(It could be worse: Haitians who had freed themselves from slavery by the mass murder of their oppressors were made to pay a huge amount of compensation to them

(It could be worse: Haitians who had freed themselves from slavery by the mass murder of their oppressors were made to pay a huge amount of compensation to them!) Not to diminish the injustice of the slavery from which Haitians freed themselves, but I think there might have been a solution short of genocide. In particular, the systematic torture and execution of children was probably not necessary. (Incidentally, the compensation in question was paid for lost property. The French government apparently considered that to be more important than the lives which were lost!)