The judicial power confifted of primary courts in every feparate district, courts of appeal from the former in each province, and of a fupreme tribunal for the trial of crimes and mifdemeanours committed against the state. Eftates and poffeffions in land were purchafable by all citizens indifcriminately; and whoever purchafed a village or township, paying two hundred florins land-tax, was ennobled. Thirty citizens were to receive the fame honour at every new diet: and all citizens, without exception, were admiflible 10 all preferments in the law, the church, and the army. Foreigners were allowed to fettle in any part of the kingdom without reftraint, and with the fulleft fecurity to their perfons and property; and the fame liberty was extended to thofe natives who had emigrated. The peasants were declared entitled to every benefit of the law, and to claim the punctual performance of every contract between them and the proprietors of the lands which they cultivated -and they were no longer to be confidered or treated as in a state of flavish fubjection to the will of the lords of the manor, and owners of the estates where they refided. A perfect freedom of religious opinions, and an entire and com2 plete toleration of every mode of worthip, was permitted to all fects and perfuafions. This will appear an act of fingular beneficence, when the barbarous zeal of the profeffors of the Romifh faith on many occafions is duly recollected: it fhewed how effentially altered they were at the prefent, from what they had been at a former period, not very diftant; and that the dictates of humanity had obtained the af cendant over thofe of religion ill understood. The happieft circumftance attending this revolution, was the peaceable manner in which it was effected. The dismemberment of the British colonies in America from their parent ftate, was accompanied with great bloodthed and devaftation; and the fubversion of defpotifm in France, has been followed by the moft fanguinary and lamentable confequences. Poland had the honour, and feemed to have the felicity of attaining the end it propofed, without the lofs of a fingle life. Whether the conftitution it embraced was the beft that could be framed, has been a matter of doubt and difpute among politicians; but this was certain, that on a retrofpect of the fituation of the Poles, antecedently to this conftitution, it wrought a moft advantageous and defirable change in their circumftances, and was calculated, if foreign violence had not intervened, gradually to produce moft of thofe national improvements and benefits that can only be expected from the progrefs of time. CHAP. CHAP. VII. Con Both Exultation of the French at the Confederation. Satisfaction of the Aembly at the Applaufe it meets with from the Popular Clubs and Societies in England. Sufpicions occafioned in France by the English Armaments against Spain. Jealoufy entertained against the Emperor. Deliberations in the Affembly concerning an Alliance with Spain. Domeftic Confufions. tinuation of Disturbances in the Colonies. Several Regulations for the Internal Government of the Kingdom. Disorders in the Navy. Difcontents in the Army. Motion in the Affembly by Mr. Duval. Its Confequences. Critical Situation of the King. Defigns imputed to the Heads of the Popular Party. Charges against the Duke of Orleans and Mr. Mirabeau. acquitted. Coalition of the Parliaments with the Nobleffe against the Affembly. Refiftance of the Parliament of Toulouse. Compelled to fubmis. Zeal of the Parifians for the New Conftitution. Confirmation of the Decrees relating to the Civic Oath. Refractory Difpofition of the Nobleffe. Pecuniary Embarraments. Fabrication of Afignats. Refearches into the Civil and Religious Eftablishments in France. Number of Seminaries and Convents belonging to the English Roman Catholics in that Kingdom. Dif covery of the Profufions under the late Government. Efforts of the CourtParty to procure a Junction with Spain against England. Debility of that Party. Decrees in favour of the Defcendants of French Proteftant Refu gees in Foreign Parts. Refolute Behaviour of the Adherents to the Nobiele and Clergy. Confpiracy at Lyons. Anxiety of the Court of Rome at the Tranfactions in France. Decree of the Affembly concerning Epifcopal Elections. Oppofition of the Court Clergy to this and other Decrees. Addrefs of the Univerfity of Paris to the Aembly. Attachment of the French in Foreign Countries to the New Conftitution. Zealous Perfeverance of its Enemies in oppofing it. Duel between Mr. Lameth and Mr. Cafiries. Other Quarrels and violent Proceedings. Reforms in the Adminiftration of Juftice. Public Revenues before and fince the Revolution. Satisfaction of the Popular Party at the prefent Situation of Affairs. No event in the Freed with to people as any recorded in ancient or [O event in the French hiftory hope of becoming as flourishing a much exultation in every part of the kingdom as the national confederation of the 14th of July 1790. It feemed to the generality of people, an epoch from whence they were to date uninterrupted happinefs. France was now reprefented as perfectly regenerated; the fetters by which it had fo long been bound were entirely broken; the genius of the nation was fet free; and the French might indulge the that had excited the admiration of tion of the royal authority i all Europe; and would probably France to the excrcife of its for kindle an emulation of fo illuftrious mer prerogatives. This ftrange a precedent in all enlightened peo- report gained fuch credit, that it ple, and rouze them in due time to influenced the conduct of multia laudable imitation of the two firft tudes in all claffes. It raised a nations in the univerfe. Such was ftrong fpirit of jealousy in the feathe opinion entertained at this time faring people, who warmly maniof the French revolution, not only fefted their refolution to oppose. by a majority of the French nation, with all their might any enterprize but by many people in every nation that tended to injure the conftituin Europe. tion established by the National Affembly. Befides the defigns imputed to England and Spain, others were fufpected on the part of the Emperor. The conduct of Pruffia was recollected on this occafion. As the Pruffian monarch had efpoufed the caule of his fifter in Holland during the difputes between the Stadtholder and the party that oppofed him, fo it was affirmed the Emperor had fecretly refolved to act in the prefent conflict in France between the royal and the conftitutional parties. What in fome measure corroborated thefe furmifes, a body of Auftrian troops, on its march to the Low Countries, had demanded and obtained a free paflage through fome French towns on the frontiers