HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



[23 



made and adopted for an address 

 to the French people, infornung 

 them of the translation of the coun- 

 cils to St. Cloud. A motion was 

 also made for sending a message, 

 with intelligence of the councils 

 being constituted, to the directory. 

 On this, it was observed by Dar- 

 racque, " that it would be very pro- 

 per to send such a message, as was 

 proposed, to the directory, provided 

 they knew where to find them ; 

 for his part he did not know, if a 

 directory existed : whither was the 

 message to be directed ? It was ridi- 

 culous to propose the sending of a 

 message to the directory in the j)rc- 

 sent circumstances." The motion, 

 however, was agreed to. " Ber- 

 tram! de Calvados considered it as 

 a happy thing, that the members 

 had renewed their oath of allegiance 

 to the constitution ; and pro))osed 

 that mention should be made of it 

 in the address that had been voted 

 to the French people, to whom it 

 would be an assurance and pledge 

 of the maintenance of the consti- 

 tution, and the existence of the na- 

 tional representation." A conversa- 

 tion respecting tlie manner in which 

 this notice should be worded, was 

 interrupted by a letter of resignation 

 from Barras. " The glory," he said, 

 " which accompanied the return of 

 tliat illustrious warrior, to whom he 

 had had the honour of opening the 

 career to glory, the striking marks 

 of confidence reposed in him by the 

 legislative body, and the decree of 

 the national representation convin- 

 ced him, that, to whatever post the 

 public welfare might in future call 



him, the perils of liberty were sur- 

 mounted, and the interests of the 

 army secured. He expressed his joy 

 at returning to the rank of a private 

 citizen : happy, after so many tem- 

 pests, in remitting the destinies of 

 the republic, of which he had been 

 one of the depositaries, entire, and 

 more respectable than ever."* 



The council were engaged, as a 

 matter of course, in a conversation 

 about the election of a successor to 

 Barras, when the door of the hall 

 opened, and Buonaparte advanced, 

 uncovered followed by four gi-ena- 

 diers of the guard belonging to the 

 national representation, without 

 arms.AnumberofothersoklierSjWith 

 some general officers,remained at the 

 door. The whole assembly was in- 

 stantly in an uproar : " Who is that .•' 

 Who is that? Sabres here.'* Armed 

 men .'' Outlaw ! Outlaw ! Down with 

 the dictator !" A great number of 

 members darted from their seats into 

 the middle of the hall, and,seizingthe 

 general by the collar, began to shake 

 him, and push him toward the door. 

 A dagger aimed at his breast by 

 Arena, a Corsican, or, as others 

 affirm, by some one else, was par- 

 ried by one of the grenadiers, called 

 Thome, who accompanied him, and 

 who was slightly wounded by it in 

 the arm. On this, general Lefe- 

 bre at the head of a party of gre- 

 nadiers, rushed into the hall, with 

 the cry of " live the general," and 

 carried him out. The assembly re- 

 mained for along time in the greatest 

 agitation. Some officers and soldiers 

 who remained in the hall were bit- 

 terly reproached by several mem- 



* Barras retired peaceaMy to tlie country, escorted by a detachment of cavalry, 

 which tlie sjoneral sent liim, for his personal protection. It is not to be doubted 

 tliat Buonaparte, as he declared to IJottot, had, at bottom, a kindness for Barras, 

 although in the impetuosity of passion, and on a most critical occasion, he was hur- 

 ried ou to mention Lib name, in the manner wc have seen in the couocU of ciders. 



