We ourselves will enjoy our generosity, but we will not extend beyond the limits of wisdom. We will destroy the tyrants as we crushed the perfidious men who wanted to reverse the Revolution. Let us not waste our energy, let us launch our frigates, let us be sure of the blessings of the universe and of posterity, and let us decree the referral of the measures to the examination of the Committees.
Some debates occur relating to the drafting of the decree. Lacroix proposes one which is adopted in these terms:
The National Convention declares the slavery of Negroes abolished in all colonies; consequently it decrees that all men, without distinction of color, domiciled with all the rights assured by the constitution.
Referred to the Committee of Public Safety to report immediately on the measures to be taken for the execution of this decree.
The meeting adjourned at half past five.
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