lives. If fuch men did not deferve well of their country, who were thote that did? However integrity and unblemished character might be derable and indifpenfable in the reprefentatives of the nation, experience was not lels wanted. With out this eflential, the work of near fix years might be undone in a few months; the labours of patriots, the toils of ftatelinen, the victories of warriors, might be thrown away, and France return again to that groveling fituation from which fhe had been uplifted by the revolution. The foes to thofe men, who had effected fuch great things, could hardly be reputed friends to the liberty of France. Such was the fubftance of the allegations in favour of the convention: but the hour was faft approaching, when arguments would be laid afide, and force decide the knotty question between the two contending parties. They both faw that no other mode of decision remained, and trufting to the means they had reciprocally provided to infure fuccefs, they refolved to come to action. The anger of the Parifians was particularly inflamed at the fight of thofe terrorifts who had been let loose from their prifons, they faid, to renew the maflacres of September, 1792. They appealed to the impartial world, whe her a ftronger proof could be given, that the fyftem of Robefpierre was to be revived, than the employing of fuch cut-throats and affaflins, by the convention, in fupport of its meafares. But the chiefs of this body were now completely prepared. Hearing that the citizens were affembling in great force, they commiffioned general Menou, who had the command of the military force ftationed in Paris, to march against them. He repaired accordingly, on the fourth of October, to that fection of the city which was their head-quarters, and required them to lay down their arms. They anf wered, that they would comply with this requifition, provided the terrorifts did the fame The general not being empowered to treat, nothing was concluded, and both fides parted: but the convention, irritated at the general for not acting according to their intent, ordered him to he broke for difobedience. The fword was now drawn, and all thoughts of reconciliation vanithed. The people of Paris were now to make trial whether the confidence they had placed on the military was well or ill founded. They chofe the night of the fourth of October for the muftering of the fections. They paraded the streets with beat of drums and fummons to arms. By twelve at noon, the next day, they were put in order for fighting, and took poffeffion of feveral posts of importance. The combat began about this time in the proximity of the conventional hall, towards which the citizens were marching: the rancour fubfifting between them and the terrorifts occafioned a most bloody and desperate conflict : these and the regular troops were joined together, contrarily to the hopes of the Parifians: but this unexpected junction did not daunt them they fought with fuch fury, that although they had no cannon, they feveral times feized that of the conventional troops, and turned it against them. The number and difcipline of those who were all come from the victorious armies, fixed at length the for tune tune of the day. After a fight, that lafted four hours, they were compelled to give way: they retreated to their head-quarters, and continued the battle with unabated valour till paft midnight, when broken and defeated on every fide they yielded a dear bought victory to the conventional forces. The ill fuccefs of this engagement, near the ball of the convention, was owing to the abfence of thofe fections that were coming to their affiftance, from that part of Paris which lies on the other fide of the river Seine. They were croffing the bridges, when they were met by the conventional troops, which broke them at once with their cannon. As they were un provided with artillery, they were unable to renew the charge, and the bridges remained in poffeflion of the former. It was in this conflict that Buonaparte appeared firft on the theatre of war, and by his courage and conduct laid the foundation of that confidence in his powers which conducted him fo foon thereafter to preferment and to glory. Thus ended the memorable fifth of October, 1795, or the thirteenth of Vendemaire, to fpeak in the republican ftyle. The numbers that fell were not very confiderable, not amounting to more than a thoufand. But a fatal precedent was established: the convention had fet itfelf above the law, and had fucceeded by force of arms in this unwarrantable attempt. It was fortunate for the convention, that a decifion had taken place fo expeditiously; for numbers were on their march to Paris to join the inhabitants: but hearing of their ill fuccefs, they laid down their arms before the troops that were defpatched from the vanquished capital to oppofe 8 them. No humiliation or difap pointment could be greater than was experienced by the citizens of Paris on this difaftrous occafion. Relying on the amity of the regu lars, they had neglected the most effential nicafures for an undertaking of fo much importance to the community, as that of fruftrating the dictatorial authority aflumed by the convention. They had provided no artillery, they had appointed no commanders, they had formed no plan, and hardly a fixth part of the city militia was arrayed on this fatal day. Had the citizens brought their whole force