On the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France, Emmanuel Macron visited this Thursday, April 27 in the department of Doubs, in the castle of Joux, in Cluse-et-Mijou, to return tribute to Toussaint Louverture.
In the midst of a political and social crisis, Emmanuel Macron hailed the memory of Toussaint Louverture, a “ exceptional revolutionary ” Who ” also believed that only order could maintain freedom, prosperity and the public good “. ” The order of discipline and military rigor to mix together former slaves native to Africa, brigadiers of color, French officers within his army “, Continued the Head of State, at the Château de Joux, where the freed slave who became a general was locked up for the last months of his life from 1802 to 1803.
Born a slave in 1743 on a plantation in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, Toussaint Louverture was freed by his coachman, rose in society, grew rich and even owned a few slaves, according to the Foundation for the Memory of slavery. In 1791 he rallied to the slave insurrection, distinguished himself by his bravery, his military sense and then joined revolutionary France after the abolition of slavery. Appointed general of Saint-Domingue in 1801, he asserted the autonomy of the colony and took the lead, before being crushed militarily by Bonaparte and deported to the Château de Joux where he died in April 1803.
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In his tribute, the French President celebrated this ” Black Spartacus “, This ” patriot », « absolutely French, fully republican “, citing as an example” the order of citizenship ” And ” the order of laws » carried by the general, against « passions, interests and arbitrariness “. Emmanuel Macron claims to have erected the republican order among its priorities, along with employment and health, in an attempt to turn the page on the much-contested pension reform.
This trip to the field was the fourth since the promulgation of the highly contested pension reform and which the Head of State decreed “one hundred days” to relaunch his second five-year term. Emmanuel Macron took the opportunity to make a surprise stop at the Dole market (Jura), a hundred kilometers from the Château de Joux, before continuing by helicopter.
Welcomed at each field visit by a concert of pots and whistles since the adoption of the reform, Emmanuel Macron was able to show this time that he could also go without a hitch in contact with the French, even if some exchanges were lively and direct. Asked about rising prices, small pensions, medical deserts, the head of state discussed at length with traders, customers and simple onlookers. At the same time, between 200 and 300 demonstrators were held back, at the cost of some jostling, by a cordon of gendarmerie more than a kilometer from the Château de Joux.
(With AFP)