104] 
tion of two-thirds that alarmed the 
friends to a legislature, that 
should chiefly consist of new men, 
obnoxious to no party, and irre- 
proachable in their personal conduct, 
These requisites could be found in 
few of the convention, “They had 
almost all been violent pazty men, 
and suspicions of the worst kind lay 
heavy on the characters of many. 
Allowing their abilities and reso- 
lution to have been often dispiiyed 
in the cause of the public, they had 
also, it was justly observed, beenex 
erted for very unwarraniabie pur- 
poses ; and, taking themall together, 
the virtues and vices of the most 
conspicuous members of the con. 
vention, were, ‘o speak the most 
favourable language, equally ba. 
Tanced at best. France was at pre- 
sent desirous of rest. Enough had 
been done for its glory: ir was now 
time’to consult its repose, With all 
the praise that might be due to the 
present convention, the Jeading 
men among them were so habitu- 
ated to the tempestuous scenes in 
which they had made so remark- 
able a figure, that they had not had 
any opportunity of displaying those 
talents which would be chiefly re- 
quired in peaceable times, Ene. 
mies abroad, and faétions at home, 
had been the clement in which they 
had hitherio constantly moved. 
They were undisputably well quali- 
fed to encounter trials of this kind; 
but however great they had shewn 
themselves in the day of denger, 
they ought to be sensible that those 
qualities which tend to make them 
dreaded, wre not those which pro- 
evre them affection. The conduct 
of those who had acted the greatest 
parts, throughout the revolution, 
might command admiration; but 
these parts ‘had been so blended 
with evil as well as good, that it 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1795. 
was difficult to tell which was most 
predominant. ‘The highest obliga- 
tions were due to those intrepid 
agents by the many ; but many also 
had ample cause to rue the part 
they had acted. 
Discourses of this tendency filled 
the mouths of all men at this critical 
epoch. The dread of seeing those 
men invested with power, who had 
acted with Roberspierre, and had in 
some respects been his colleagues 
and coadjutors in office, threw a 
gioom on the expectations that had. 
been formed from the new constita. 
tion, and excited the most melan. 
choly presages. The Parisians 
knew no bounds in their complaints : 
they repeatedly assailed the conven. 
tion with the boldest remonstrances 
on their conduct, which they styled 
a manitest and barefaced usurpation, 
But this assembly confiding in the 
Preparations it was secretly making, 
set them openly at defiance, and re- 
fused at last to listen to their repre- 
sentations, which they branded 
with the name of seditious, and cal. 
culated to throw the republic into 
confusion, Were they ever so well 
inclined, said the members of the 
convention, to gratify the Parisians, 
they ought no less to consult the 
circumstances of the times. Nu- 
merous were those who waited with 
impatience for a total dissolution of 
the present legislature, in order to 
avail themseives of the new opini- 
ons and inclinations of those wha 
were to succeed it. Good policy 
required they should be disappoint- 
ed; but the only sure method to 
perpetuate the republican spirit 
now existing, was to continue in 
power those who had always shewn 
themselves its staunch supporters, 
those who had been its champions 
in the worst of times, and had op- 
posed despotism at the risk of their 
lives. 
