Jorded it over the better sort of ihe 
eitizens, who were compelled, from 
their helpless situation, to put up 
with perpetuat indignities. In 
compliance with the desire of the, 
ruling faGion, and possibly from 
the motive of preventing disturbs 
ance, the direftory prohibited the 
fzrous song called, Le Réveil du 
Peuple, the awakening of the peo- 
pk, from being sung at the public 
theatres. Fbis song had been exe 
tremely popular ever since the 
downfal of Roberspierre. It was 
by the generality of people, the 
Parisians in particular, called the 
true song of liberty. It breathed 
an abherrence at every species of 
barbarity and oppression ; bur, be- 
ing particularly levelled at his ry- 
ranny, the party of whom he had 
been the head, procured its sup- 
pression. This was partly done 
out of revenge to the Parisians, 
who, while preparing to resist the 
illegal decrees of the late conven- 
“*" tion, in the affair cf the re-cleCtions, 
“were cotstantly used to sing that 
‘song in all their meetings. ‘Lhree 
other songs were substituted in its 
stead, all formerly very popular ; 
but as they were favourites of the 
jacobins and terrorists, the hatred 
borne to them extended to their 
very songs; and whenever any of 
these were sung, at any public place, 
by the jacobins, the Parisians im- 
mediately followed them with the 
Réveil du Pesple. The jacobins 
upbraided them for refusing to join 
in those three songs; but the Pa. 
Frisians answered, that they had 
been so often sung on the most ex. 
ecrablé occasions, that to join with 
them would seem to approve the 
atrocious deeds which those songs 
had beer. made to accompany. The 
dire@teria! prohibition having. de. 
‘ 
“ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
barred the Parisians from the useé of 
their own song, they were now 
¢onstra ‘ned to listen with silent in- 
dignation at those of the iacobins : 
but as various passages of those 
songs were peculiarly levelled at 
tyranay, there the Parisians loudly 
united their voices with those of 
their antagonisis, in order to shew 
how deeply they felt the tyrannical 
silence imposed upon them. ‘This 
contest lasted a few weeks, when 
the direCtory, finding the Parisians 
obstinate in refusing to bear a part 
in those songs, thought it prudent 
to revoke their orders, and permit 
them td sing theirown. : 
As occurrences, apparently of 
little importance, frequently, how- 
ever, indicate the opinions and sen. 
timents of men, this behaviour of 
the people of the metropolis proved 
a salutary warning to the directory, 
not to dim at such an extension of 
their authority, as by being im. 
pratticable, might at once subject 
them to- ridicule and render them 
odious. It also admonished them 
of the great majority of those who 
disapproved of the prineipies of the 
terrorist faction, and induced them 
to put 2 stop to, the excesses come 
mitted in various departments, by 
the commissioners they had aps 
pointed for the execution of their 
measures. Among these were two 
men who had imprudently been — 
nominated by the late convention, 
its executive agents at Lyans, and 
other departments of the highest 
importance; the city of Lyons, 
the greatest mart of the inland 
trade of France, had suffered dread. 
fully two years before, in its ex- 
ertions for the royal cause; bat was 
beginning to recover its losses, when 
it was unhappily given up to the 
management of Reverchon, a no- 
torlous 
