reason were by no means difheartened. What principally confirmed them in this expectation, was the party fpirit that reigned in the National Affembly, and the obftructions to a reunion of fentiments among them. These were reprefented by the zealous royalifts as circumftances that muft foon or late operate to the total ruin of the prefent conftitution, and as an inducement to its enemies never to defpair of overthrowing it.

There was doubtlefs fome caufe for the indulgence of fuch an idea. The National Affembly was evidently fplit into various parties. The warm republicans compofed a large divifion, and the royalifts another; though not fo numerous, yet equally violent. There was another party, confifting of fuch as wavered in their intentions what measures to embrace, determined probably to fide with the ftrongeft. Thefe were in fact a fort of neutrals: but thofe who fupported the prefent conftitution were more in number than all the reft together, and in right of their majority of votes, poffeffed the fupreme power, The whole kingdom, with little exception adhered to them, as plainly appeared by the readinefs of their decrees being complied with, and their orders inftantly obeyed, however active the friends of the other parties fhewed themselves in raifing every fpecies of difficulty and oppofition. The conftitutionalifts relied fo confidently on this attachment, and were fo convinced they had nothing to apprehend from the enmity of the other parties, that they paid no regard either to the clamours of thote who inclined to a commonwealth, or to the favourers of the old fyftem. In order to

prove themselves unbiassed by any prejudice against the friends of monarchy, they paffed a decree enabling the Princes of the royal blood to be raised at the King's requeft, and with the affent of the legiflature to the command of fleets or armies; excluding them however from minifterial employments, and from promotions dependent on the fuffrages of the people. This exclufion was thought neceflary to prevent the republicans from complaining that the interefts of the crown were too much confulted, and that the royal family was invefted with too many privileges and means of arriving at improper power. Apprehenfive at the fame time of the viciffitudes, to which the fyftem they were establishing was liable, tfiey determined to fecure its duration long enough to afford it a trial of its propriety. With this view the Affembly decreed that the conftitution should remain unchanged till the meeting of the third legiflature: before this period all revifion fhould be fufpended, that experience might come in aid of whatever alterations might be proposed.

In order alfo to obviate any changes or modifications that might be fuggefted to the King as conditions of his affent to the conftitution, the Affembly refolved that his acceptance or refufal fhould be a fimple affirmative or negative. The principle on which they grounded this refolution was, that the nation alone was competent to decide on what conditions it was will. ing to pay obedience to, the chief by whom it chofe to be governed, While thus intent on circumfcribing the royal prerogative, they judg ed it proper, in order to avoid the imputation

imputation of partiality, to limit the power of all perfons in places of great truft. The most remarkable of the decrees enacted to this end, was that which appointed the commancing officers of the fixty divifions of the national guards in Paris; each in his turn Commander in Chief of the whole body, and who were to be elected in the fame manner as the members of the National Affembly in that arduous and important office, which had hitherto been difcharged by M. de la Fayette. His known attachment to the principles of the revolution had procured him great popularity; and the devotion to his perfon on that account had rendered his exercise of that employment lefs difficult than if it had been confided to another more liable to fufpicions: but even he himself had not escaped them; and the power annexed to his place appeared too dangerous to be trufted for any length of time to any fingle individual. His popularity, indeed, was not a little fhaken at the time of the flight of the King, and afterwards on account of the part he took against the Jacobins in the affair of Nancy, as well as his conduct in that of the Champ de Mars after the King's return from Varennes,

Thefe proceedings were preparatory to the great event in univerfal contemplation, the King's acceptance or rejection of the conftitutional code, and his confequent treatment. Nothing therefore was to be omitted on the part of the Affembly that could conduce to the establishment of

their character for judicioufnels, moderation, and a defire to give general contentment. On these depended the confirmation and ftability of their decrees, as the measure both of ftrength and fupport which they expected to derive from the public, could be proportioned only to the degree of approbation wherein their tranfactions would be held. In order to put the finishing hand, as it were, to their popularity, they now finally refolved on the complete removal of that universal complaint of all liberal minded men, perfecution on account of religious opinions. They directed the decrees to this intent to be enforced with particular energy; and that all diffenters from the established church fhould accordingly be protected in the full enjoyment of their refpective perfuafions, and in the unrestrained liberty of erecting places of worship, and of conforming, without moleftation, to the rites and difcipline enjoined by their religion. Though fuch a fpirit of toleration was difapproved by the rigid affertors of the neceffity of religious uniformity, far greater was the majority in its favour. Few of the measures adopted by the Affembly did them more service. In France it procured them the firm adherence of those numerous protestants whom perfecution had not been able to overcome, and in other parts it raised them innumerable friends in the foes to the church of Rome, and to thofe maxims of intolerance that are fuch a difgrace to the profeffion of chriftianity.

THE

HE liberality of fentiments entertained by the Affembly in religious matters, availed them little with thofe proteftant ftates, of which the political interefts did not accord with the ideas prevailing among the French. The republic of Berne, the chief and moft powerful of all the Cantons in Swifferland, declared itfelf explicitly against the measures purfued by the Affembly. As the government of that republic is an ariftocracy as abfolute as any in Europe, it could not fail to reprobate that equality of freedom among all claffes, eftablished by the French revolution. The great council was convened, confifting of those families wherein the fovereignty refides; and it came to the refolution of invefting the fecret council, fomewhat refembling the Venetian council of ten, with fupreme power in both civil and military affairs. This, like the dictatorial commiffion at Rome, fubjected all men to their immediate and arbitrary controul: they employed the fevereft meafures to enforce their authority, and fet a fpecies of inquifition on foot, for the difcovery of those confpiracies against the ariftocracy of

