CHAP. X. France. Interior Adminiftration of the Republic. Obfervations on the Pactions in France. Plan for the Election of a new Third of the Councils. Royal ift Confpiracy. Oath impofed upon Electors. General Election.. New Members introduced. New Director chofen. Debate in the Council of Five Hundred concerning the Colonies. Debates concerning the Finances. New Plan of Finance. Breach between the Council of Five Hundred and the Directory. Conduct of the Directory cenfured. Private Correfpondence protected from Violation and Inspection. Buonaparte's Conduct with respect to Venice cenfured. Laws of Divorce ordered to be revifed. Report on religious Worship. Refolutions in favour of Emigrants-in favour of Priefts. Power taken from the Directory of putting Districts in a State of Siege. Political Clubs infiituted. Army difcontented with the Proceedings of the Councils. Change of Minifters. Attempt to remove Barras from the Directory. Moderate Measures of the Council of Ancients. Factions prepare to decide the Conteft by Force. March of Troops within the conftitutional Limits. Vielent Diffenfions between the Councils and Directory on this Subject. Parties in the Directory. The Council furrounded by a military Force, and the Reprefentatives in Oppofition put under Arreft. Flight of Carnot, and Arreft of Barthelemi. Refolutions of the Councils. Banifhment of the accufed Members. Reflections on this Subject. Election of two new Members of the Directory. Negociation at Lifle. Treaty with Portugal-annulled. Brief Remarks on the political Situation of France and England. WE Thefe obfervations have been ftrongly confirmed by the events of 1797; and our remarks on the new conftitution, in our volume for 1795, have been equally verified. We then predicted, that the government was not fo conftituted as to afford any well founded hopes of its permanence. The executive government appeared to be too flightly connected with the councils, and the members of it too independent of each other. We ftated our preference of an unity in the executive government, with a regular chain of fubordination through the different offices; and intimated our apprehenfions that difagreements and contefts would probably take place among the members of the directory themfelves. In this refpect alfo the tranfactions of the paft year have confirmed our fpeculations; and we have feen not only the directory at variance with the councils, but even with cach other. The violence of party fpirit, which in the courfe of the fucceeding year was to produce a new revolution, with fome acts of atrocity, did not feem to agitate the councils councils in the latter part of the year 1796. They were chiefly occupied in temperate though fomewhat tedious difcuffions relative to the election of the new third of the legiflature; and after much trivial argument, and many vifionary propofals, the following plan of the committee appointed for the purpofe was adopted. 1. There shall be elected, for the prefent year only, a third of deputies, by the departments of Belgium, of Montblanc, and the other united countries. 2. The divifion of the ci-devant Belgium into nine departments fhall be proviforily maintained. 3. A new general lift fhall determine the number of the deputies to be elected, annually, by every department of the republic, in proportion to its population. attend the execution of the drawing by ballot. Paftoret then reminded the coun cil, that the conftitution also required the renewal of one member of the directory, and moved, that a committee fhould devise the mode of doing fo; which was agreed to.. The next bufinefs of importance which occupied the councils was the detection of a royalist confpiracy, which was communicated to the council of five hundred by a meffage from the directory on the 31st of January,and the particulars of which were laid before the fame body on the 4th of February following. The principal of thefe confpirators appeared to be a man of the name of Dunan, on whom was found a paffport for Hamburg, with a power of paffing and repaffing at pleafure; the others were Brotier, in whofe pocket-book were found feveral papers, dated at Verona, with the fignature of Louis XVIII.; La 4. There fhall be fent to the renewed legiflative body, after the 1ft of next Germinal, the application of each deputy to his depart-ville Harnois, formerly mafter of requests to the king; and a baron Poly. ment. 5. To draw them by ballot, not by deputations, but upon the totality of the ex-members of the convention of one and the fame council. 6. To obtain, as the refult of the ballot, the effective maintenance of 83 ex-members of the convention in activity in the council of elders, and of 167 members in activity in the council of five hundred. 7. To make fhare in this ballot all those of the prefent deputies of Corfica and the colonies, who fhall not be replaced before the 15 Ventole. 