ficer of diftinguished merit, publish ed a declaration to the armies, inviting every officer and foldier to confide in him, as their ancient compation in the perils and hardfhips attached to their profeffion, and to by their complaints and grievances before him with candour and freedom, promifing, on the part of government, a faithful and equitable attention to all their just demands; exhorting them to continue true to the prefent conftitution, and reminding them of the folemn oath they had taken to maintain it.

The minifter of police, Lenvir Laroche, iffued an addrefs to the citizens of Paris, wherein he warned them to beware of the calamities that muft attend a new revolution, and firenuously to act in defence of the established conftitution. He Spoke to people who had deeply experienced the miferies that had afflicted France, and that were geberally well affected to the repubkcan fyftem.

Such, however, was the dread entertained by the directory, and their adherents, of the intrigues and refolution of the royalifts, that, notwithtanding the fupport they derived from their official fituations, and the attachment of the generality ef people, they came to a determination to call in the farther affiftance of the military. This they did with the more readiness, that unless they took preventive measures they were confcious, that, the numbers of royalifts, daily repairing to Paris, would become fo confiderable, that, added to those who abetted the oppofition, they would altogether form fo powerful a body, as not to be overcome without much difficulty. Intending, if it were poffible, to avoid bloodshed, they were convinced,

that the moft effectual method of preventing it, would be to take oppofition by furprise, and, before they had made fufficient preparations, to repel force with force; not doubting, that, by previously striking a fuccefsful blow, they would compel oppofition to fubmit, and, at once, defeat all their plans.

In this determination, however, only three of the directory concurred. Thefe were, Barras, Reubel, and Lareveillere. They had always profelled republican principles, and had been long confidered as the heads of that party: their colleagues, Carnot and Barthelemi, the latter efpecially, were reputed lefs firm in their adherence to it, and more inclined to conciliation with the oppofition. What the precife views of this party were, were rather conjectured than afcertained: but the general opinion was, that their intentions were too friendly, to the royalifts, to permit those who harboured them to enjoy any fhare of authority in the republic; and that the fooner they were expelled from their feats in the councils, the greater would be the fecurity of the commonwealth.

This party was headed by men of tried abilities, who perceiving the neceffity of acting with determination and promptitude in the prefent conjecture, refolved immediately to aim a blow at that member of the directory, whom they confidered as the most dangerous of their enemies. Reubel and Lareveillere, though refolute and fteady republicans, were much lefs perfonally formidable than Barras, who had been bred a foldier, and had gone through many of the perils attending a military life with fingu lar fuccels and intrepidity. To him,

in a great measure, was due the triumph of the late convention over thofe who oppofed the re-election of two-thirds of that body, on the establishment of the prefent conftitution. To ouft a man of this character, from the directory, would certainly have proved a leading ftep to the execution of the defigns entertained by the oppofition: but the only method, whereby to effect fuch an attempt, was to prove him of years infufficient for fo high a promotion. Every kind of exertion was employed for the purpofe of a fcertaining the reality of this difqualification: but they all failed, and he remained in the poffeffion of his feat.

Thefe feuds, between the councils and the directory, were viewed with much difapprobation by the moderate part of both. That of the ancients, which had, fince its inftitution, been remarkable for interpofing its weight, either in obviating or fuppreffing differences, acted, on this occafion, with its ufual impartiality and difcretion. It negatived the motions that had been carried, for abolishing several of the powers hitherto exercifed by the directory, and fufpended its affent to fome decrees that appeared too favourable to the nonjuring clergy. But the die was caft, and all endeayours at reconciliation were loft in the inveteracy now daily encreafing between the contending parties.

There were in the oppofition feveral individuals of noted courage, The moft confpicuous of thefe were Pichegru and Willot, who, being both military men, were, conformably to the fpirit of their profeffion, carneft in promoting active meafures. To thele two were entrusted the charge of new-modelling the

national guard. This numerous body of men had, by the conftitution, been placed under the immediate management of the directory, which had the appointment of all the offcers. The alteration propofed by Pichegru and Willot was, that in each department a felect number of reputable perfons, elected for that purpofe, fhould make out a lift, to which the nomination of officers, by the directory, fhould be confined. This fcheme was much applauded, as neither depriving that body of the elective privilege, vefted in it, nor giving them too much power in its exercife. The propofal, therefore, was readily accepted, and paffed, on a motion, in the affirmative.

The directory, on the other hand, acting with the expedition of men confcious of being beforehand with their adverfaries, purfued, with equal fecrecy and vigour, the meafures it had adopted against the oppofition. The arrival of a body of troops, within feven leagues of Paris, was announced in that city, on the twentieth of July, to the great furprize and anxiety of the council of five hundred, who could not mistake the caufe of their approach to the capital fo much nearer than the laws permitted. Ten years imprifonment was the fentence incurred by the directory, for bringing a military force within fuch a diftance of any place where the legislative held its meetings. Convinced that fuch an infraction of the conflitution could not have taken place without the orders, either positive or implied, of the directory, the council inftantly laid a formal complaint of it before that body. But the anfwer was, that the moment the directors were apprifed of it, they ordered the troops to remove

to

to a legal diftance, attributing their approach, to the inadvertence of the commilliary at war, or fome other mistake..

