Art. 1. The people inhabiting the island formerly called St. Domingo hereby agree to form themselves into a free state sovereign and independent of any other power in the universe, under the name of the empire of Hayti.

2,. Slavery is forever abolished.

3. The Citizens of Hayti are brothers at home; equality in the eye of the law is incontestably acknowledged; and there cannot exist any titles, advantages, or privileges, other than those necessary resulting from consideration and reward of services rendered to liberty and independence.

4. The law is the same to all, whether it punishes, or whether it protects.

5. The law has no retractive effect.

6. Property is sacred, its violation shall be severely prosecuted.

7. The quality of citizen of Hayti is lost by emigration and naturalization in foreign countries and condemnation to corporal or disgraceful punishments. The first case carries with it the punishment of death and confiscation of property.

8. The quality of Citizen is suspended in consequence of bankruptcies and failures.

9. No person is worthy of being a Haytian who is not a good father, a good son, a good husband, and especially a good soldier.

10. Fathers and mothers are not permitted to disinherit their children.

11. Every Citizen must possess a mechanic art.

12. No whiteman of whatever nation he may be, shall put his foot on this territory with the title of master or proprietor, neither shall he in future acquire any property therein.

13. The preceding article cannot in the smallest degree affect white women who have been naturalized Haytians by Government, nor does it extend to children already born, or that may be born of the said women. The Germans and Polanders naturalized by government are also comprised in the dispositions of the present article.

14. All acception of colour among the children of one and the same family, of whom the chief magistrate is the father, being necessarily to cease, the Haytians shall hence forward be known only with the generic appellation of Blacks.