8] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



strengthening their own hands by- 

 some new change, than of com- 

 posing the people, and saving the 

 country, by the exercise of any 

 powers or principles inherent in 

 the actual constitution. 



The abLG Sieyes had early fore- 

 seen, or app^hended the discord- 

 ant and iluctuOTing nature of the 

 various forms of government that 

 had been adopted since the over- 

 throw of the monarcliy. He had 

 attempted, in vain, the intro- 

 duction of a constitution, which, 

 though still retaining the name, 

 and in some degree the form of a 

 republic, should be consolidated 

 and stayed by one chief magis- 

 trate, and a constitutional jury, or 

 conservative senate ; and, in the 

 vai'ious changes that took place, 

 from time to time, he was a friend, 

 as we have seen, to an increase of 

 power in the hands of the execu- 

 tive government. The great ene- 

 mies that abbe Sieyes, who had 

 gained an ascendancy in the pub- 

 lic councils, had to contend with, 

 was, of course, the democratical 

 party. To overthrow the princi- 

 ples and plans of this party, by an 

 opposite system, in which his own 

 project of a single chief, and a 

 constitutional jur}', should be 

 adopted, was the leading principle 

 in his conduct, and the great ob- 

 ject of his incessant contrivance. 



It has been said, that he im- 

 parted his design of establishing a 

 stronger government, by a fresh 

 revolution, to general Joubert, 

 whom he wished to associate with 

 himself in this project, and whose 

 unsullied character, blooming vir- 

 tues and talents, rnd popularity 

 rendered a very desirable associate 

 in such an enterprise. Joubert, 

 unwilling to become the instru- 

 ment of political intrigue, accepted 



the command of the army of Italy. 

 The abbe, it was generally sup- 

 posed, was encouraged and forti- 

 iied in his designs, by the counte- 

 nance and good wishes of the 

 court of Berlin, where lie had re- 

 sided a considerable time, and 

 which was equally jealous of de- 

 mocratical doctrines, and all con- 

 nection with governments founded 

 on such principles. 



The parties which divided and 

 agitated France, at this time, were 

 reduced to two classes: tlie one con- 

 sisting of the jacobins or fierce re- 

 publicans, who made but little ac- 

 count of either the property or 

 lives of their countrymen, when- 

 ever they judged that a sacrifice of 

 these might be rendered subser- 

 vient to the interests of their own 

 faction : the other comprehending 

 all who had taken a share in the 

 revolution without participating in 

 its principal enormities, and who 

 arranged themselves around Sieyes 

 and the council of ciders, in the 

 hope and expectation of some ap- 

 proaching change. — Though this 

 man had voted for ^le death of the 

 king, and that_ in a very unfeeling 

 and inhuman manner,* he affected 

 great regard for the constitu- 

 tionalists of 1791> who had for- 

 merly been the objects of his aver- 

 sion. He gained over the leading 

 men in the council of five hundred, 

 and established his interest still 

 more firmly in that of the elders. 

 The extension of his plan, however, 

 was still retarded by various ob- 

 stacles, when the eyes, the thoughts, 

 and the hopes of all men were sud- 

 denly turned on Buonaparte. 



No less than three days elapsed, 

 after the unexpected return of this 

 celebrated commander and politi-. 



• La mort sans phrase. 



