Laveaux and Toussaint met for the first time on 8 August 1794, and immediately became good friends. From then on, each would often praise and support the other. With Louverture's change of allegiance, the line of military posts from Gonaïves to the border with Spanish Santo Domingo came under French control, greatly improving their position with respect to the British to the south of that line. Laveaux was able to move from his confined position at Port-de-Paix to the northern capital of Cap Français (Cap-Haïtien), now a mulatto stronghold under Jean Villatte. The British decided to impose British laws in their part of Saint Domingue, including racially discriminatory laws, and the free-coloreds in the area began to turn against them. Laveaux told them they would be better off under Republican rule, and also warned the free-colored in Saint-Marc that if they did not surrender he would tell Louverture to sack the town, only sparing the "former slaves". Alexandre Lebas and Victor Hugues, the commissioners of Guadeloupe, heard of the Thermidor upheavals (July 1794) in which the Jacobins lost power. They hastened to affirm their non-partisan loyalty to the Republic. They pointed out that in Guadeloupe they had accomplished the liberation of the slaves without trouble, whereas in Saint-Domingue most of the former slaves had abandoned the plantations and the situation was still disturbed. Laveaux had also failed to expel the British from Saint-Domingue. The commissioners Sonthonax and Polverel returned to Paris to answer charges from the exiled planters concerning their emancipation decree. When Sonthonax left the colony, Laveaux became the most senior of the French leaders. After Rochambeau capitulated in Martinique, Laveaux was completely isolated in the Caribbean. When Toussaint changed sides he brought 4,000 seasoned and disciplined soldiers, and these contributed to the series of victories in 1795. The government in France was impressed, and Sonthonax and Polverel were fully exonerated. Laveaux was promoted to divisional general on 25 May 1795. In July 1795 the National Convention praised the army of Saint-Domingue and its governor Laveaux. As governor Laveaux ensured that the abolition of slavery proclaimed in 4 February 1794 was put into effect, and organized the integration of former slaves into the republican society of Saint-Domingue.