426 Memoirs of General Dumouriez. 



have followed him, and have revenged victim was at least saved 

 any of bis wrongs. They endeavoured 

 to destroy the love his troops bore to 

 him, as well as the confidence they 

 put in him. The Commissariat sui>- 

 plies failed, — the invaded provinces 

 were exhausted, — all his resources di- 

 minished, — in order to encourage in- 

 subordination, and to prepare for the 

 overthrow of this great general, whose 

 renown was become so alarming. 

 These measures were publicly acknow- 

 ledged, and put into execution with 

 such eftcct, that, in spite of the most 

 prudent precautions and most useful 

 combinations, Dumouriez failed in a 

 campaign, which was the last, and 

 might have been the most important. 



He saw the gathering storm, and, 

 filled with indignation agaiust the mis- 

 creants who suffered their country to 

 fall a prey to strangers, rather than 

 abandon their atrocious tyranny, he 

 decided to make that attempt, which 

 he would have wished to facilitate by 

 other victories. 



General Dumouriez hastened to treat 

 with the Prince of Co.burg for the 

 evacuation of Belgium, ttnd very soon 

 after obliged him, by a new treaty, to 

 respect the French territory ; whilst 

 he himself determined to lead his sol- 

 diers to the capital, to disperse these 

 tyrannical legislators, tiiose bloody tri- 

 bunals, and crowds of anthropophagi, to 

 save the family of the unfortunate mo- 

 narch, and to re-establish the Consti- 

 tution of 1791. The anarchy of the 

 government was to be reformed by 

 Frenchmen alone; and it was only in 

 case of Dumonriez's want of sufficient 

 forces, that, at his demand, the Prince 

 of Coburg was compelled to furnish 

 what he should require, while the re- 

 mainder of the army of the enemy 

 should remain on the frontiers. Thus 

 France might have been saved from 

 her demagogues, withou' abandoning 

 her to sirangers or to emigrants. 



The Convention was instantly in- 

 formed of all by some treacherous ge- 

 nerals, and by a faitiilessness viler than 

 even their own guilt. They summoned 

 the general to their bar, and sent police- 

 officers to arrest him. 'Jhere was no 

 time left to deliberate : he determined 

 upon arresting the police-officers him- 

 self,and deli vered them up to the Prince 

 of Coburg. as hostages and guarantees 

 for the safety of the royal family, who 

 mi"'ht have been massacred when the 

 news of his inarch should arrive. One 



[June Ty 

 let her in- 

 gratitude be pitied ! 



General Dumouriez issued his or- 

 ders; but many of his generals neg- 

 lected to execute them, and some even 

 refused. The army, to which the- 

 Convention had sent its spies, was 

 carried away : the brave general was 

 obliged to leave them, and to take 

 refuge at the head-quarters of the 

 enemy. The Prince of Coburg, full 

 of loyalty, wished to be faithful to his 

 engagements: his court of Vienna 

 opposed, and ordered him to pursue 

 his operations ; and tliey even raised 

 Dumouriez, and gave him command. 

 " No: (replied he to the prince,) ho, — 

 it was nut that you promised me: I am 

 going away." 'And whither? (asked 

 the prince:) you are in safety here; 

 while they have offered, by a decree, 

 300,000 francs to whoever shall 

 bring your head to the Convention.' — 

 " What tare 1 for that ? I go !'' 



He found an asylum in Switzerland, 

 and there published a volume of his 

 "Memoirs," which soon obtained him 

 many friends: but Switzerland was 

 too near to France, and was about to 

 yield to the latter. Tiie general was 

 obliged to fly : he went to Hamburg. 

 Providence had placed at the head of 

 a neighbouring government the most 

 virtuous of princes, — the Landgrave 

 Charles of Hesse-C'assel, father-in-law 

 of the King of Denmark ; who sought 

 the noble exile, and offered him every 

 assistance. He bought an estate in 

 Holstein, of winch he was the gover- 

 nor ; furnished it, placed horses and a 

 carriage in the stables, and went in 

 search of his friend ; whom he con- 

 ducted to this retreat. "This isyour's, 

 (he said ;) I am sorry it is not in my 

 power to ofl'cr you more than a pension 

 of 400 louis!" Generous prince ! this 

 record may probably reach you. We 

 add nothing to the simple detail ; but 

 know, that he whose death you now 

 deplore has left to the world the duty 

 of repeating your touching generosity ; 

 and that his last looks, fixed upon your 

 image, called down upon you the bles- 

 sings of the Eternal Benefactor. 



General Dumouriez was persuaded, 

 when he left France, that his country 

 could only become happy by a return 

 to the principles of constitutional mo- 

 narchy. This conviction was justified 

 by all after-events. He deemed that 

 the restoration of the family of the 

 Bourbons could alone give stability to 



tlie 



