140] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790. 
ficers. Such an army was little cal- 
culated for public defence, or con- 
tention with a foreign enemy, how- 
ever it might, through the very ex- 
cefs of its faultinefs, exceed all others 
in the peculiar fervice of overawing 
and controlling the difaffeéted at 
home; efpecially in a ftate of things, 
where the end was generally allow- 
ed to juftify the means; and aéts of 
violence and outrage were feldom 
enquired into, if they were commit- 
ted on the right fide of the queftion, 
or under the influence, as it was 
termed, of true patriotifm. 
A change which now took place, 
or which had rather been gradually 
growing in the difpofition and fen- 
timents of the people fince the com- 
mencement of the revolution, how- 
ever dangerous or fatal it might 
prove in its future operation or 
confequences, afforded, for the pre- 
fent, the greateft flrength and fecu- 
rity to the new fyftem, which it 
could poffibly obtain. This was 
the violent paffion for fovereignty, 
Which eafily fuperfeded the weaker 
defire of liberty, whofe pofleffion 
appeared as nothing, when placed 
in comparifon with the charms of 
that feducing enchantrefs. This 
paffion was not confined to any par- 
ticular order or clafs of men, but 
fpread like a contagion through all 
ranks of the populace in every part 
of the kingdom, and rendered them 
zs zealous patriots, in the common 
‘acceptation of that term at the time, 
that is, as anxious and as violent 
fapporters of the prefent fyftem, as 
the national affembly themfelves. 
Tt may be éafily remembered, 
that from the beginning of the 
troubles this fupreme authority had 
been continually exercifed without 
feruple or ceremony, not only by 
thofe fmaller or greater eommuni- 
ties who carried the appearance of 
acting in a public capacity, but very 
generally by mere individuals, or 
by any accidental colle¢tion of them, 
whether brought together. in the 
purfuit of particular revenge, or 
prompted by the general detire: of 
plunder. In a word, the exercife of 
this uncontrouled authority, was held 
ta be not only the criterion but the 
efience of freedom; and by degrees, 
its continual practice, led not only 
the larger diftri€ts, but even fmaller 
communities, in a great meafure to 
confider themfelves and to at, with- 
out any formal affumption of the 
name, as-diflinét republics, though 
connected by fome fort of federal 
union, the nature of which they took 
no trouble to enquire into. They, 
however, confidered the national af- 
fembly as a neceflary legiflative and 
executive, head, for the purpofes of 
preventing difcord among the num- 
berlefs parts, of conduéting the pub- 
lic bufinefs, including the manage- 
ment of thé revenue, and of concen- 
trating and dire€ing the commion 
force; while with all thefe high 
powers, they held that body to be 
ultimately fubjeét to their general 
and fupreme controul. Upon the 
fame principle, and under the fame 
impreflion, every active citizen, if 
not every one at large, now ftood 
high in his own ettimation, as be- 
ing one of the five or fix millions of 
joint fovereigns who ruled a great 
empire. 
This, general paffion for rale in 
the seohle and opinion of its being 
a right, fo fubveriive of all govern- 
ment, and not lefs incompatible with 
the principles of a republic than a 
monarchy, having been brought 
into being and aét by circumiftance 
and occafion, was nourifhed and 
foftered, not only by the new doc- 
trines 
