HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



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verted, the Jacobins were in open 

 rebellion to support it. Presuming 

 on iinpunitv, and that the Conven- 

 tiun had not spirit to assert its dig. 

 iiity, tliey still continued to bid it 

 defiance. It was therefore indis- 

 pensably requisite, for the preserva- 

 tion cf national tranquillity, to 

 suppress a body of men who aimed 

 at dictating to the nation's repre- 

 sentatives. The preservation of 

 Hberty required the ei^tinction of a 

 faction that filled France with con- 

 tinual troubles, and explicitly re- 

 commended sedition and blood- 

 shed. The only legal and repu- 

 table societies were those of the 

 sections; and these would remain 

 unmolested. Such was the sub- 

 stance and purport of the commit- 

 tee's address to the public on this 

 occasion. It was received with 

 great approbation, and the measure 

 itself was applauded by a decided 

 majority of the nation ; which 

 looked upon it as the readiest and 

 most effectual method to prevent 

 the discordancy and conflict of opi- 

 .^.Bions that filled every place in 

 France with disturbances, and broke 

 up ever)'where the peace and en- 

 joyments of society. 



A proceeding no less acceptable 

 to the people at large was the pu- 

 nishment inflicted on the authors of 

 the barbarities committed in La 

 Vendee, and other districts con- 

 cerned in the insurrection that it had 

 been so difficult to quell. The prin- 

 cipal and most guilty was Carricre, 

 a member of the Convention. He 

 was neither deficient in vigour nor 

 activity, and had certainly contri- 

 buted by his unremitting exertions, 

 -to thejuppression of the insurgents ; 

 but he disgraced liis character by 

 the commission of so many inhu- 

 tiunitict, tii»t the Cvavention 



thought itself bound in honour to 

 make a public example of him. — 

 He was tried and convicted of the 

 crimes imputed to him, and exe- 

 cuted, in company with two mem- 

 bers of the revolutionary tribunal, 

 at Nantes, who had been the com- 

 panions of his iniquities. This act 

 of justice was followed by a procla- 

 mation, offering liberal terms to 

 those insurgents who submitted 

 within a month. A full and un- 

 qualified pardon was granted to 

 them, with an oblivion of all the 

 past, on condition of delivering up 

 their arms, and promising obedi- 

 ence to the Convention and the 

 constituted authorities. The lenity- 

 shewn in the Convention in the de- 

 cree that passed to this purpose, did 

 equal credit to its humanity and 

 policy. The insurgents whom the 

 barbarities exercised upon them af- 

 ter their reduction, had alienated 

 from the very ideas of a republic, 

 were by the humane treatment they 

 experienced, and by the punctual 

 performance of the promises con- 

 tained in the decrees relating to 

 them, brought over to a convic- 

 tion, that the cruelties they ha4 ex- 

 perienced were owing to the cruel 

 and sanguinary temper of those 

 who were employed against them, 

 and of those under whose directions 

 they acted, and not to be imputed 

 to the government which they had 

 opposed with so much obstinacy, 

 not improbably from an opinion 

 they had conceived of its inexorable 

 disposition. 



While the C<mvention was thus 

 employed in endeavours to recon- 

 cile, through lenity, the numerous 

 enemies whom the late government 

 had created at home through se- 

 verity and terror, the utmost effort* 

 were made yi that assembly to re- 

 tore 



