: HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
particular persuasion. The law did 
not authorize privileged companies 
or corporations, or any species of Ji- 
mitation to the freedom of com- 
merce, and the exercise of industry 
and arts of every kind. Citizens 
had the right to assemb'e peaceably, 
and without arms; but no assembly 
could assume a popular denomina- 
tion, or professing to debate about 
political subjects, can correspond 
with another, or associate with itin 
such investigations. 
The executive power was de- 
fegated to five persons, nominated by 
the legislature. They are styled, 
collectively, the directory. They 
were to be forty years of age, and 
have been members of the legisla- 
tive body, or employed in a great 
office, and could not be appointed 
to the dire€tory, till the expiration 
of a year after quitting their em- 
ployment. One of the dire€tors 
was to go out yearly, and to be re- 
placed by the ele¢tion of another. 
No one could be re-elected to this 
_ Office till after an interval of five 
years. The business of the di- 
rectory was to provide for the se. 
curity of the republic, at home and 
abroad ; to dispose of the military 
and naval forces; to appoint ge- 
nerals and admirals ; to superintend 
the execution of the laws; and to 
dire& the coining of money. To 
eleét the directory, the -council of 
five hundred made our a list of ten 
person», for one tobe elected ; and 
out of these the council of ancients 
ehuses one. ‘The direCtory might 
“invite the legislature to take sub- 
jects into consideration ; but could 
“not lay plans before it, those of 
‘peace and war excepted. No 
ies framed by them were valid, 
until ratified by the legislature, 
' Vor. XXXVII. 
‘ 
[97) 
without whose consent no war can 
be undertaken. 
Such are the outlines of the 
French constitution, as it was pre- 
sented to the convention, by those 
who were sele¢ted to frame one, 
It underwent the discussion not only 
of that body and of the nation, but 
of all Europe. As it was framed 
professedly in contradiction to the 
royal systems prevailing in this part 
of the world, its imperfections were 
the more readily perceived ; and it 
was generally condemned as im- 
practicable in so large a country, 
and so populous a nation, especially 
as founded on the destruétion of a 
monarchy that had sted fourteen 
centuries, and the prepossession for 
which was still very strong in the 
minds of a very considerable por- 
tion of the people. Those in par- 
ticular who adhered to the ancient 
religious establishments, together 
with the noblesse and the clergy, 
forming an immense body, and with 
few exceptions, warmly attached to 
the old system in church and state, 
having suffered so much for their 
attachment to both, they were ready 
to suffer still more, and to persevere 
to the last in their effor.s to restore 
them. 
Those who coolly weighed the 
merits and defe¢ts.of this constitu- 
tion, against those that had been ala 
ready tried, readily gaveit the pre- 
ference. It united many requisites 
to give it strength and duration. 
In imitation of the British constitu- 
tion, it divided the legislative body 
into an upper and lower house, and 
thus prevented that tyrannical pre. 
cipitation with which theconvention 
had so justly been reproached. 
This division of power rendered it 
also less liable to abuse; the one 
fH] branch 
