80] 
sals made to him by. the prince of 
Condé, and engaging to support 
the royal cause. If the plans. he 
offered to undertake were not at- 
tempted, it was merely because. 
Condé refused to join in their exe- 
cution. But these plans, the di- 
rectory, added, would never have 
succeeded. Pichegru’s army, like 
that of Dumourier’s, would have 
refused to obey. the orders of a 
traitor. In the mean while, conti+ 
nued the directory, Pichegru be- 
eame the favourite of the royal par- 
ty. On the late election, of a 
new third, he was chosen a mem-. 
ber, and was the first who had the 
honour of being president of, the 
eounci! of five hundred, on? the 
opening of its sessions. Royalism 
had already been niaking a silent 
progress in the councils, when, 
through the indiscreet warmth of 
one of its adherents, it was detected. 
This. happened in the month of 
Fructidor, of the fourth year (Sep- 
tember 1796), 
orator, of that party, pointed out 
the overthrow of the constitution of 
1791, as an object of deserved re- 
gret, and the 10th of August, 1792, 
as a day to belamented. This man 
had since been discovered to be an 
agent of the royal faction. These 
manifestations of the designs of his 
party opened immediately the eyes 
“of thé faithfal republicans, and they 
resolutely opposed it, until the first 
of last Prairial (twentieth of May, 
1797), when the adjournment of 
the legislative body took place, on 
account. of the election of a new 
third. Then it was that royalism 
exerted all its powers. It establish- 
ed agents and emissaries every- 
where. It: organized their ‘con- 
nections, their subordination, and 
their correspondence. It laboured 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 179%. 
Lemerer, a noted. 
‘ ment of those objects. for which it | 
to introduce a counter-reyolutions — 
ary spirit, in every department, 
thereby to influence the elections 
in favour of its adherents, and to 
prepare astrength for their support. 
Such was the confidence of the 
royalists, sincelast Pluviose (Janua- 
ry 1797), that on the discovery of 
the conspiracy of Dunan, Villehar- 
nois, and Brottier; its audacity bad 
encreased, in proportion as their de~¢ | 
signs became more manifest. Never 
did any conspirators, so fully con- 
victed by their own writings ‘and 
confessions, find more apologists, 
supporters and protectors, who did 
not hesitate to evince the lively in- 
terest which they .took in their 
cause. By the numbers, that con 
stituted the opposition in the coun- 
cils, it was clear, thatin the plurality 
of the departments, the elections for 
the new third were the work of this 
party. The sentiments and con- 
duct of these new deputies, fully 
shewed it; and the declarations of 
Dunan confirmed all that had been 
said of the intrigues and machis 
nations of the royalists, throughout 
every part of the republic. The 
directory next enumerated the vari- 
ous complaints that had filled the 
addresses to them from the armies, | 
and their own messages to the couns 
cils. Lhey concluded by exhorting 
the nation to confide in -its rulers, 
and rely upon their patriotism and 
their abilities, for the accomplish- 
had toiled so long, and made so 
many sacrifices. ‘ ; 
Such were nearly the expressions, 
as well as the substance of ‘the di-_ 
rectorial addresses to the metropolis 
and the departments. As the ma+ 
jority was decidedly favourable to - 
the republican party, the conduct. 
of the directory met with general 
applause, 