of the kingdom, which happened at this time to be in a fituation wholly defencelefs. Another circumftance contributed to the confirmation of thefe alarms:-The Prince of Condé had published a manifefto, directed to the malcontents in France, inviting them to take up arms against the National Affembly, and affuring them of being fpeedily and ftrongly fupported. Thefe incidents appeared fo menacing, that it was moved in the National Affembly to call the Minifter at War to account for the permiffion granted to the Austrian The National Affembly received with uncommon applaufe the intelligence of the warm participation in this formal establishment of liberty in France, expreffed by the various clubs and focieties in England, inftituted for the fupport and propagation of the principles of freedom. The fentiments contained in the feveral difcourfes delivered in thefe meetings, were, by the majority of the affembly, declared to be congenial with their own, and to form the truest motives of a folid amity and conciliation between the people of England and France. There were others, however, who alleged that the armaments fitting out by the English were objects of too much magnitude to be viewed with tranquillity. The old enmity, fo long fubfifting between both nations, was not fo far extinguished as to have eradicated the inclination of the English to act an hoftile part to France when opportunities invited them to do it effectually. Ideas of this nature were fuggefted by a report, which had been induftriously circulated, that the fleets equipped in England, on the pretence of a war with Spain, were intended for a far different purpofe; which was, to unite with the naval force of Spain, and to act jointly for the reftora troops;. troops; and to fequeftrate the eftates of the Prince of Condé, unlefs he difavowed the manifefto imputed to him*. Both thefe propofals, however, were negatived, to the extreme indignation of the popular party; which complained that an undue influence fubfifted in the affembly in favour of the partizans of the ancient government, and defeated every measure that was neceffary for the safety of the prefent conftitution. In the mean time the affembly was occupied with deliberations on the propriety of affifting Spain in the conteft wherein that kingdom was involved with England. After a variety of debates, it was at length determined that the fleet fhould be augmented to forty-five fhips of the line. The motives on which this determination was formed, were at the fame time conceived in fuch terms, as to leave it undecided whether France meant to efpouse explicitly the cause of Spain or no. The prefervation and fecurity of the French commerce and colonies in the critical fituation of Europe, were affigned as the chief reafons: all views of conqueft and aggrandizement were utterly difclaimed in the connexion that was allowed to remain between France and Spain, and which was specified to be merely defenfive, and contracted for the fole end of promoting general peace on the ftricteft principies of equity. Such was the purport of the ce lebrated declaration made by the Ideas of liberty were founiverfally diffufed at this time among all ranks, that the Prince of Condé, in a reply which he made to thefe proceedings, protested, that the love of liberty was in his blood; in allufion to the revolt of his great-grandfather. The friends of monarchy were anxious to disclaim any inclination to defpotifm. In fact, there was nothing more at heart with the King and Royal Family, than to fatisfy the people by every reasonable conceffion, VOL. XXXIII. K claffes claffes as were, through the tempeftuoufnefs of the times, reduced to penury and hardships. A diforderly fpirit arofe, which became fo outrageous, that in feveral parts mobs were collected by ill defigning people, for the purposes of riot and plunder; and would have carried their defigns into execution, had not timely fuccours arrived for the protection of thofe places expofed to their depredations. These domeftic confufions were aggravated by the intelligence brought to the National Affembly of the continual disturbances ftill prevailing in the French islands in the Weft Indies. The people of colour, who formed a large portion of the inhabitants, were determined to throw off the yoke of that abfolute power which was exercised over them by the white people. But thofe who were the chief proprietors of the eftates in those fettlements, dreading the refult of fuch an emancipation, were refolutely bent to oppose any innovations: hence arofe difputes that terminated in the bloodieft hoftilities. In the midst of thefe diforders the National Affembly was taken up with confultations how to reinedy the various complaints that were occafioned by the stagnation of bufinefs in many parts of the kingdom, and in perfecting the regulations for an impartial adminiftration of juftice, and the enforcement of the police. Among the many decrees that were enacted for this end, that which beft deferves to be recorded, is the abrogation of that oppreffive law by which the effects of foreigners dying in France were appropriated to the crown*, August 1790. Meanwhile the armament voted by the affembly was carried on at Breft with as much diligence as the pecuniary circumftances of the kingdom would admit; but it was accompanied with continual murmurs and tokens of difcontent among the feamen; who conceived that their officers were too much inclined to the royal party to be trufted at a time when every meafure inimical to the prefent govern ment, ought to be guarded against with the utmost vigilance. The National Affembly could not be difpleafed at thefe proofs of attachment from a clafs of people whofe numbers and utility rendered them of the highest importance. But the neceffity of having a powerful fleet, occafioned on the other hand no fmall anxiety at the tumultuous and turbulent proceedings refulting from fuch a difpofition. The friends to the old government infifted that nothing would restore order and obedience in the navy, but the re-establishment of the royal power in its former plenitude; but they were vehemently oppofed by the popular party; which propofed that, in compliance with the temper of the times, the national colours fhould henceforth be hoisted in the navy in lieu of the white flag. This propofal occafioned one of the moft violent debates that ever was known in the affembly. Mr. Mirabeau, who fupported the introduction of the national colours, was loaded with reproaches by his adversaries: but the popular party prevailed; and it was decreed, at his inftigation, that not only thofe colours fhonld be used, but that the failors fhould hereafter * The Scotch and Swifs were excepted from this law. |