VATE PAP BR s. 
charged with the office of maffacring 
the Directory, and the deputies 
faithful to the caufe of the people. 
A great number of emigrants, cut- 
throats of Lyons, and brigands of 
La Vendee, attracted hither by the 
intrigues of royalifm, and the ten- 
der intereft publicly lavifhed upon 
them without fear, attacked the 
pofts which furrounded the Exe- 
ciitive Directory; but the vigilance 
of the government, and the chiefs 
of the armed force, fruftrated their 
criminal efforts. The Executive 
Directory is about to lay before the 
nation the authentic documents 
which it has collected concerning 
the manceuvres of the royalifts. 
You will fhudder with horror, citi- 
zens, at the plots entered into againft 
the fafety of every one of you, 
againft your property, againft your 
deareft rights, againft your moft fa- 
cred poffeffions; and you may cal- 
culate the extent of the calamities 
from which in future you can alone 
be preferved by the maintenance 
of the conftitution. So many tri- 
_ umphs had already crowned the 
eftablifhment of this conftitution ; 
your Generals and your intrepid de- 
fenders, had furrounded it with 
their immortal trophies. At the 
fame of their victories, agriculture 
and commerce refumed their aéti- 
vity, public credit by degrees reco- 
vered, confidence and fecurity be- 
gan to {pring up in every heart, 
and this is the moment which has 
been pitched upon to rekindle your 
animofities, to propagate fupertti- 
tion, to reorganize the power of fa- 
naticifm, to fow doubts and. alarms 
in every breaft, by opening new 
avenues for the return of the emi- 
grants, to fhake the guarantee of 
public contraéts, to give the fignal 
of civil war, and to retard, by the 
315 
hopes with which foreign nations 
were infpired, the fo much wifhed 
conclufion of peace with our exter- 
nal foes, honourable and folid, wor- 
thy of the triumph of the French’ 
people, and of their generofity. 
No, you will not lofe the fruits of 
your long facrifices, you will rife 
indignantly againft thofe bafe emi- 
grants, the authors of our calami- 
ties, of all our agitations, of all our 
fufferings. You willarm yourfelves 
to ftop their defigns, and to defend 
againft their attacks your perfons, 
your property, and your rights.’ 
But beware of agitations:—do not 
difgrace the moft glorious of caufes 
by the exceffes of an anarchy juftly 
abhorred. Refpeét property. Let 
not an ill-directed patriotic impulfe 
throw you into a fatal confufion. 
Obey no voice but that of the 
avowed chiefs appointed by the go- 
vernment. Rely upon the vigi- 
lance of your magiftrates, and upon 
the exertions of your legiflators, 
who have remained faithful to the 
caufe of the people. Patriotifm 
will refume all its energy, the con- 
ftitution all its force, the nation all 
its glory, and every citizen will en- 
joy, in their fulleft extent, liberty, 
happinefs, and tranquillity. 
Arrét of the Executive Diredtory of the 
12+h Fentofe. 
THE Executive Directory hav- 
ing confulted the law of the 9th 
March, 1793, confidering that the 
flags of neutral powers being no 
longer refpeéted by the enemies of 
the French Republic, and all the 
rights of men being violated to 
their prejudice, it is no longer per- 
mitted to the French people to ful- 
fil towards thofe powers in general 
that with which they have fo often 
manifefted, 
