ey 
a Rae conduct of opposition be- 
. gan now to meet with general 
disapprobation. Their designs were 
viewed as intirely hostile to the re- 
public; and the directory, which 
had lost ground in the esteem and 
_ attachment of the public, regained 
_itso effectually, that, notwithstand- 
they clearly perceived, that a ma- 
brity of the people was ready to 
befriend them, should matters be 
Carried to extremity. 
_ The royalists had,.in the mean 
time, indulged in the most sanguine 
nope, that they were on theeve of a 
_ eounter-reyolution. Relying upon 
_the protection of their numerous 
Partisans, in the legislative body, 
they assumed a freedom of speech 
¥ and behaviour extremely offensive 
the republicans, whom they 
ipled not to revile and abuse in 
ery daring and outrageous man- 
Alarmed at this sudden au- 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. fa 
Sri AP; 2Ve 
_ to Padris,— Remarkable Address to the Dircetory, by the Army of the 
Sambre and Meuse.—Effect of this on the Councils —Causes assigned, 
by the Directory, for Fermentations that had taken place in the Army.— 
Concert between the Directory and the Army —The Councils alarmed, 
_ Resolutions of the Councils for the Purposg of restraining within 
due Bounds the Authority of the Directory. 
ee 
¢ 
dacity, the friends to the common- 
wealth judged it necessary to unite, 
as heretofore, in clubs and associa- 
tions.. Their antagonists did the 
same, and their mutual rancour 
broke out in frequent quarrels. 
But the enemies to the opposition 
so powerfully outnumbered their 
friends, thatthese found it necessary 
to have recourse to a decree of the 
councils, to prevent the encrease of 
the republican clubs, by formally 
prehibiting all meetings for political 
discussions, uader heavy penalties. 
The passing of this decree, which 
was effected on. the twenty-fourth 
of Juiy, proved the ‘influence still 
retained by the opposition; but ig 
also» €vinced and augmented their 
ugpopularity, as “it shewed how 
little disposed they were to place 
any dependance on the people at 
large: but they had enemies still 
more dangerous, ‘The military 
were decidedly in the interest of the. 
commonvealth, andopenly resolved. 
| tu 
