opened on the garden, and where he had to encounter an oppofition of a far more ferious nature than what he had met with in the council of elders. The procefs-verbal of their preceding meeting being read, Gaudin, having briefly reprefented the dangers which threatened the country, from a rapid return to the principles of monarchy on the one hand, and the fury of demagogues on the other, moved that a committee of feven members fhould be chofen, who fhould make a report on the actual state of the nation, and propofe, at the fame time, fuch measures as they fhould think neceffary for the public intereft. These motions were feconded by feveral voices. But forthwith a very general cry was heard of the conftitution! the conftitution the conftitution or death! No dictatorship! down with the dictators. We are not afraid of bayonets here, we are free. Lucian Buonaparte, the prefident faid, "I am too fenfible of the dignity of my office longer to fuffer the infolent menaces of fome fpeakers. I call them to order." Grand Maison. Reprefentatives, France will doubtless behold with aftonishment the council of five hundred, in confequence of a conftitutional decree of the elders, affembled in this place without being made acquainted with the imminent danger with which we are no doubt threatened. A committee has been moved for to inquire what is proper to be done. It would be better to inquire into what has been done. I demand to know the reafons of that decree which brought us here. What are the great dangers that menace the i conftitution: I fay the conftitution. For as to a republic, which all the world may have in their mouths, the queftion is, what fort of a republic is understood? Is it fuch a republic as that of Venice? or of the United States? Is it pretended that a republic and liberty exift in England? Certes, it is not in order to live under fuch a government that we have, for the space of ten years, lavished our fortunes, and made all manner of facrifices. Idemand that all the members of this council be called on immediately to renew their oath of fidelity to the conftitution. I demand all that a meflage be fent to the council of ancients requefting that they would fend us a detailed account of the vast confpiracy that was on the point of overturning the republic. Both thefe motions were feconded by a number of voices, and with the cries of vive la Republic! vive la Conftitution! The meffage propofed to the elders was agreed to. The motion for renewing the fidelity was allo agreed to. This ceremony, which took up two hours, was performed by the moderate party, though they were all of them by this time more or lefs acquainted with the real object of their tranflation to St. Cloud, with the greatest fang froid, as well as by the Jacobins. When the fwearing was over, the secretary read a letter from Bergoeng, a member of that houfe, refigning his function of a reprefentative of the people. Two melfages from the elders informed the council of five hundred of their being conftituted, and of their fufpending their deliberations till fimilar information fhould be received, by the elders, from the council of five hundred. A motion was next made him, the perils of liberty were furmounted, and the interefts of the army fecured. He expreffed his joy at returning to the rank of a private citizen: happy, after fo many tempefts, in remitting the deftinies of the republic, of which he had been one of the depofitaries, entire, and more respectable than ever.' "* The council were engaged, as a matter of course, in a conversation about the election of a fucceffor to Barras, when the door of the hall opened, and Buonaparte advanced, uncovered, followed by four grenadiers of the guard belonging to the national reprefentation, without arms. Anumber of other foldiers, with fome general officers, remained at the door. The whole affembly was inftantly in an uproar: "Who is that? Who is that? Sabres here? Armed men? Outlaw! Outlaw! Down with the dictator!" A great number of members darted from their feats into the middle of the hall, and, feizing the general by the collar, began to shake him, and push him toward the door. A dagger aimed at his breast by Arena, a Corfican, or, as others affirm, by fome one elfe, was parried by one of the grenadiers, called Thomé, who accompanied him, and who was flighly wounded by it in the arm. On this, general Lefebre, at the head of a party of gre nadiers, rushed into the hall, with the cry of "live the general," and carried him out. The affembly remained for a long time in the greatest agitation. Some officers and foldiers who remained in the hall were bitferly reproached by several mem A made and adopted for an address to the French people, informing them of the tranflation of the councils to St. Cloud. A motion was allo made for fending a meffage, with intelligence of the councils being conftituted, to the directory. On this, it was observed by Darracque," that it would be very proper to fend fuch a meffage, as was proposed, to