Laying the Milestones, Volume 1: Introduction

The book has the imprint of the Imprimerie de l'État, Port-au-Prince, 1939, and its cover states that it is sold for the benefit of a new foundation for the protection of needy children. This record is based on the first 30 pages of a 537-page book, which open the introduction under the heading L'obsession raciale et ses conséquences nationales. Vincent recalls that the Imperial Constitution of 1805 barred whites from owning property, called all Haitians black, and treated marriage as a civil act authorized by the government, and that later practice kept foreigners from nationality until the Constitution of 1889.

He cites the law of October 18, 1860 authorizing marriage between Haitians and foreigners and the intervention of Anténor Firmin at the 1889 assembly in favor of naturalization without distinction of race. He argues that poets and writers promoted the cause of the race while the country lacked the education, work and order needed to build a state, and he points to the national anthem taught in schools since 1904 as a better guide. The remaining 500 pages were not read for this record.