into action, and prepared for it with their cuftomary prudence, many were of opinion, that the convention must have yielded to their remonftrances, especially if they had been enforced in due time, and before the conven tion had received thofe fuccours from the armies, which enabled it to triumph over all legal oppofition. Neverthelefs, the difcreeteft of this ambitious body faw the neceffity of making fuch a reprefentation of this bufinefs to the nation at large, as might imprefs it with a perfuafion, that a victory of the utmoft confequence had been obtained over the royalifts, and that the infurgents at Paris were people of this party, who had long been reforting to Paris in order to unite in a general ftruggle against the republicans. An agent of the royal party hap pened about this time to be dif covered at Paris. From his papers a correfpondence was reported to have been traced with his employers abroad, relating to this very infurrection; and paffages in proof of it were publifhed; but they were broken and unconnected, and af forded no proper evidence. A va riety riety of publications in the conventional pay alerted alfo, with their ufual confidence, that the English iniftry was deeply concerned in this fruitless attempt to overthrow the republic: but they obtained no credit with the difcerning part of fociety. The Paritians had acted fo much in the face of day, their conduct had been fo candid and open, their oppofition to the conventional fchemes, fo regular and clear, that no handle had been afforded to their moft malicious enemies, to tax them with any more than an inveterate antipathy to the mealures purfued by the convention, and a firm determination to refift them by force. The ufe which the convention made of this fuccefs, was dictated by the keeneft refentment for the charges it had been loaded with by the citizens, with fo much truth, though with fuch defamatory language. These were deprived of all their arms and warlike fiores, and a military commiffion appointed to try them as rebels. As no refiftance could be apprehened after fubduing that of the metropolis, the convention felt itself releafed from all reftraints. It now publifhed, without fear of oppofition, or even of contradiction, that the majority of votes in the departments were decidedly for the mode of election they had propofed. The terror they had infpired was fach, that no more diffentient voices were heard in the public affemblies of the people. But the expreffion of difcontent was not the lefs forcible in the private meetings of thofe individuals who had not loft all fenfe and fpirit. They forefaw, that by the fuppreffion of the courageous refiftance of the capital, the rest of the nation would be fo intimidated, that the members of the convention, who were the moft obnoxious to the public, would, in defiance of its opinion and fentiments, be feated in the future legiflature; which, under another name, would still be little more, if any more than the prefent convention. Such, it appeared, through influence, intrigue, and every fpecies of machination, was the power of this body become, that they would eafily find means to prevent the election even of that third of new members, which they had held forth to the public, merely to obviate the clamours and fcandal they must have encountered, had they not employed this deception. But exclufively of thefe confiderations, which principally regarded France, there was, in the opinion of the public, another, which alone ought to have induced them to let the law take its due course. A new conftitution had been formed by the convention, and accepted by the people. The theory feemed well adapted to the wishes of the generality, and not only the French, but not a few of their neighbours appeared fatisfied with it. The backwardness of these to treat with. France was avowedly the uncertainty and fluctuation of the government; but, more than all, the character of its prefent rulers. The declared fentiments of some among these were fincere; and they were, for that reason, well pleased, when they understood that a new conftitution was framing, and ftill more when they were informed, that the legislature was to confift wholly of new members. They doubted not that thefe would bring apter difpofitions for peace than their predeceffors, whom they had long viewed with a malevolent eye, and and confidered in the light of ene. mies, much more than they did the French nation. What must, therefore, it was faid, be their disappoint ment, on finding, that hardly any other alteration was intended in the form of the French government than of names? The fame perfons that now prefided over the affairs of France, in the assembly, styled the convention, would continue to direct them, under the appellation of council of ancients, and of juniors. What expectations could foreign powers harbour, of meeting with more facility to treat, than they had done before? They would have the fame men to deal with, the fame pretenfions to combat, the fame antipathies would still fubfift on both fides. The abhorrence with which foreigners beheld thofe men, who had thed fo much of the blood of their fellow citizens, would ftill influence any correfpondence that might be opened with foreign powers. They would meet the fame individuals, whom they had Jately indulged the hopes of never meeting again. Had a total change taken place in the conftitution, had