62] 
Twelve commissioners informed the 
National Assembly, that the Na- 
tional Convention was constituted 
in the hall-of the Thuilleries. M. 
Gregoire, bishop of Blois, said, ‘ Ci- 
tizens, the National Convention is 
constituted. Weare deputed by it 
to inform you, that it is about to re- 
pair hither, in order to commence 
its sittings.”? The president then 
said, ‘‘ the Legislative Assembly de- 
clares that its sittings are termin- 
ated.”? The whole Assembly upon 
this withdrew, in order to repair 
to the National Convention. They 
entered the hall of the Thuilleries 
in a body, ‘and M. Francois de 
Neufchateau spoke thus :—* Re- 
presentatives of the nation, the 
Legislative Assembly has ceased its 
functions; the late members of 
it hasten to be first in giving to all 
the empire an example of submis- 
sion to the laws which you may de- 
cree. They have resolved, that 
their first act, as simple citizens, 
shall be that of serving as a guard 
to the National Convention, and 
of offering them the homage of 
their respect, in order to give to 
all France an example of bowing 
before the majesty of the people, 
whom you represent. We con- 
gratulate ourselves, that, upon our 
voice, all the primary assemblies 
adhered to the invitation which we 
gave them; by electing you, they 
have consecrated the extraordinary 
measures which the safety of 
24,000,000 of people may-require 
against the perfidy of one man.” 
September 21st. The first act of 
the Conventional Assembly was, to 
sanction by law the abolition of 
royalty. They proceeded on the 
next day, to decree, Ist, That all 
the public acts should be dated 
“* the first year of the French Re- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
public, 2nd. That the state-seal 
should be changed, and have for its 
legend, French Republic. 3d. That 
the national-seal should represent 
a woman sitting upon a bundle of 
arms, having in her hand a pike, 
with the cap of liberty upon it; 
and on the exergue “ Archives of 
the French Republic.” 
The new legislators of France, 
as well as their immediate prede- 
cessors, discovered much solicitude 
to consolidate their power, and 
cover the enormities of the revolu- 
tion by the sanction of philosophers, 
and by propagating their doctrines 
among neighbouring nations; being 
impressed with a strong conviction, 
which they did not effect to conceal, 
that “he that was not with them, 
was against them.”” A decree was 
adopted on the motion of Barrere, 
in the name of the committee of 
constitution, inviting all the friends 
of liberty and equality to present 
to the said committee, in any lan- 
guage whatever, the plans, methods, | 
and means which they thought the 
best calculated to form a good con- 
stitution for the French Republic ; 
and enacting that such works 
should be translated, printed, and 
laid before the National Conven- 
tion. In a nation in which there 
are not very many who did not ima- 
gine themselves qualified to make 
laws for the whole, this invitation, 
so flattering tothe vanity of French- ° 
men and authors, was eagerly em- 
braced; and the number of politi- 
cal tracts published about this time 
was as great as was to be expected. 
The convention made the compli- 
ment of citizenship to political 
writers and orators, whose notions 
they approved, in different coun- 
tries ; and particularly in our own, 
to Dr, Priestley, Thomas Paine, Mr. 
Wiiberforce, 
