324 
true reprefentatives ; the others 
were no longer confidered as their 
colleagues ; judgment was pafled 
upon them; they were republicans, 
Arms ‘were diftributed, poniards 
were made, many of which were 
feized along with the cards of ren- 
dezvous ; regifters of imrolment 
were opened. 
f{ecret' and‘noble fentiment of: li- 
berty ! generous offspring of honour 
and of national pride, what art thou 
become ? Oh juftice,~ morality, 
humanity! names fooften profaned, 
ye focial and public virtues, where 
have ye taken refuge? They live 
in the armies ! 
“ This intrepid’ advanced ‘guard | 
of a nation, whofe deftruction had 
been fworn by traitors, faithful to 
its. oath, rung the alarm; its cry 
was heard throughout all France ; 
it was heard in the camp of the 
enemy; it ftruck difmay to the’ 
Then they’ 
fouls of the traitors’ 
changed their plan; without being 
lefs active, they feigned an extenfive 
moderation, to diminifh the means 
of refiftance which they dreaded. 
But it was done; the revei/le was 
beat ; the government, that had’ 
been fo long deceived, now recol- 
le&ted that it alfo was the repofitory , 
of the conftitution, and guardian of 
the deftinies of the republic. Th 
the two councils ‘a majority, coura- 
geous and clear-fighted, conftantly 
in’ open combat with a faction un- 
mafked, no longer ‘defpaired of 
bringing back to their fide thofe 
faithful members*that ‘the party‘had | 
only inlifted by deceiving them. 
They perceived that the conftitu- 
tion, in not forefeeing the cafe of a 
faétion of legiflators overthrowing . 
‘it, even by furrounding themfelves'* 
with the appearance of its forms, 
left, by this very omiffion, to thofe, 
Oh country! oh’ 
. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
who were defirous to fave-it, the 
right of employing every fort of 
meafure to that purpofe, and that 
it was abfurd to pretend, that if 2 
faétious or deceived minority fhould 
decree the abrogation of the repub- 
lic, all the powers inftituted by the 
conftitution ought to fhut their 
eyes, and execute the decree. 
* Frenchmen, the event did-nof 
deceive their hopes; and this time 
again, as in the tennis-court, Pro- 
vidence, the preferver of, know- 
ledge, of the' virtues, andjof liberty, 
protected the republic! You know 
the refult of the memorable day of 
the 18th Fruétidor: the confpira- 
tors’ were arrefted; the legiflative 
body, freed from oppreflion, and 
enlightened on ‘the reiterated ma- 
neeuvres of the guilty, feeling their 
own’ dignity and their duties were 
not wanting to the one, while they. 
difcharged the other with, courage, 
They did not, and they ought not 
to place any confiderations whatfo- 
ever, in circumftances fo imperious, 
in the balance with the fafety of the 
country. and the conftitution ;, but, 
in ftriking down ‘the confpirators, 
they did not forget that they repre- 
fented a fenfible and great nation, 
and that they ought to preferye to 
if its character. Thefe men, who 
talked of humanity while they were, 
meditating affafinations;, thefe men, 
who would not have {pared the life. 
of 4 fingle republican, are going to 
lead their own lives far from us 
with remorfe and opprobrium ; they 
are tranfported. ,_ 
“ Not a drop of blood, not an 
act’ of violence -or,, diforder,. has. 
ftained this day. ‘Thus, this great, 
and wife (attitude, of Frenchmen, 
and particularly of our brothers in 
arms, on this terrible occafion, in 
completing their eylogium, attclle 
ry ‘ the 
i 
