HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
the universal satisfaction of the 
French nation, when its rulers, for 
reasons which did not appear, 
thought proper to suspend the great 
expectations they had raised, by 
recurring to a precedent which had 
never failed to be accompanied with 
the worst evils of tyranny. 
Regardless of these popular com- 
plaints, the convention proceeded 
in the adoption of the measures se- 
cretly planned by the leaders of the 
jacobins and terrorists, who seemed 
again to have gained an ascendancy 
in the convention, and to diétate 
whatever they thought proper. 
They had truly verified their own 
_ assertion, that activity and boldness 
peculiarly belonged to chem. The 
other members bowed implicitly to 
their opinions, and confirmed, with- 
out hesitation, whatever they pro- 
posed. Meanwhile, the public re. 
mained in a state of surprise and 
alarm, at the conduct of a body of 
men, whom they were at a loss in 
what light to consider, whether as 
Antending to adopt the constitution 
they had recommended for accept- 
ance, or to pass it by, without far. 
ther notice, and erect themselves 
‘into a supreme power, without con- 
sulting the nation, and trusting 
only to the sword for their support, 
against the opposition of their coun. 
trymen. 
__ The day was approaching that 
had been fixed upon by the conven. 
tion, formally to lay down their 
auhority ; but no signs of such »n 
Intention were perceivable; the 
permanence of its power was the 
very subject on which the commis. 
‘Sion of five was busily employed. 
‘The . people now saw, that the per- 
uation, of its authority 2s evi. 
ently the design of the conv» tion, 
4a which case che reign of barvarity 
o: 
[109 
would certainly return, as the pub. 
lic, however terrified by the late 
success of that body, in suppressing 
the Parisians, would not remain en- 
tirely passive, in its submission to 
such unwarrantable usurpation. The 
days.of Roberspierre were now pre- 
sent to every man’s memory ; the 
very expression used by the conven. 
tion, in appointing a commission 
to save the country, reminded the 
public of the many similar terms 
employed by that tyrant and his 
party, whenever oppressive and san- 
guinary designs were in agitation. 
The jacobinical faétion, that 
domineered in the »convention, 
seemed resolved to persevere in the 
arbitrary plans that had so long suc. 
ceeded in the hands of their predes 
cessors of that party, when in power. 
But there still remained in that body- 
a few men of a determined spirit, 
who, struck with indignation at the 
apathy or cowardice of those pliant 
members who suffered themselves to 
be so ignominiously governed, re- 
solved, at all hazards} to stem the 
torrent that threatened to overbear 
the moderate party, and to render 
it a passive accomplice in the 
iniquitous schemes of that ambitious 
and unprincipied faction, which had 
again nearly accomplished its pers 
nicious designs. The principal of 
those members, who exerted them- 
selves on this critical occasion, were 
‘Thibaudeau, Lanjuinais, _Boissy 
d’Anglas, Larevelliere Lepaux, 
Lariviere, and Lesage. The come 
mission of five were about to enforce 
the report for the permanence of 
the conven:ion, when the first of 
those members, inflamed with rage 
at the pusillanimous acquiescence 
that appeared in the assembly, une 
dauntedly arose, and in a speech re- 
plete with fire and energy, bupenis 
t 
