HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
‘Wilberforce, and Mr. D. Williams. 
Dr. Priestley was not ashamed to ad; 
_dvess two letters, one to the Conven- 
-tion, and the other to M. Roland, 
‘expressive of the great honours con- 
ferred on him: first, by the nation 
_at large, in adopting him acitizen of 
_France;and next, by the department 
of Arne, in electing him a member 
of the legislative body.* These let- 
_ters were much applauded, and or- 
dered to be inscribed in the mi- 
‘nutes of the Assembly. In answer to 
hisletter addressedtothe Assembly, 
ape penitent was charged toinform 
him, that the Convention would 
receive with pleasure any reflections 
that he might he pleased to trans- 
mit to them. Very different from 
the conduct of Dr. Priestley was 
that of the German poet, Klops- 
tock, celebrated with still greater 
justice for the humanity of his dis- 
position, than for his poetical ta- 
dents, and to whom the Assembly 
d sent a patent of citizenship. 
“ModeratorsoftheFrench empire,”’ 
says Klopstock, in a letter to the 
Assembly, “I send back with hor- 
ror those titles of which I was so 
proud, while I could think that they 
united me to a society of brothers 
and friends to humanity.—Learn 
t the excess of your barbarism 
and your crimes has placed an eter- 
nal barrier between you and the 
poets of happy Germany. French- 
men, I turn away with affright from 
that impious troop which is guilty 
«tt 
bry un 
[63 
of assassination, by looking on, the 
peaceable witnesses of murder. I 
fly far from the cries of that execra- 
ble tribunal. which murders, not 
only the victim, but which murders 
also the mercy of the people.” 
The remainder of this year was 
spent by the Convention in endea- 
.vyouring to amass in their treasury 
all the gold and silver of the king- 
dom, in organizing the sale of the 
lands of the emigrants, and in mak- 
ing preparations for the execution 
of their King. 
But, in the midst ofso much con- 
fusion, injustice, and horror, the 
minister of the interior laboured, 
with unremitting activity and zeal, 
to soothe and compose the minds of 
the distracted people to order, jus- 
tice, and the pursuits of useful and 
honourable industry. He used his 
_utmost endeavours to prevent or to 
quell disordersand insurrections, by 
instructions and exhortations circu- 
lated throughout all France, and by 
preventing or removing causes of 
discontent ; particularly by a faith- 
ful and equitable distribution of 
the large sums of money granted by 
the Assembly, for the purpose of 
making advances to such of the de- 
partments as were the most in need 
of them; and particularly for the 
extraordinary supplies demanded by 
Paris.+ He paid due regard to 
hospitals and deserted children ; to 
highways and bridges ; to agricul- 
ture, munufactures, arts, and com- 
” * The Doctor did not accept of a seat in the Conventiun himself; but the same 
compliment was paid and accepted by his son. 
+ These advances were made on the condition that they should be repaid, with- 
ut interest, in the space of two years. In fact they never were repaid, nor ex- 
Perted to be repaid at all s but were necessary for the preservation of authority in 
a new government in a turbulent nation, And in this, as inso many other instan- 
ces, we recognize a striking similarity between the present system of the French and 
that of the ancient Romans, From the first divisions of the spoil among the rob- 
bers on the Seven Hills, to the last stages of the empire, it was thought expedient to 
ow largesses on the Roman citizené. 
ie) 
merce, 
