HISTORY. 0 FE UR OPE. 
| republics of Venice and Genoa. 
_ He censured, with great asperity, 
the treatment they had experienced 
from Buonaparte, as unjustifiable in 
‘yeason and policy, and tending to 
ffl Europe with complaints of the 
ambition and tyranny ofthe French, . 
and of the contempt in which they 
hold all other governments and na- 
‘tions. 
_ The influence exerted by oppo- 
sition, and their evident inclination 
_ to lenity, and moderate measures, 
encouraged the friends of those 
royalists whose behaviour had been 
_ peeceable, and against whom’ no 
charges of acting against the re- 
public had been proved, to come 
forward in their favour, and to so- 
licit the restoration of their pro- 
petty. The legislature -behaved 
; with marked impartiality on this 
occasion, Some personages, of 
‘great birth and rank, under the 
“monarchy, were re-instated in their 
"possessions ; among whom were two 
_ Individuals of the Bourbon family, 
_ the prince of Conti, and the duchess 
of Orleans. sin 
___ The several decrees, made during 
“the barbarous administration of 
~ Roberspierre, by which the relations 
_ of emigrants were unjustly affected, 
_ underwent a complete revision, and 
were new-modelled in so equitable 
_ a manner, that no persons, however 
" nearly related to those who came 
under the sentence of emigration, 
were, On that account, to suffer in 
_ their property. Those individuals, 
also, who, in the disorders and con- 
~ fusions attending hostilities, had fled 
~ from those countries now occupied 
_ by the French, and taken refuge in 
- foreign parts, were now, by an ex- 
press decree, invited to return to 
‘their homes and possessions; and 
_ #i ample space of time was allowed 
— 
[59 
them, to make their option, whether 
to decline, or take, the benefit of 
this indulgence. 
Hitherto, the proceedings of op- 
position had,» by the impartial part 
of the public, been viewed in a fa- 
vourable light: but those which fol- 
lowed excited suspicions amon® the 
staunch republicans, that some de= 
signs were in agitation of an in- 
imical tendency to the constitution. 
Camille Jourdan, a member of the 
council of five hundred, and a man 
of-resolution and abilities, had, im 
the month of June, signalized him- 
self by a speech, fuil of boldness, and 
no less of soind reasoning, in fa- 
vour of an unrestrained liberty of 
conscience, and a suppression of 
all persecutions, on account of res 
ligious opinions. His sentiments 
and arguments had been highly ap- 
plauded, and the discourse he had 
made was-ordered to be printed. 
As it contained a variety of matter 
favourable to the cause of the non- 
juring clergy, and inculcated lenity 
to persons of a tender conscience, he 
could not avoid the imputation of 
inclining to their opinions. His 
conduct, however, in espousing their 
defence did not subject him to cen- 
sure at that time ; but, in the course 
of the discussions on the case of 
those ecclesiastics that had either 
expatriated themselves, or been ba- 
nished, it evidently appeared, that 
a powerful party had been formed, 
to procure their recal from exile, 
and to take off the restrictions that 
had been laid upon them. This 
alarmed the republican party, which 
immediately resolved tu keep a more 
watchful eye than ever upon ‘the 
opposition, as concealing, under the 
pretence of moderation, projects 
inconsistent with the security of the 
commonwealth. They were con- 
firmed 