the directory, provided they knew where to find them; for his part, he did not know, if a directory exifted: whither was the meffage to be directed? It was ridiculous to propofe the fending of a meflage to the directory in the prefent circumstances." The motion, however, was agreed to." Bertrand de Calvados confidered it as a happy thing, that the members had renewed their oath of allegiance to the conftitution; and propofed that mention fhould be made of it in the address that had been voted to the French people, to whom it would be an affurance and pledge of the maintenance of the conftitution, and the existence of the national reprefentation." A converfation refpecting the manner in which this notice fhould be worded, was interrupted by a letter of refignation from Barras."The glory," he faid, "which accompanied the return of that illuftrious warrior, to whom he had had the honour of opening the career to glory, the ftriking marks of confidence repofed in him by the legiflative body, and the decree of the national reprefentation convinced him, that, to whatever poft the public welfare might in future call Barras retired peaceably to the country, escorted by a detachment of cavalry, which the general fent him, for his perfonal protection. It is not to be doubted that Buonaparte, as he declared to Bottot, had, at bottom, a kindness for Barras, although, in the impetuofity of paffion, and on a most critical occafion, he was hurried on to mention, his name, in the manner we have seen in the council of elders. [C4] bers bers for their conduct. The prefident, Lucian Buonaparte, having, at laft, after many efforts obtained a hearing, "admitted that the commotion that had taken place was natural, and that the feelings of the house, on the occafion of what had juft paffed, were in unifon with his own. But, after all, it was natural to fuppofe, that the general, in the ftep he had taken, had no other object in view, than to give an account of the state of affairs, or to communicate fomething or other interefting to the public; at any rate, he did not think that any member of that affembly fhould entertain any fufpicions."-Here one member cried out, 66 Buonaparte has this day fullied his glory: another, Buonaparte has conducted himfelf like a king: a third, I demand that general Buonaparte be called to our bar to give an account of his conduct." Lucian Buonaparte now quitted the chair, which was taken by Chazal. "6 Degneffe allowed that the council of ancients, in changing the refidence of the legislature, had not exceeded their powers; but he demanded that they thould be called on to declare who were the heads and the agents of the confpiracy, foralmuch as it was neceflary to avert the dangers with which they were threatened. Above all, it was neceflary to provide for their own fafety; and for this end to afcertain, in the first place, the bounds to which their juridiction, in matters of police, extended.". Thefe motions were feconded by a great number of voices. "Bertrand de Calvados obferved, that, when the council of ancients gave orders for the tranflation of the legislature to that commune, they had exercised only a conftituticnal privilege; but that, in the nomination of a commander-in-chief, they had ufed an authority to which they had no legal pretenfions. He moved that they fhould forthwith decree, that Buonaparte was not the general of the troops compofing their guard." This motion was alfo fupported by a great number of voices. • "Talot conjured the council to recollect the ftations in which they were placed, to be united and vigilant for the public fafety. He was perfuaded that the council of ancients, in adopting fo extraordinary and hafty a measure, did not intend that they fhould carry on their de liberations in a prifon, and at the point of bayonets What? the reprefentatives of the French people in a village furrounded by a military force, and this not at their difpofal? Not that I fear the foldiers. They have fought for liberty; they are our relations, our children. We have our felves carried arms in the fame caufe. I cannot dread the republican foldier whofe relations have honoured me with their fuffrages, and appointed me their reprefentative in the national assembly; but this I declare, that yefterday the conftitution fuffered violence. The council of ancients had no right to appoint a general; Buonaparte had no right to penetrate into our quarter without orders, that is the truth: as for you, you cannot long give your free votes in your prefent polition. You ought to return to Paris. Return thither clothed as you are in your official robes. The citizens and foldiers, affuming in an infiant a military attitude, will declare themselves the defenders of their country. I demand an immediate decree, · 1 fent into the hall, by the general, for the refcue of his brother. The foldiers furrounding him, conducted him fafely out of the hall, and placed him in the midft of their own ranks, in the court of the palace. decree, that the