210] 
the passing of that 1 ignominious pro- 
posal. He insisted, in the name of 
the nation, that the commission of 
five should instantly be suppressed, 
and that the constitution decreed, 
by the acceptance of the people, 
should take place, and the conven. 
tion be dissolved on the day ap- 
pointed. Thibaudeau was vigorously 
seconded by his friend, Larevelliere 
Lepeaux : their joint exertions re- 
called the majority of the assembly 
to a sense of the'injudicious and 
shameful measure they were about 
to sanction. They recovered them- 
selves on this occasion, and notwith- 
standing the violent declamations of 
those who were interested in this 
measure, they voted the annulment 
of the commission of five, the con- 
stitution agreed upon, and the digso- 
lntion of the convention. 
The gaining of these three points 
was a matter of serious triumph to 
the regular party, which was now 
that of the moderates. It shewed 
that the nation was not cordially 
disposed to approve of the measure 
that had been carried, to re-ele& 
two-thirds of the members ; and it 
forewarned those who were to con- 
stitute the majority of the future 
legislature, to be cautious in the ex- 
ercise of a power with which they 
‘were invested evidently against the 
sense of their fellow citizens. The 
manifest disapprobation, expressed 
by the public at this proceeding, 
induced the violent party to coin- 
cide with the moderate in passing 
some acts previously to theirdissolu- 
tion by which they hoped to in- 
grtatiate themselves with the gene- 
tality, and wipe off the stain of ter- 
aorism. By these aéts, the punish- 
‘ment of death was to be abolished 
after the restoration of peace, anda 
general amnesty was also to be 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
granted ; but this was clogged with 
a variety of exceptions that demon. 
strated from which of the two pars 
ties they proceeded: those which 
excluded the enemies to the new con« 
stitution, and the forgers of assig- 
nats, were judged treasonable ; but 
the clauses against the emigrants 
and the clergy, sentenced to trans- 
portation, ought, it was said, to 
have been mitigated ; and those af. 
fefting the late insurgents in the 
capital, ought never to have been 
enacted. 
These blended aéts of lenity and 
revenge, characteristic of the re- 
spective parties that framed them, 
terminated the proceedings of the 
convention. It dissolved itself on 
the 26th of O&ober, after sitting 
upwardsof threeyears. Nopolitical 
assembly, recorded in history, ever 
did much greater or worse things, 
As it consisted of men chosen by a - 
populous nation, it partook of the 
dispositions that characterized the 
various partisans of the people of 
France. The fire and impetuosity 
of temper that marks the inhabi- 
tants of the southern provincesy 
and the pertinacity and unyielding. 
ness of mind that is usually found 
in those of the northern parts; 
but that which will eternize the me. 
mory of this famous assembly, is the 
undaunted audacity with which it 
shook off those ideas that, implanted 
by education, and confirmed by the 
habit of years, remain soobstinately 
fixed in the human mind. Mon. 
archy and catholicism, the two fa. 
vourite objects of the French na. 
tion, sanctioned by the attachment 
and veneration of centuries, began 
to totter the very first moment of 
their meeting, and were completely 
overthrown as soon as they attempt-_ 
ed to regain their preponderance ; 
: sO 
