{1@]) ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
had been eleGted to 2 seat in the 
convention entirely from the ex. 
éellence of his charatter ; and had 
aéted invariably from principle. 
During the tyranny cf Roberspierre, 
he was proscribed with the adhe. 
rents of the Gironde party, to which 
he remained firmly atteched ; and pis 
life was perpetually in danger. He 
would have declined the honour 
proffered hin ; and he accepted it 
merely in compliance with the 
earnest solicitations of the worthiest 
men in the minority. 
There was 2 men who did not 
view these individuals soh'ghly pro. 
moted without secret indignation ; 
and who thought himself gréarly 
neglected by his party, in not seating 
him in the directory. ‘his was the 
famous Tallien, who had acted so 
conspicuous a fart ever since the 
abolition cf monarchy, asd had 
signalized his courage in effe€ing 
the downfall of Roberspierre, ata 
time when few men had the bo d. 
pess persenal'y to eaccuner him, 
Ve was, in fact, at the head of the 
reling party ; but he hed a number 
of sceret encm es, who didnot wish 
to sec him so much exalted. His 
abilities and Kis spimt were une 
questionable, bai though he had so 
materially coniributed to destroy 
Robersnicrre, he had acted with 
him, ‘and was supposed te have 
abetted his conduct ui! he was com. 
pelled ro accelerate -h’s des:ruction 
to save himse’f. | fig- was in high 
favour with che terrorists, notwith- 
standing that he had endeavoured 
to ingratiate himself with the mo. 
derates; but ke was alwoys suse 
pected by them; and he verified 
their susvicions by joining with their 
adversaries against the unhappy Pa- 
risians, on the fifth of October, in 
support of the decree ior a re-clec. 
tion of two-thirds of the conven- 
tion. His ambitious views were 
rendered manifest by the part he 
openly took in favour of that com- 
mission of five, which was to super- 
scde the intended constitution, 
and to engross the whole governs 
ment. Ot thit commission he had 
the address to procure himself to be 
nominated a member; and he had 
also the audacity to load with in- 
vectives persons’ of irreproachable 
charatter in the convention, and 
to insinuate, that without such a 
commission the country. was not 
safe. But his behaviour on this 
oce:sion had, it seems, exasperated 
both the parties. When the mas 
jority of the convention became; 
through dint cf zrgument, con. 
vinced of the scandalous impropriety 
of thatcommission, Tallien lost at 
once almost all his influence; and, 
instead of a place im the directory, 
saw himself excluded from the hope” 
of obtaining any post of importance, 
To this it may he added, that he 
was thought to have hada hand in 
the massacres of September, 1792, 
and in those of La Vendée. All 
these considerations operated so 
much to bis disadvantage, that, 
though he had been occasionally a 
useful agent to the republic, he had 
aecuired no confidence nor esteem, 
and was viewed as a man governed 
hy no other principles. than those of ~ 
the most iniquitous ambition. — 
‘There were others of his party 
no less aspiring than himself; but 
muvh the same objettions militated 
aga‘nst them. It appeared, in'truth, 
that the ruling party was inclined 
father to establishits principles, than 
to invest its chiefs with much av. 
thority. ‘heir personal dispositions ~ 
were too much dreaded, and top — 
weil known, to command implicit 
reliance 
” 
4 
