No one is perfect and each great general, is plagued with a military mistake, that will follow him. but that mistake will later become eclipsed in the shadow of their future accomplishment and their greatness. We must always remember; the magnitude of any mistake is generally measured by the reactions that was generated by or from that mistake.
Paramount Chief Chatoyer’s action to bring a sense of peace and stability to his people: the St. Vincent Indigenous People (SIP), showed that at times, doing the right thing, for the right reason; can have totally devastating consequences. For over one hundred and fifty years, the SIP were constantly engaged in what can be considered, a never ending battle to protect their island home St. Vincent, from the ill intended European invaders with whom they have had many extremely bad experiences.
Europeans came and went for many different reason, but the SIP remain and had to contend with the new European arrivals; for this was their home. It seems with each replacement, the European brought, in their effort to settle the island (St. Vincent) had new goals, a new level of greed and a new level of cruelty, which they were willing to employ to accomplish their goals.
Over the years, the SIP as a nation, had lost thousands of brave, many of their children had to go fatherless, and many of the women became widows at an early age. In returned the soil of their land became saturated and the rivers became polluted with blood of their enemy, who kept coming. The European kept replacing their dead; after each defeat, they kept sending more people. They came with one objective to take and claimed the SIP's home for themselves.
As a result, when the English approached the SIP, with a plan, in the form of a Peace Treaty, to end the 1792 war and to put an end too over a hundred and fifty years of constant fighting. It was because of an overwhelming desire, of the SIP, to live in peace that they urged their chief to negotiate. The SIP did not know anything about the back ground, the character and the wicked nature of the men who came to then with friendly faces, appreciative smiles and a plan for long lasting peace.
The SIP were totally unaware, of the diabolical plot that festered behind the friendly smiles, of the men, with whom their forefathers were engaged in bitter war, for all most One hundred and fifty years. Although they were not the same men; their back ground, their characters, their intent; the level of their greed, the level of their cruelty and the limits to which they will go to enrich themselves were the same. The only thing that have change over the years are the faces.
Apparently the English had already wrote to the King and requested more troops to deal with the problem that existed on the island of St. Vincent. A request which was approved. However, it will take over a year, for the approval to materialized. In order to limit the loss of English lives and to conserve equipment the idea of a Peace Treaty was brought to the SIP. All the St. Vincent Indigenous People (SIP) wanted was the ability to exist in peace, not having to be constantly engaged in war in the defense of their home from ill intended men from another part of the world.
It was never the English plan, to live up to any agreement they made with the SIP, who were a more superior fighting force than the European military. Every condition of the peace treaty was deliberately placed in the treaty, to accomplish a hidden agenda that will be executed at a later date. Specifically, at an appropriate time after, the requested reinforcement of troops arrived on the island.
The primary aspect of the British plans, which was facilitated by the peace treaty, were designed to:
i. Ensure that the war and all fighting with the SIP came to an end.
ii. Ensure the lands that was allotted to the SIP were strategically selected.
The two basic condition of the Peace Treaty that the SIP must adhere to, to facilitate the overall bigger and greater plan of the English was already in place. The SIP were giving lands not of their choosing but that of the British Choosing; land that place the SIP at a disadvantage. Lands that were so poorly situated, it made it easy, for the English to ambushed and slaughtered the SIP.
The signing of the treaty also helped the English to accomplish, several objective they were unable to accomplish before. Now they were able to clearly identify, who the Chiefs who so strategically led the SIP were. They were also able to differentiate between the skilled of the warriors that made up the SIP fighting force. The land location also give the English, the opportunity to spy on the SIP and learn of their way of life, with a view to learn, if there were any weaknesses in the SIPs behavior and practice, they (the English) could take advantage of, to facilitate the defeat of the SIP.
On the arrival of the English reinforcement, when it suited them (the English), they broke the treaty, and took advantage of the SIP to facilitate their defeat and banishment.
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