HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
safety, under the administration of 
Roberspierre. A decree for thisex- 
amination was immediately made, 
and twenty-one members commis- 
sioned to proceed upon it without 
farther delay. The four members 
thus brought forward, were men of 
eminent abilities, especially Bar- 
rere, who had been the great 
spokesman to the convention, dur. 
ing the triumphant campuign of 
1794,andhad essentially contributed 
to that stupendous scheme of raising 
the people in a mass, for the pro. 
tection of the country against the 
coalition, at the time when its suc- 
cesses had occasioned a general 
alarm for the safety of the republic, 
Whatever flaws were in his charac. 
ter, he had always been reputed a 
zealous republican, and his talents 
had been warmly exerted in the re- 
publican cause. But it was strongly 
insinuated, that the destruction of 
Roberspierre would never have been 
effeéted, if Barrere and his party ia 
the committee, had been the sole 
agents, The convention, headed by 
Tallien and Bourdon de I’Oise, 
were the real a€tors in this great 
business, and Barrere, with his as- 
sociates, were at best but coadjutors, 
prompted by motives of personal 
safety. Both he and Billaud Va- 
rennes had been the cbsequicus and 
base instruments of Roberspierre’s 
tyranny, “and Collot d’Herliis had 
behaved with such barbarity at 
Lyons, after its reduétion, as to 
have incurred the general odium, 
As these imputations were not un- 
founded they made 2 strong impres. 
[83 
sion upon the public; but its indig- 
nation was farther excited by the 
continuance of favour shewn to the 
principles.of terrorism, and particu- 
larly by the respect paid to the me- 
mory of its first founder, the noted 
Marat. The remains of this san- 
guinary man had, several months 
after the death of Roberspierre, been 
solemn]. deposited in the pantheon, 
by adecree of the convention. This 
was considered as noequivocal proof, 
that thespirit of this bloody-minded 
enthusiast, in the cause of republi- 
canism, was not yet departed*, 
‘Two other circumstances concurred, 
at the same time, to increase this 
indignation; the one was a journal 
published by Freron, a man of reso- 
{ution and abilities, and a deter- 
mined enemy to the terrorists ; the 
other was a song, called the awak- 
ening of the people. The honours 
paid thememory of Marat were se- 
verely noticed in both, as well as 
the partiality to his atrocious max- 
ims, Ina tumultuous insurrection, 
his ashes were removed, and his 
bust defaced or broken to pieces. 
The Parisians, who had been re- 
markable sufferers under the mur- 
derous system lately destroyed, dis- 
played a marked readiness to op- 
pose it; and those members of the 
convention who were of the same 
mind, giadly perceived, that they 
would be powerfully supported, 
whenever assistance - might be 
necded. 
After two months’ examination 
into the conduct of the denounced 
members, it was declared, that they 
* So general and furious was the spirit of terror in the French nat’on, ‘a little time 
before this, and so readily domankind excuse, approve, and applaud, the prevailing pasa 
sion, whatever it be, that the contrary temper of moderation was dee neda vice. To 
ote this new vice, a new word was invented. 
It was common, at that time, with 
he more violent Jacobins, in their meetings, and various intercourses of life, to maké 
Charges againg those who were less so, or insinuate suspicions of MoDERATISM | 
[G2] 
had 
