[SLAVERY.]
Ville de Troyes. Adresse à l'Assemblée nationale.
An address in which the merchants of the city of Troyes advocate against the freeing of Black peoples in French colonies, due to the severe repercussions this would have on the wealth and economy of France. Indeed, there is a manuscript inscription to the top of the first page “Comité d’ágriculture et de commerce.”
The Adresse goes so far as to take aim at the Societé des Amis des Noirs, though rightly predicts that emancipation would lead to the certain loss of the colonies, the navy, and result in the most bloody revolution - ie “la perte certaine de nos Colonies, qui prépareroit la destruction de notre marine, & la revolution la plus sanglante.”
Of course the Haitian Revolution commenced in the following year. France abolished slavery in 1794, but it was reinstated by Napoleon in 1802.
Not on OCLC, but see OCLC 465193502 for a similar Adresse dated 21 September 1790.