This anfwer did not remove the fafpicions or fears of the council, It appointed a committce to examine the meffage of the directory. This committee reported, that no anfwer had been given to the principal part of the council's meflage, demanding who had given orders for the marching of thofe troops. On this report, another meffage was voted to the directory, requiring an explicit anfwer.

To this requifition, the directory replied by acknowledging, that they had given the order to march, but not the line of marching. It ftated the distance from Paris, to the place where the troops had arrived, to be thirteen leagues, instead of feven, as at first afferted.

This reply did not appear fatisfactory. Pichegru reprefented it as evafive. Had the deftination of the troops been for Breft, as pretended, their line of march should have been to the north, and not to the fouth, of Paris. The fpeech of Willot, on this fubject, unfolded a variety of alarming particulars. The troops themfelves did not fcruple, he faid, to avow against whom they. were marching. It was, by their own confeffion, against the councils, whom they had been taught to look upon as the enemies of their country, and ftriving to diffolve its prefent government. Delahaie, another member of the oppofition, fpoke no lefs explicitly, on this occafion. He reprefented the march of the troops, as the effect of a confpiracy against the legislature, of which the certainty could not be doubted. Troops, he faid, were within a days VOL. XXXIX.

march of Paris, and, as it had been furmifed, by one in power, a thousand men were to attack the council of five hundred, as many more that of the ancients, and the patriots would perform the reft.

Thefe tranfactions took place between the twentieth and the last of July. On the fourth of Auguft, information was brought to the councils, of the various circumftances attending the movements of the troops defined for Paris. They confifted of about twenty-feven thousand men, drawn from the army of the Sambre and Meufe, instead of nine thoufand, as had been reported. They were to encamp in the neighbourhood of the capital. Every effort was used to feduce the officers and foldiers, and to inflame them against the legislative body. Numbers of them had reforted clandeftinely to Paris, and fome hundreds of diforderly people had been provided with arms and ammunition, to join them. The armies, in violation of all difcipline and fubordination to the laws, deliberated and correfponded with each other. They made decrees, and issued proclamations, without any attempt to reftrain them by the conftituted authorities.

On receiving this intelligence, the council refolved to demand of the directory the documents it had promited, relating to the march of the troops, requiring an answer in three days, and infifting, at the fame time, on knowing what measures had been taken to put a ftop to the violation of that article of the conftitution, which prohibited the armies from entering into deliberations.

During thefe critical agitations, the heads of the military had either [F] affumed,

Europe, would permit them to fucceed in their treasonable proceed

ings.

They had, indeed, advanced a confiderable way in the accomplishment of their defigns. They were on the point of fubverting the commonwealth, and re-eftablishing monarchy. To this intent, the conftitution was reviled, and its afferters vilified throughout the interior, by thofe fwarms of traitors, whofe unlawful return to their country was bafely and perfidioufly connived at, under the pretence of lenity, by thofe falfe reprefentatives of the people, who had, through fraudulent practices, obtained feats in the legillature, in order the more fecurely to betray their constituents.

While peaceable citizens, at home, were thus infulted and terrified, the armies abroad were configned to neglect and the want of all neceffaries: it being a part of the fyftem purfued, by thofe treacherous legiflators, to let them imperceptibly moulder away. Their pay was withheld, they were denied clothing, and they were compelled, by hunger, to extort the means of exiftence from the inhabitants of the countries where they were quartered; however difgraceful this might be to their character, as it was certainly highly repugnant to their feelings. Nor were the hofpitals attended to. Their fick and wounded brethern were fuffered to die for want of due

care.

coming at the reftoration of peace, as the legislature had folemnly pledged itfelf they fhould, previously to all other confiderations? But what inducement had they to expect any fuch recompenfe from men who hated the republic, and employed all their thoughts in devifing the means to deftroy it? Objects, far different from the fecurity of freedom, took up the attention of the councils. That love of liberty, which characterized the former affemblies of the republic, was totally extinguifhed. The conftitution and the rights of the people had loft their importance, and were now fucceeded by difcuffions unworthy the notice of men, whofe time ought to be dedicated to fubjects of public utility. Inftead of attending to the exigencies and preffures of the ftate, to the exhaufted condition of the finances, to the infurrections fucceffively, breaking out, to the machinations of foreign agents, endeavouring every where to mislead the public mind, they were bufied in matters of fuperftition. More than twenty fittings of the council of five hundreds had been devoted to the hearing of reports on emigrants, on priefts, and on bells. Was fuch bigotry to be endured? Was it in contemplation to re-establish the mafs, and other religious abfurdities, and to impofe anew upon ignorance and credulity? Thofe who incul cated a reverence for fuch things were known, at the fame, to be the moft irreconcileable enemies to civil freedom; yet they had been recalled, by an exprefs decree, and permitted to preach their pernicious doctrines.

They bitterly complained of the difrefpect with which they had been occafionally treated, and of the ab[F2]

horren