The Kentucky Gazette

The following was handed us for publication by a Subscriber, and has been in type two or three weeks; but want of room has hitherto prevented its appearance.

The following extract from a proclamation lately issued by Toussaint L'Ouverture, governor of St. Domingo (a black man) of a late date, is well worthy the notice and perusal of the friends of the poor African.

In one of my proclamations, in the time of the tour in the South, I had pointed out the duties of fathers and mothers towards their children, the obligation imposed upon them, to bring them up in the love and fear of God; having always regarded religion as the basis of all virtues and the foundation of the happiness of societies. In effect, who have caused the greatest misfortunes of the colony? Were not all of them men without religion and moral sentiment? Thou shalt honor thy father and mother, is one of the first commandments of God. Will a child that does not respect his parents, listen to the good advices of strangers? Will he obey the laws of society, after trampling under his feet the sweetest and most holy law of nature ?

With what carelessness do parents bring up their children, particularly in towns? Instead of teaching them their religion, requiring from them the respect and obedience owed to them ; instead of giving them ideas conformable to their situation : instead of inspiring them with the love of industry,- they indulge them in the idleness and ignorance of their first duties. They seem themselves to despise, and make them despise agriculture, the first, the most honourable & useful of all occupations. They are scarcely born, when they are seen with jewels and ear-rings; covered with dirty, ragged clothes, and often offending decency by their nakedness. They thus reach their twelfth year, without any moral principles, without a trade, and with the taste for luxury and idleness. As bad habits are overcome with much difficulty, these children inevitably turn out vagabonds & thieves. If they be females, they will become prostitutes-Either sex are always ready to follow the instigations of the first conspirator that will preach to them disorder, murder and plunder. It is on such parents and such pupils that magistrates and military officers ought to keep a watchful eye-and the hand of justice should always hang over them.

The most holy of all institutions among men who live in society, and from which the greatest blessings flow, is marriage. A good father, a good husband, wholly employed to promote the happiness of his wife and children, ought to be, among them, the living image of God Therefore the constant cares of a wise government should be to inspire good families with honour and respect; they should not rest, but till after having entirely rooted out vice. Military officers, and above all, civil ones, cannot be excused when they publicly give a sanction to vice. They who, having lawful wives, harbour prostitutes in their houses; or unmarried men who live openly with several women, are unworthy of commanding—they shall be dismissed!

In a word, every man in the colony ought to set a good example to his countrymen- every military or civil commander ought to fulfill all his duties—They shall be judged according to their deeds. Every man who loves life, ought to work--In a good government. idleness is the source of every disorder, and if it be tolerated in an individual only, I shall lay the fault upon the military officers, being persuaded, that they who tolerate idle fellows and vagabonds, have bad designs, and are secret enemies to the government.

No body, under any pretence whatever, should be exempt from all occupation; parents born in the colony, who have children & property, should go and live there, in order to work themselves or make their children work, and overlook their estates; and in moments of rest, instruct them, or cause them to be instructed in the precepts of our religion; inspire them with horror for vice, explain to them the commandments of God, to engrave its principles on their hearts in an indelible manner, and make them duly sensible of this truth, that, " as idleness is the mother of all vices. industry is that of all virtues."

It is by these means that useful and respectable citizens will be formed; that we can hope to see this fine colony one of the happiest countries in the world---free from the dreadful events, the remembrance of which should never be erased from our memory.