it, in reality, been framed fo as to devolve the fupreme authority into new hands, the laffitude now felt, both by France and the coalition, would have fmoothened the road to a general pacification, equally wanted, and equally defired by both. But confidence would inftantly vanifh, when the coalefced powers found themfelves fo grofily difappointed. Inftead of pacific difpofitions, they would directly conceive the most violent fufpicions, that the convention meaned to deceive at once both the French, and the powers with which they were at war. -Such were the reafonings of a great number of individuals among the French; but the convention was now in a condition to fuperfede all arguments. Proud of a fituation that rendered them uncontroulable mafters of their country, the fole object now in their contemplation was, to cement the absolute authority they had acquired, fo as to render it indiffoluble, and to reduce their opponents at home to fuch a degree of weaknefs, as to deprive them of the very idea of raifing any oppofition. With this view, the predominant party in the convention procured a commiffion to be appointed, confifting of five perfons, who were empowered to confult together what measures were proper to be adopted, in order to fave the country. As foon as this commiffion was paffed, and notice of it given to the public, all France was ftruck with amazement. A. conftitution, it was faid, had been framed; and now the convention, by whofe orders it was framed, came forward with a declaration, that fuch was the danger of the state, that nothing less than a dictature of five men, invested with abfolute power, would be able to fave it; this was exactly the mode, and the very ftyle adopted by the ancient Romans, in times of great calamity and danger. The fituation of France was calamitous indeed, inceffantly expofed, as it was, to internal tyranny; but with what other danger was it threatened at the prefent hour? its foreign enemies were thoroughly humbled, and ready to enter into terms of peace, provided they could depend on the permanence of the government with which they made them. Such a goverment was on the point of being fettled to the the univerfal fatisfaction of the. French nation, when its rulers, for reafons which did not appear, thought proper to fufpend the great expectations they had railed, by recurring to a precedent which had ever failed to be accompanied with the worst evils of tyranny.' Regardless of thefe popular complaints, the convention proceeded in the adoption of the meafures fe cretly planned by the leaders of the jacobins and terrorifts, who feemed again to have gained an afcendancy in the convention, and to dictate whatever they thought proper. They had truly verified their own allertion, that activity and boldness peculiarly belonged to them. The other members bowed implicitly to their opinions, and confirmed, without befitation, whatever they propoled. Meanwhile, the public remained in a state of furprife and alarm, at the conduct of a body of men, whom they were at a lofs in what light to confider, whether as intending to adopt the conftitution they had recommended for acceptance, or to pafs it by, without far ther notice, and erect themfelves into a fupreme power, without confulting the nation, and trufting only to the fword for their fupport, against the oppofition of their coun trymen. The day was approaching that had been fixed upon by the convention, formally to lay down their authority; but no figns of fuch an intention were perceivable; the permanence of its power was the very fubject on which the commiffion of five was bufily employed. The people now faw, that the perpetuation of its authority was evidently the defign of the convention, ia which cafe the reign of barbarity would certainly return, as the public, however terrified by the late fuccefs of that body, in fuppreffing the Parifians, would not remain entirely paffive, in its fubmiflion to fuch unwarrantable ufurpation. The days of Robefpierre were now prefent to every man's memory; the very expreffion ufed by the convention, in appointing a commiflion to fave the country, reminded the public of the many fimilar terms employed by that tyrant and his party, whenever oppreffive and fanguinary defigns were in agitation. The jacobinical faction, that domineered in the convention, feemed refolved to perfevere in the arbitrary plans that had fo long fucceeded in the hands of their predeceffors of that party, when in power. But there ftill remained in that body a few men of a determined fpirit, who, ftruck with indignation at the apathy or cowardice of thofe pliant members who fuffered themselves to be fo ignominiously governed, refolved, at all hazards, to ftem the torrent that threatened to overbear the moderate party, and to render it a paffive accomplice in the iniquitous fchemes of that ambitious and unprincipled faction, which had again nearly accomplished its pernicious defigns. The principal of those members, who exerted themfelves on this critical occafion, were Thibaudeau, Lanjainais, Boiffy D'Anglas, Larevaillere Lepaux, Lariviere, and Lefage. The commiffion of five were about to enforce the report for the permanence of the convention, when the firft of thofe members, inflamed with rage at the pufillanimous acquiefcence that appeared in the affembly, undauntedly arofe, and in a fpeech replete with fire and energy, oppofed the |