80] 
feeble and ill-supported their exer- 
tions would prove, in comparison of 
what they had. been on the first 
breaking out of the resistance to 
government. They had at that 
period introduced order and regu- 
larity among their people, and had 
exercised hostilities according to the 
rules of discipline. But those, on 
whom they now prevailed to join 
them, were no longer guided by 
the same spirit.. The generality in- 
deed -did aot seem inclined to em- 
bark.in @ cause for which they had 
so greatly suffered, and so vainly 
displayed the most surprising cou- 
rage and efforts. The majority of 
those, who now followed their for- 
tunes; were individuals long de- 
termined never to submit to the re- 
public, and to seize the first op- 
portunity of acting openly against 
it- They consisted chietly of the 
ruined noblesse, clergymen expelled 
from their livings, and other persons 
deprived of their employments, 
either for adhering, or being sus- 
pected of adherence to the royal 
cause. The mass of their followers 
was made up of deserters, peasants, 
and others of the lower classes, im- 
pelled, by the ill-treatment of the 
ruling party for their difference of 
opinion in matters of church and 
State, (to fly from their homes, and 
betake themselves to the protection 
of those who were in arms against 
government, and whose numbers 
were thus increased and constantly 
recruited by fresh accessions of the 
discontented and ill-used. 
Those who now presided over 
them were Charette and Stoflet, 
who appeared still determined to 
encounter new hazards, after hav- 
ing escaped so many dangers. The 
former of these had, in the course 
ofthe. preceding year, renonc ed 
ANNUAL) REGISTER; 1796. 
the engagements he had contracted 
with the republic, and published — 
a manifesto, wherein he publicly 
charged its agents’ with having, 
under false pretences, inveigled — 
him to lay down bis arms, and sub- 
mit to government. They had, he 
said, given him to understand, that — 
the rulers of the nation bad come — 
to a fixed resolution of restoring . 
royalty, and of replacing the fami- 
ly of Bourbon upon the throne, as 
soon as such an event could take 
place with security; but the tem- 
per of the French, they insinuated, 
was to be consulted, and a due 
concurrence of circumstances wait- — 
ed for, before an attempt of such — 
importance could be made. He 
enumerated a variety of particulars 
tending to delude him, and conclu- 
ded by accusing government of © 
having violated its faith with his — 
associates ; and, as a consummation | 
of its iniquity, of having taken off, — 
by poison, the innocent child of © 
their inurdered sovereign. It was, 
he said, in consequence of these 
perjuriecs and enormities, that he 
had come to a determination to take 
up arms again, and never to lay 
them down. till the heir to the 
crown was restored, and the Catho- 
lic religion re-established. 
Such were the contents of this 
extraordinary manifesto, which ap- 
peared so strange and unaccount- 
able to numbers, that they were led 
to doubt its authenticity. 
In the mean time, the forces, dis- 
patched by government to suppress 
this insurrection, met with various 
difficulties, from the nature of the 
warfare they were engaged in. The 
insurgents, conscious of their infe- — 
riority in the field, avoided all re- 
gular action; and, dividing them- 
selves into a multitude of small 
bodies, 
