HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
appeared undecided how it would 
terminate, the public was agitated 
with the most serious fears ot seeing 
a renovation of the horrors from 
which they hoped to have escaped. 
The spirit of nicderation, which had, 
since the fall of Roberspierre, been 
predominant, was so unacceptable 
to the jacobin party, which, though 
checked, was not suppressed, that, 
availing themselves of the lenity pro- 
fessed by government, they assem- 
bled in various places, and held dis- 
courses of a tendency to rouse into 
an insurre¢tion all that were disposed 
to join them. The pretence, by 
means of which they excited the 
populace to discontent, was the 
scarcity of bread. Whether this 
was rea] or affected, through their 
machinations, an immense crowd 
arose on the first of April, and pro- 
ceeded to the hall of the convention, 
demanding bread, and the constitu- 
tion of 1793. ‘The latter of these 
demands plainly shewed who were 
the instigators of this insurre¢tion. 
The jacobin members of the con- 
vention explicitly abetted these de- 
mands. Emboldened by this sup- 
port, the spokesman of the insur- 
gents told the convention, that 
those in whose name he addressed 
them were the men of the fourteenth 
of July, the tenth of August, and the 
thirty-first of May ; that they would 
not suffer the accused members to 
be sacrificed to their enemies; and 
expetied the convention would alter 
its measures. 
When the insurgents broke into 
the hall, the convention was em- 
ployed in a discussion how to re. 
medy the scarcity that was com. 
plained of; but this sudden inter. 
ruption forced them to have re- 
course to immediate means, for 
their preservation from the fury 
[85 
of the mob, ‘hey direéted the’ 
alirm bells to be rung through 
ail Paris, and the citizens to be 
called to the aid of the conven. 
tion, ‘Vhey readily obeyed the 
summons, and assembled to the 
number of twenty thousand. But, 
from two in the afternoon till six in 
the evening,’ the’ convention was in 
the power of the insurgents, from 
whom, as they had forcibly entered 
the hall, danger was reasonably ap- 
prehended ; their words and de- 
meanour being full of insolence and 
menaces, 
The city was no less alarmed 
than the convention, Knowing the 
number and resolution of the jaco- 
bins; and dreading a return of their 
tyranny, they took up arms with 
the utmost zeal in every seétion ; 
and, by this demonstration of adhe- 
rence to the convention, intimidat- 
ed the insurgents, who, finding 
themselves unequal to the force that 
opposed them, were compelled to 
disperse. What high'y contributed 
to the suppression of this tumult 
was the presence of Pichegru, who 
happened auspiciously to be at Paris, 
He took the command of the Paris 
military, and quickly restored the 
public tranquiliity. Delivered from 
their perilous situation, ‘the conven- 
tion passed a decrce for the punish- 
ment of the authors of this «riot. 
As it had evidentiy been excited 
to prevent the trial of the de: 
nounced members, it was moved by 
Dumont, a popular member, of 
noted firmuess, that they should im- 
mediately be sentenced to’ punish. 
ment, In order to soften the rigour 
of a condemnation that might ap- 
pear precipitate, their lives were 
spared ; but they were banished to 
Guiana, and ordered to be trais- 
ported thither without delay. Let 
[G3] us 
