STATE PAPERS. 



189 



But after so many calamities, their 

 benefits will not be as speedy as our 

 wants are urgent. Every sudden 

 transition to a new order of things, 

 every change, however useful it be, 

 is never without a shock, and otFers 

 almost constantly some inconveni- 

 ence. The impatience of the citi- 

 zens wanted at this moment to sup- 

 ply itself, at any price, with the 

 goods necessary for their consump- 

 tion. This cause, added to the 

 inclemency of the season, made 

 them undergo a momentary rise in 

 their price. A few days more, and 

 we shall see the happy etl'ects of a 

 decree, which malevolence will 

 doubtless calumniate, which was 

 commanded by the welfare of the 

 people. Let all fears vanish ; the 

 government watches day and night. 

 Your representatives expect every 

 thing from the character which dis- 

 tinguishes the French nation, and 

 the provisions shall be secured. Fra- 

 ternity shall be no more an empty 

 name among us j it shall reject alike 

 the calculation of avarice and the 

 false alarms, which are still more 

 subservient to a variety of specula- 

 tors, in creating a factitious fa- 

 mine. 



You will not compromise five 

 years labours and sacrifices ; and 

 ihe genius of liberty will triumpii 

 this day over all the passions, even 

 of his wants, and of the rigour of 

 the elements, as he lias triumphed 

 over all the tyrants of Europe. 



Your enemies bestir themselves 

 in darkness, and want to mislead 

 the people j but they shall be deaf 

 to the insinuations of perfidy, and 

 shall only rally at the voice of the 

 country. 



Yesterday royalty seemed to con- 

 spire from the bottom of its grave; 

 its blasphemies resounded to the 



gates of the sanctuaiy of liberty. 

 But this last cry of royal fanaticisni, 

 striking all the republicans with in- 

 dignation, contributes to give them 

 fresh energy. Justice and reason 

 will bring'back abundance by de- 

 grees. The most magnanimous na- 

 tion will reap at last the fruit of her 

 virtues ; and her representatives 

 will find tlieir reward in beholding 

 her happiness. 



Decree of the convention, and address 

 to the armies. 



ON the 7lh Praireal (26th May, 

 1794) a pretended design of 

 assassinating Robespierrewas disco- 

 vered and attributed to the English : 

 upon which the national conven- 

 tion of France decreed ; that rm 

 Engliih nor Hanoverian prisoners 

 shall he made. 



On the nth Praireal. Barrere 

 proposed to the convention, that 

 the above decree shall be accom- 

 panied by the following address to 

 the armies of the republic, which 

 w as agreed to. 



England is capable of every out- 

 rage on humanity ; and of every 

 crime towards tl^e republic. She 

 attacks the rights of nations, and 

 threatens to annihilate liberty. 



How long will you suffer to con- 

 tinue on your frontier the slaves 

 of ****** — the soldiers of the most 

 atrocious of tyrants ? 



H e formed the congress of Pilnitz, 

 and brought about the scandalous 

 surrenderof Toulon. He massacred 

 your brethren at Genoa, and burned 

 our magazines in the maritime 

 towns. He corrupted our cities, 

 and endeavoured to destroy the na- 

 tional representation. He starvfd 



youv 



