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At their approach the sentry gave the alarm, and the soldiers came out of the guard-house in disorder. Schoelcher, calm, impassive, in ruffles and a white tie, clothed, as usual, in black, buttoned to the neck in his tight frock coat, with the intrepid and brotherly air of a Quaker, walked straight up to them.
"Let us try to find a printing-office without delay," said Schoelcher, "and let the proclamation be posted up immediately." "Before nightfall the days are short," added Joigneaux. "Immediately, immediately, several copies!" called out the Representatives. Baudin, silent and rapid, had already made a second copy of the proclamation.
While putting them in line the men of the barricade said, "Let us not injure the carts more than we can help." This formed an indifferent barricade, very low, too short, and which left the pavements free on either side. At this moment a staff officer passed by followed by an orderly, saw the barricade, and fled at a gallop. Schoelcher calmly inspected the overturned vehicles.
A few women, weeping, but brave, came out of a house. Some soldiers came up. They carried him, Schoelcher holding his head, first to a fruiterer's shop, then to the Ste. Marguerite Hospital, where they had already taken Baudin. He was a conscript. The ball had entered his side. Through his gray overcoat buttoned to the collar, could be seen a hole stained with blood.
We Frenchmen, who had so much difficulty in emancipating our own slaves, and who would not, perhaps, have succeeded in it, had it not been for the bold decision of M. Schoelcher; we, who have sought to take back, in part, through our colonial regulations, the liberty accorded the blacks; we, who suffered recruitals by purchase to be made on the African coast; who formerly organized the expedition charged with re-establishing slavery and the slave trade at St.
The Representatives distributed the guns and the cartridges to the resolute band which surrounded them. Some soldiers exclaimed, "Why do you take away our muskets! We would fight for you and with you!" The Representatives consulted whether they should accept this offer. Schoelcher was inclined to do so.
I am a Republican as you are, but I am only an instrument." "You know the Constitution?" said Schoelcher. "I only know my instructions." "There is an instruction above all other instructions," continued Schoelcher, "obligatory upon the Soldier as upon the Citizen the Law." He turned again towards the soldiers to harangue them, but the captain cried out to him, "Not another word!
"Well, then," said Schoelcher, "where is there a post?" "At the Lenoir Market." "Let us disarm it." With Schoelcher at their head and escorted by fifteen armed men the Representatives proceeded to the Lenoir Market. The post of the Lenoir Market allowed themselves to be disarmed even more willingly than the post in the Rue de Montreuil.
Major P said afterwards, "They had told us that we should have to deal with brigands, we had to deal with heroes." Meanwhile those on the barricade were growing uneasy, and seeing their colleagues surrounded, and wishing to succor them, they fired a musket shot. This unfortunate shot killed a soldier between De Flotte and Schoelcher.
The officer who commanded the second attacking squad passed close to Schoelcher as the poor soldier fell. Schoelcher pointed out the fallen man to the officer, and said to him, "Lieutenant, look!" The officer answered by a gesture of despair, "What would you have us do?"
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