HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
message, Containing these resolute 
sentiments, was delivered to the 
council of five hundred on theninth 
of August. 
This answer of the directory 
evidently contained matter suffici- 
ent to:alarm the councils. It was, 
in fact, a denunciation of defiance 
to the opposition, and all its adhe- 
rents, and plainly shewed that the 
directory and the armies acted in 
concert, and that these were deter- 
mined to be governed by the execu- 
tive power, the principles of which, 
were in unison with their own. Un- 
intimidated, however, by this for- 
midable union, the council, after 
examination of the directorial mes- 
sage, ordered it to be printed, and 
sent to the council of ancients, and 
referred it, at the same time, to the 
inspection of a committee of their 
_ gown members. 
Those that were appointed to 
this task, were the men of the 
greatest abilities in the opposition. 
Thibaudeau, the principal of them, 
was a man of equal capacity and 
spirit, both which he had already 
displayed on some very critical oc- 
-easions. As the report they were to 
make to the council would necessa- 
rily be of a very decisive nature, 
and bring matters to a very serious 
issue, between the legislative and 
executive powers, they employed 
the intervai between the nipth and 
twentysfirst of August, to consider 
of a proper reply to the various 
allegations urged with so much po- 
sitiveness, in the message from the 
directory. 
On this day, a formal report 
was made to the councj}, in the 
name of the committee, by Thi- 
-bandeau, After adverting to the 
situation of tranquillity and confi- 
dence they had of laje so generally 
[71 
prevailed, “what evil genius, (he 
said, ) has re-animated our passions, 
rekindled our animosities, created 
divisions between the different 
branches of government, and plant- 
ed terror in the breasts of all good 
citizens?” An unexpected change 
injthe ministry, and the march of the 
troops, had, he observed, fixed the 
attention of the legislative body, and 
well merited its solicitude: in ex- 
pressing its regret for the dismissal 
of ministry, and its alarms at the 
march of the troops, it did not con- 
test the right of the directory to 
change its ministers, nor to dispose 
of the armed force; but the legisla- 
tive body had certainly the right of 
demanding information respecting 
the violation of the constitutional . 
limits. On the directory’s reply- 
ing, that it was to be attributed to 
an error in the marching orders, 
the committee to which this reply 
was referred, did not endeavour to 
prove the transgression, so much 
as to prevent its repetition. 
A more importantobject, he said, 
was the addresses from the army of 
Italy. What would became of the 
republic, he observed, were those 
who had received arms only for its 
defence, to interfere in civil discus- 
sions ? Those addresses were mark { 
ed by an ardent zeal for liberty; 
but they also held forth absurd 
claims, extravagant opinions, and 
criminal projects, suggested by face 
tious men, who had conceived the 
design of delivering, to the enemy, 
the conquests acquired by the va- 
Jour of the republican troops, and. 
of leading these back to their coun- 
try, under the standard of rebel 
lion, ‘One of these addresses had 
the audacity to assert, that the sys- 
tem of royalism had been adopted 
by the legislature, How came it 
[FP 4] that 