which they fufpected the formation, in the intercourfe between the French and their own people. Thefe precautions, however, could not ftifle that fpirit of democracy which had feized those claffes that were denied a participation in government, and which maintained a right thereto in every order of fociety without exception. They carried their boldnefs fo far, as to affume a cockade with the French motto, "Freedom or Death." In fome places, they rofe in large bodies against the magiftracy that oppofed their proceedings. The enmity of the Swifs Cantons, and of that of Berne in particular, was an object of no small concern to the Affembly, from the multitude of excellent foldiers with whom they have fo long fupplied France; and might, in cafe of an alteration, furnith its enemies, by withdrawing the great numbers already in the fervice of that kingdom, and permitting them, as well as further levies, to be employed against it. Other enemies had alfo rifen, as above mentioned, in the person of Guftavus King of Sweden, and their Imperial and Pruffian Majefties. Spain expreffed the moft

marked

marked folicitude, in taking every preventive measure that could poffibly be enforced, against the introduction of any tenets that might difturb the established government. In addition to the orders given out for a strict examination of every individual coming from France, the Spanish miniftry iffued a requifition from all foreigners fettled in Spain, to take an oath of adherence to the Roman Catholic religion, and of fidelity to the King; to abjure all ture connexion with their own country, and all claims of protection from its Ambaffadors or agents in the Spanish dominions. Such as refused to take this oath, had no other alternative but to quit their place of abode in fifteen days, and the kingdom in thirty, or to incur the confifcation of their property, and be fentenced to the galleys. All Europe concurred in reprobating this tyrannical edict; and it was refifted with a courageous indignation by many of those whom it immediately affected, as equally abfurd and oppreffive. It exacted, what in the nature of things could not with any appearance of reafon be expected; and it was a manifeft contravention of the ftipulations in force with other nations. The Spanish miniftry were foon made fenfible of the error it had committed, to perfift in fo dangerous a meafure. This edict was in fact chiefly, if not folely levelled at the great number of Frenchmen refident in Spain. They were confidered as fo many emiffaries of the ruling powers in France; and the boldnets with which they avowed and defended the principles of the revolution, marked them out as individuals who would not fcruple

to use every effort for their diffemination.

The National Affembly paid very little regard, either to this tranfaction, or to the many other proofs which they daily experienced, of the inimical intentions of the European powers. The main object of their politics was to reunite the different parties, into which the revolutionists were now divided; fully convinced, that were this to be accomplished, they would have no cause to dread the exertions of any foreign powers in behalf of the royalifts. The ftrength and credit of these were daily diminishing in the most obvious manner, while the popular party were everywhere gaining ground. The people in the country of Avignon, after a violent and bloody ftruggle with what they termed the aristocratic party, had at length totally fubdued it; and what was no lefs fatisfactory to them, had fucceeded in their earnest wishes to be incorporated with the French nation. The Affembly formally acceded to them; and paffed a decree to that purpofe, providing however for a due compenfation to the court of Rome. The fame fuccefs had attended the partizans of the revolution in Corfica. The municipality of the city of Baftia, the capital of the ifland, confifting chiefly of ecclefiaftics and nobles deprived of their titles, had the temerity to engage in a plot against the revolutionifts, notwithstanding their great fuperiority. The iffue was, that on the difcovery of their defigns, they were immediately compelled to abandon them, and to provide for their own fafety, by flying over to Italy. The celebrated General Paoli was princi

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pally inftrumental in defeating this attempt of the anti-revolutionifts, through the influence he poffeffed over his countrymen; fome thoufands of whom joined him, with the utmost readiness on this occafion, No lefs favourable were the reports from the frontiers of Germany. Ditheartened with repeated difappointments, many individuals of confequence among the French emigrants, had, it was faid, intimated to the Princes, that it behoved them to make good their promifes, of undertaking fomething for the common caufe they were jointly engaged in; and unlefs fome meafures were adopted, more promiffory of fuccefs than thofe that had hitherto been propofed, it would better become them all to return quietly to France and fubmit to the government, than to remain abroad with no other profpect than that of being fhortly reduced to indigence.

But that circumftance, which alone operated now more decifively than all others, in confirmation of the powers and of the views of the National Affembly, was the conftant and ftriking encreafe of their adherents throughout France. They were fupported by fo prodigious a majority of the nation, that the diffentients were no longer confidered as an object of the least apprehenfion, notwithstanding the unhaken perfeverance with which they ftill continued to affert their principles, and their invincible courage in avowing their enmity to the conftitution, in defiance of 10 much danger.

In the mean time it was the general expectation, that the King would accept the conftitutional Code:-the weightieft reafons con

curred to establish this perfuafion. He had witneffed in his flight, the univerfal attachment of the French to the new conftitution, and their abhorrence of the ancient govern ment. He faw that thofe members of the National Affembly who oppofed the prefent fyftem, were held in fuch averfion, that their perfons were hardly fafe from violence. The army, once the blind and fubmiflive inftrument of the crown, had renounced its implicit obedience, and was in fact become the army of the people. The church, that had been the ftrenuous enforcer of paffive obedience, had now loft its influence, and from a ftate of almoft abfolute independence of the civil power, was reduced to a level with other fubjects. The nobility, fo long the faithfuleft defenders of the throne, had equally partaken of its downfal; their privileges were no more; their authority, fo much dreaded, and fo extenfively exerted, was totally at an end; and they were become undiftinguished members of the community, with this aggravating circumftance to their difadvantage, that they were fufpected by all other individuals of being their fecret and irreconcileable enemies.

These were general confiderations, that could not fail of being obvious to all reflecting people: but there were alfo perfonal motives of effential weight to induce the King to lay afide all thoughts of combating any further what was evidently the defire and refolve of the whole nation. A rumour had gone forth, and was credited, that the King's brothers, with the concurrence of the other branches of the royal family, intended, as foon