614 
General Lefevre commanded the mi- 
litary division; he was wholly devoted 
to the Directory. Napoleon sent an 
aid-de-camp to him, at midnight, de- 
siring he would come to him at six. 
Every thing took piace as had been 
agreed. About seven in the morning, 
the Council of Ancients assembled under 
the presidency of Leniescier. Cornudet, 
Lebrun, and Targues, depicted in lively 
colours the miseries of the Republic, the 
dangers with which it was surrounded, 
and the obstinate conspiracy of the 
Jeaders du. Manége for the restoration of 
the reign of terrer. Regnier, deputy 
for La Mearthe, moved that, in pursu- 
ance of the} 102d article of the Consti- 
tution, the sittings of the Legislative 
Body should be transferred to Saint 
Cloud; and that Napoleon should be 
invested with the chief command of 
the troops of the seventeenth military 
division, and charged with the execution 
of this measure, He then spoke in 
support of his motion, “'The Repub- 
lic,” said he, “is threatened by anarch- 
ists and by the foreign party: measures 
for the public safety must be taken; we 
are certain of the support of General 
Bonaparte: under the shelter of his 
protecting arm the Councils may dis- 
euss the changes which the public in- 
terest renders necessary.” As soon as 
the majority of the Council was satisfied 
that the motion was in concert with 
Napoleon, the decree passed: but not 
without strong opposition. 
"This decree was made at eight o’clock; 
and at half past eight, the state messen- 
ger who was the bearcr of it arrived at 
the house of Napoleon. He found the 
avenues filled with officers of the garri- 
son, adjutants of the national. guard, 
generals, and the three regiments of 
cavalry. Napoleon had the folding- 
doors opened ; and, his house being too 
small to contain so many persons, he 
came forward on the steps in front. of it, 
reccived the compliments of the officers, 
haraueued them, and told them that he 
relied | upon them ail for the salvation of 
Franee. _ At the same time he gave 
them to understand that the council of 
Ancients, under. the authority of the 
Constitution, had just ecuferred on him 
the command of all the troops; that 
important measures were in agitation, 
designed to rescue the country from its 
alarming situation; that he relied upon 
their support and good will: and that he 
was at that moment going to mount bis 
borse to ride to the Tuileries. 
Napoleon’s History of France, 
Enthusiasm was at its height: all the 
officers drew their swords, and promised 
their service and fidelity... Napoleon 
then turned towards Lefevre, demanding 
whether he would remain with him 
or retarn to the Directory. Lefevre, 
powerfully affected, did not hesitate. 
Napoleon instantly mounted, and placed 
himself at the head of the generals and 
officers, and of 1500 horse whom he had 
halted upon the boulevard, at the corner 
of the street of Mont- Blane. He gave 
orders to the adjutants of the national 
guard to return to their quarters, ‘and 
bert the generale; to communiedte the 
decree that they had just beard, and to 
announce that no orders were tobe ob 
served but such as slrould erivameite from 
him. 
Napoleon presented himself a the 
bar of the Council of Ancients, attended 
by bis brilliant escort.“ You are’ the 
wisdom of the nation ;” said he: ‘“At 
this crisis it belongs to you to point out 
the measures Which may save the coun- 
try: I come, surrounded by all the ge- 
nerals, to proniise you thei¥ support. 
I appoint Gencral Lefevre my lieute- 
nant; I will faithfully fulfil the task 
with which you have iutrusted mes let 
us not look into the past for examples 
of what is now going on. Nothing ia 
history resembles the end of the eigh- 
teenth century; nothing in the eighteenth 
century resembles the present moment.” 
All the troops were mustered at the 
Tuilcries; Napoleon reviewed’ them, 
amidst the unanimous acelamations of 
both cilizens and soldiers.’ He gavé the 
command of the troops intrusted with 
the protection of the Legislative Body 
to General Lannes ; and to General 
Marat the command of “these sent to 
Saint Cloud. 
He deputed General Moreau to guard 
the Luxembourg ; and, for this purpose, 
he placed under his ordérs five hundred 
men of the eighty-sixth regiment... But, 
at the moment of setting off, these troops 
refused to obey: they had no confidenee 
in Moreau, who was not, they ‘said, a 
patriot. Napoleon was obliged to ha- 
rangue them, assuring them that Moreau 
woutd aet uprightly.’ Morea had be- 
come suspected through his conduct in 
Fructidor. 
The intelligence that’ Napoleon was 
at the Tuileries, and that he alone was 
to be obeyed, quickly spread through- 
out the capital. The people flew to 
thé ‘Tuileries in crowds: some ‘led by 
mere Curivsity to Uchold so renowned a 
general, 
