\ 
70) 
alive the flame of discord, and in- 
spired a hatred to the republican 
constistution. They were caused 
by the multitude of journals inun- 
dating the pation, and full of 
menaces to the supporters of li- 
berty. These journals vilified all 
the republican institutions, and ex- 
plicitly-argued for the restoration of 
royalty, and of those oppressive 
Jaws and privileged orders that had 
proved so vexatious and intolerable 
to the merchant, the industrious 
citizen, the artist, and the labori- 
ous of al] professions, and so humi- 
liating to. reputable people that 
wanted birth or titles. The addresses 
were caused by the satisfaction and 
interest always ill dissembled, but 
often openly manifested, which the 
enemies of their country took in 
the prosperity of England and 
Austria, and by their constant en- 
deavours to depreciate the merits of 
the republican officers and soldiers, 
and to lower the glory and import- 
ance to which France had attained, 
and particularly to throw contempt 
and derision upon the high destiny 
held ont to the nation, under a 
commonwealth. They were caused 
by the censures cast upon the most 
honourable and advantageous con- 
sequences resulting from the victo- 
ries of the republican armies, and 
by the undeniable determination of 
their domestic foes to calumniate 
and ruin ‘the reputation of the re- 
publican generals, especially those 
who had, to the triumphs obtained 
through their prowess and skill, 
added the conduct of sound politi- 
cians, and derived no less honour 
from their philosophy and humanity, 
than from their military ‘atchieve- 
ments. Finally, they were caused 
by the indignation felt by all true 
citizens, peculiarly by those braye 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 179%. 
men who had shed their blood for 
the common cause, when they saw, 
that after so many toils and suffer- 
ings, the peace they had so glori- 
ously fought to obtain, and which 
the chiefs of the yanquished coali- 
tion had been reduced so earnestly 
to solicit, waseat a distance from 
the hopes they had conceived of its 
speedy conelusion. The coalesced 
powers, presuming on the dissolu- 
tion of the republican government, 
in consequence of the exhausted 
state of its finances, the death or 
removal of its best commanders, 
and the dispersion of its armies, had 
recovered from their consternation, 
and were now as tardy in negoci- 
ating, as they had been ardent at 
first. 
Such were the causes assigned, by 
the directory, for the fermentatior, 
that had taken place in the armies,’ 
and which had induced them to- 
express their fears and their resolu- 
tions. The directors concluded by 
intimating to the council, that they 
were confident of being able to 
preserve France from the ruin that 
menaced it, and to prevent the 
miseries of anew revolution. They 
would continue to act in the man- 
ner they had done, with persever- 
ance and courage, and were not - 
to be deterred through fear, or pre- 
vailed upon through influence, to 
swerve from the fidelity they owed 
to the republic. They would not, 
therefore, by consenting, inspire 
a false security, either in their fel- 
low citizens of the interior, or in 
the armies. They should consider 
themselves~guilty of treason, were 
they to conceal from either the at» 
tempts that were carried on to ef- 
fect..a counter revolution, by over- 
throwing the present government 
through treason or by force. The 
message, 