troops now, in this commune, form a part of your guard; and that a meflage be fent to the council of elders, inviting them to make a decree for fending back the councils to Paris." This motion was fupported by a very general acclamation. Crochon having, with much difficulty obtained a hearing, "declared himself against fo precipitate a measure as that juft propofed. The decree of the elders, appointing Buonaparte to the command of the troops, he maintained, was not an unconflitutional act; as it decreed the translation of the councils, it was neceffary to appoint a general for carrying their decree into execution." The motion for a message, of the above purport to the elders, was agreed to, and, after a very warm debate, the question for declaring the troops at St. Cloud a part of the legiflative guard was going to be put, when "Lucian Buonaparte demanded, that, before taking fuch a meature, they should call the general." A number of members cried out, "We do not acknowledge him to be the general."-" I will not infift," faid the prefident," any farther. When tranquillity fhall be restored to this houfe, you will, when the paffions are filent, do every one juftice."The agitation and noife being ftill continued, he put off his robe, and laid it on the table, declaring that be thus laid afide the office of their prefident. A number of the members called loudly to Lucian Buonaparte to refume his robes and of fice, and several coming up to him in the midst of the hall, prefented piftols to him, as if to force him to do it. In the midst of this uproar, a party of grenadiers, under the command of an officer, was " General Buonaparte, on his return from the council of five hun-. dred, had harangued the foldiers, informing them of the danger he had escaped, and that he, whom the combined kings of Europe had not been able to reach with their armies, was at this moment threatened with outlawry, by factious affaffins. The foldiers liftened to him with attention, and manifested a difpofition to ftand by him, and ferve him. This difpofition was fortified, and, in fome measure legalized, by the prefence of the prefident, who, mounted on horfeback, rode from one regiment to another, fpeaking to them in favour of his brother. He told them, in a very animated manner, and tone of voice, that a great majority of the council, at the moment he was fpeaking, was under terror, from a handful of members' armed with poniards, who were belieging the tribune, and threatening their colleagues with death: that thefe ruffians had put them, felves in a state of rebellion against the council of elders, and had dared to threaten the general, who was ordered to carry their decree, for tranflating the councils to St. Cloud, into execution. But, it was those furious men themfelves, he obferved, who had, in fact, put themfelves out of the law by their at tempts against the liberty of the council. He confided, to the warriors whom he addreffed, the deliverance of the majority of their reprefentatives from the oppreffion they were under, in order that they might deliberate peaceably on the destiny of the republic." General, and you foldiers," faid he, raifing his voice, “ you will not acknowledge, as legiflators of France, any others than fuch as fhall rally around me; as for those who remain in the Orangery, let force expel them. Thofe ruffians are no longer the reprefentatives of the people, but the reprefentatives of the poniard." He concluded his harangue with the popular cry of vive la republique, which was reechoed by the foldiers and all the fpectators. * The general, animated by this alacrity, excited by the fanction of the prefident, ordered a corps of grenadiers to march forward, and he was inftantly obeyed. At the found of the drums beating the pasde-charge, the fpectators rushed out by the doors and windows. The deputies rofe up, crying, fome of them, vive la republique! others, vive la conflitution! The foldiers entered the hall, with fixed bayonets as ordered, and halted. A chief of bri gade of cavalry faid aloud, "Citizens, reprefentatives, there is no longer any fafety in this place; I invite you to withdraw." This invitation was anfwered by a general cry of vive la republique! On which the officer who commanded the grenadiers, mounting the tribune, exclaimed, "Representatives withdraw: it is the orders of the general." Still the deputies kept their feats: the tumult waxed greater and greater, and fome of the members began to address the foldiers: when another officer called out, "Grenadiers, forward." The drums beat to the charge, and the grenadiers advanced from the door to the middle of the hall, which was now cleared, amidst the noise of drums. The deputies, as they went out, cried, vive la republique! The greater part of them returned immediately to Paris: others remained to obferve the movements of the troops in the court of the castle, and to see the upfhot of this day's proceedings, at St. Cloud. * An attack with fixed bayonets, and without firing, CHAP. |