8. To except from the ballot no other ex-members of the convention than thofe elected as members of the new third, 9. To prevent, by proper regulations, the difficulties which may The charges exhibited against them were founded on the evidence of Ramel, commandant of the national guard; Malo, commandant of the 21ft of dragoons; Guil laume, fecretary to Malo, and D'Obelin, a private dragoon. These witneffes ftated, that in feveral feparate converfations with Ramel and Malo, which the latter took care fhould be overheard by others, the accufed communicated to them a plan of a counter-revolution, to be effected by the affiftance of England. The king, (Louis XVIII.) it appeared, was on his arrival to publish a general amnefty, which the parliaments were afterwards to revoke, as not being done with the fan&tion of their authority; offices were to be conferred at first on the the most popular of the reprefentatives of the people, but this was only with a view of facrificing them foon after. La Fayette was to be exhibited in an iron cage, and thofe who had been lefs active to be fent to the gallies. The principal terrorists and Jacobins were to be engaged as affociates in the confpiracy, if it should be found the royalifts could not do without them. The rest of the evidence related to a wild and impracticable plan of twenty-nine articles, for feizing the city of Paris, and fecuring the moft dangerous of their opponents. having been able to fee him. He thought he had arranged it with the chevalier, that he should not depart before Mr. Windham was informed of it-If poffible, he will be very glad to fee the chevalier between the prefent period and that of his departure: but if it will incommode him too much at a moment in which he muft neceffarily be much occupied, he begs him to be perfuaded that it is not Mr. Windham's fault that nothing is decided refpecting the fending of funds for other parties of royalifts, and that Mr. Windham will not fail to acquaint On their examination, Laville M. de Puiffaye that it is neither the Harnois admitted the articles to be chevalier's nor his colleague's faults. his, but denied having any inten- He has just received letters from tion to overturn the government, M. de Puiffaye, dated the 27th of and afferted that the operations for December, in which he informs overawing Paris, &c. were only him that the affair of his command to be put in effect, in cafe the Ja- is arranged, and that he has no cobins fhould fucceed in over- other object than to remain at his throwing the prefent government. poft, occupying himself as formerly. Brotier, on being queftioned refpect- Mr. Windham will, if poffible, ing his appearing as an agent of fend M. Dunan a letter for M. de Louis XVIII. anfwered-" I can- Puiffaye, as well as one for fir Sydnot tell that, but the papers found ney Smith. He is alfo impatient to upon me tell it." Duuan afferted, know, whether it has been fettled that he only visited Ramel in the what M. Dunan is to expect for the hope of obtaining a contract for tranfmiffion of funds, and whether fpirituous liquors; and Poly admit- he has feen lord Grenville upon ted having had conferences with that fubject? If M. Dunan could Ramel, but denied the evidence give Mr. Windham a call, which relative to La Fayette. In the he does not defire if it will incompocket-book of Dunan a letter was mode him too much, he will not found, which was faid to be written go out, but order a dinner at home by Mr. Windham, of which the at five o'clock, if it will fuit the following copy was published in chevalier to dine with him; he inthe newspapers, and which ought treats him, however, not to put himto have been publicly denied, if a felf to inconvenience, and to acfabrication of the directory, as we cept the affurances of his attach-. confefs we have fufpected it to be.ment, and wishes for the fuccefs of his affair." 13th January, 1797. "Mr. Windham is extremely forry that the chevalier Dunan fhould be under the neceffity of fetting out without Mr. Windham's As the operations of the confpirators were to have been in a great degree of a military nature, and as the raifing of recruits was a confiderable part of their plan, the di rectory rectory referred the confpirators for trial to a military tribunal; against this order the prifoners appealed to the tribunal of caffation, or court of general appeal, but the refolution of the directory was confirmed by the tribunal. On the 5th of March the two councils drew the important lots which were to deprive a third of their members of their feats in the legiflature. The members excluded from the council of ancients were, Michel, Moiffet, Oliviere Gerente, Chambont-Latour, Dandenac-ainé, Deverite, Maignen, Girard Villards, Florent Guyot, Blanc, Bartot, Garrot, Amyon, Corbel, Creuzé Pafcal, Corent-Fufbier, Boucher-SaintSauveur, Vincent, Allafort, Cornillau, Gerand (des Cotes du Nord), Durand-Maillanne, Gibergue, Gu. mery, Befnard, Guermeur, Marcelin Beraud, Johannot, Derazci, Muffet, Gouly, Girard (de l'Aude,) Guittard, Lehault, Reguis, Delmas, Cabaroc, Bonnefour, Verneret, Dandenac jeune, Pierre-Michel, Fourcroy, Lanjuinais, Def vars, Delcher, Bouillerot, Bolot, Caftilhon, Poulain-Grandpré, Mioche, Rudel, Serres, Regnaud-Bratel, Sauve, Conte, Campmartin, Bouret, Salleles Thierriet, Bourgois, Goupilleau-de-Fontenay, Bar, Mazade, Belin, Laurent, Plaichard, Courtois, Mils, Roy, Vigney, Varlet. And those from the council of five hundred were - Albert, Andrey, Auger, Babey, Balland, Balmain, Bancal, Bauchelon, Beffroy, Belley, Berlier, Bortezene, Bezard, Blanqui, Blondel, Bodin, Boiffy-d'Anglas, Bonet, Bonnemain, Bordas, BorieCambort, Cambaceres, Camboulas, Camus, Carpentier, Cafenave, Caffanyes, Cavignac, Cafeneuve, Chabanon, Charrel, Chafet, Chaftelain, Chauvier, Chauvin, Chiappe, Chriftiani, Cledel, Colombel, Coupe (de l'Oife), Couturior, Dabray, Daumermefnil, Daunou, Defermont, Delamarre, Delaunay, Delcaffo, Delecloy, Defpinafly, Deville, Dornier, Drouet, Dubois Crancé, Dubouloz, Dumas, André Dumont, Dupais, Duval (Claude), Duval (JeanPierre), Efchafieriaux ainé, Ferrand, Fleury, Fricot, Gamon, Garnot, Goffuin, Goupilleau, Gourdan, Gouzy, Guilierault, Goiter, Guyardin, Guyomard, Guyton, Hou rier, Hubert, Ingraud, Ifnard, Izoard, Jard-Panvillier, Jeanneft-Lanoue, Jeuenne, Karcher, Laforeft, Lakanal, Lanthenas, Laurenceot, Lecointe-Puyravaux, Legot, Lemailland, Lemane, Lefage-Senault, Lefpinaffe, Littel, Louvet (JeanBaptifte), Louvet (Pierre-Florent), Lozeau, Mailhe, Maiffe, Marboz, Marcoz, Marec, Marfiette, Mathieu, Maulde, Meaulle, Mercier, Montegut, Moriffou, Obelin, Pacros, Pelet (de la Lozere), Perieres, Pepin, Perin (des Vofges), P. Flieger, Picque, Pierret, Pinel, Plazanet, Proft, Quinette, Raffron, Real, Reverchon, Richard, Richaud, Rivery, Roberjot, Roualt, Roux (de la Marne), Rouyer, Ruault, Ruelle, SaintMartin (de l'Ardeche), Saint-Martin (Valogne), Salmon, Saurine, Savornin, Serveau, Texier, Tha baud, Thibaut, Toudis, Treilhard. As the period of the general election approached, the ardour of party zeal became every where apparent; and the whole nation was in fome meafure agitated by the efforts. of contending factions. The partifans of the directory affirm, that large fums of money were remitted from the enemies of the republic to influence the elections in favour of royalifts; while the accufation is retorted by their opponents, who affert that every unfair mode was practised to prevent the conftitu tion from a free and unbiaffed operation. That the directory themfelves were not without their fears, is evident from a meffage which they prefented to the council of five hundred on the 15th of March. It intimated that the government was too weak to contend against the plots of anarchy and royalifm, becaufe it was unfupported by the public functionaries, of whom many had refused the civic oath. It proceeded to ftate, that pamphlets, vilifying the government, and juftifying the emigrants, were circuHated at this crifis with more than ordinary industry. It concluded with recommending an oath of hatred to royalty and anarchy, to be taken, by the electors, previous to their entering on the discharge of their functions. A debate enfued, in which Paf. toret, Thibadeau, Camus, and others, combated ftrenuously the propofal of the directory. It was represented as no lefs than a violation of the conftitution, as nugatory in its object, and infulting both to the electors and their conftituents. In answer to thefe objections it was urged, that whatever the conftitution had not specifically prohibited was lawful in itielf; and that while Monk refused to take the oath of hatred to royalty, he boasted of his attachment to that republic he was labouring to overturn. After a tumultuous fcene the debate was adjourned; but on the fucceeding day the directory triumphed, by the majority of the council decreeing that every elector by fenio, after the prefident, fhould ma the following declaration : "I promise attachment and fidelity to the republic and the conftitution of the third year, and I pledge myself to defend them with all my power against the attacks of royalty and anarchy." A propofal made by the directory about the fame time to exclude perfons accused of emigra tion from the primary affemblies, was referred to a committee. The elections were in general peaceably conducted, and in the choice of the electors a degree of moderation was evinced by the primary affemblies. The venerable prince of Conti was chofen an elector by the primary affembly of Melun, and feveral of the ancient nobility were diftinguifhed in the fame manner by the diftricts in which they refided. In the appointment of the deputies, those were generally fuccefsful who could boaft of any fervices rendered to the state. The generals Pichegru and Jourdan, admiral Villaret, and many other military officers of note and merit were returned. In fome places the election undoubtedly fell upon improper perfons; and even the famous Barrere, who, by the exifting laws, was at that moment an outlaw, was chofen a reprefentative by the district of Tarbes. On the 20th of May the new members were introduced to the councils. In the council of five hun dred the name of Barrere was received with marks of indignation; but when that of Pichegru was announced, the whole affembly rose, and feemed to pay an inftantaneous and involuntary refpect to that gallant commander, who conquered not lefs by his virtues than by *At one of the Dutch fortreffes which fubmitted to Pichegru, the commandant was weak or wicked enough to intimate to the French general that there were a number of emigrants mixed with the garrifon, and to ask what must be their fate when the place capitulated.—“ I acknowledge no fuch defcription of men as emigrants (replied Pichegru); the garrison are all prifoners of war." |