306 
without hefitation accufe them. 
But anattack on the legiflative bo- 
dy! who would make it? A few 
brigands? The recollection of their 
patt defeats will ferve them as a lef- 
fon. The foldiers? Never will 
they be feen marching under the 
colours of affafiins. The Direétory? 
Such an idea cannot occupy our at- 
tention for a moment; its own in- 
tereft is in oppofition to it. 
To conclude —you will find in ~ 
your own courage and your own 
prudenee extraordinary refources. 
{Here Thibaudeau implored all 
the members of the government to 
act in union and concord. He in- 
vited the reprefentatives and direc- 
tors to be upon their guard again 
the exaggerations of parties, who 
fought only to heighten their ani- 
mofities, that they might be hurried 
to acataftrophe which would de- 
firoy them all.] 
In examining, he added, this 
meflage of the Directory, its exag- 
gerations, and the bitternefs of its 
ftyle, we have avoided giving new 
aliment to the factions. Legiflators 
ought not to be guided by paffion. 
Jn vain cur common enemies medi- 
tate the ruin of the republic. The 
republic is deeply rooted; it has 
ripened in the midft of {torms, and 
it belongs not alone to the prefent 
generation. The new dangers 
which threaten it ferve only to dif- 
play once more its ftrength. Each 
power fhallreturn to its proper li- 
mits; and if fome men have wifhed 
to overftep them, they fhall be re- 
called, and confined to their proper 
ftation. 
Citizen foldiers, you whom we 
muft cenfure to-day, but whom we 
muft always admire, believe that 
liberty is here defended by your 
friends. The legiflature is the ci- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1799; 
tadel of the conftitulion; it is your 
duty to die for it, and you are about 
to befiege it. Let its voice be al- 
ways heard among you; and when 
you return to your fire-fides, you 
will find it cemented by your 
blood, and covered with your tri- 
umphs. 
Thibaudeau concluded by pre- 
fenting the plan of two refolus 
tions. 
The firft declared, that all con- 
{piracies or crimes againft the con- 
flitution, the legiflalive body, and 
the Directory, came under the ju- 
rifdi@ion of the criminal tribunal 
of the place where the legiflature 
fits; that all perfons accufed fhould 
be denounced at the office of the 
public accufer; but that they fhould 
have the power of appealing from 
that tribunal, and in this cafe they 
fhould be carried before a court 
pointed out by the tribunal of caf- 
fation. 
The fecond declared every af- 
fembly of foldiers, for the purpofe 
of deliberating in other. circum- 
{tances than thofe determined by 
the law, a crime; that any commu- 
nication under the title of addreffes 
from one armed body to another, 
or to the civil authority, fhould be 
punifhed as a feditious aé&t; andde- 
termined the punifhments to be in- 
flicted upon the promoters of fuch 
affemblies, and the fubfcribers of 
addreffes, according to the nature of 
the cafe. 
Meffage of the Executive Directory to the 
Council of Five Hundred, Auguft 20th, | 
1797. 
Citizen Reprefentatives, 
THE Executive Diréétory has 
proceeded to the diftribution of the 
tunds affigned for the fervice of the 
firtt 
