HISTORY OF EUROPE. [31 



the object of our generosity to being 

 the victims of our justice. Yet 

 they, men vile as they, mistate 

 generosity for weakness, and now 

 we must cease to be generous. 



" They speak incessantly of the 

 people and for the people. Yes, 

 then, if such is the appeal, I address 

 myself to the people, spi-cad over 

 the immense track of the republic. 

 Let them gather round in majestic 

 presence — let them hear and judge. 



" Since the constitution was first 

 established, demagogues have never 

 ceased to conspire against it, in order 

 to substitute their code of the year 

 3. For four months past they have 

 thought that the moment of blood- 

 shed was at hand ; they conspired 

 night and day, and doubtless, in 

 favour of the people ! for they 

 wished to restore the inestimable 

 blessings of the maximum of famine, 

 of revolutionary tribunals, and so 

 many other laws which they called 

 tlie common good. For a moment 

 the country was exposed to foreign 

 enemies, and, as if they had waited 

 that signal, they darted like a vul- 

 ture on its carcase ! 'J'hey thought 

 their projects realized. 



Did these senators, now so full 

 of respect, so full of love, so full of 

 zeal for the constitution, .shew in 

 those critical days the same senti- 

 ments? Did they then talk of 

 rallying round the constitution, 

 when the band of assassins, collected 

 by their order round oiu- halls, pre- 

 pared the prelude of our miu-der, 

 by overwhelming us with insults? 

 — 'J'lic fierce inirclcnting yells of 

 ihaxT friends and /jrol hers cried for 

 our blood, and when with one 

 hand they prescn((;d to us the 

 deadly poniard, with the other was 

 oHered the leaden sceptre : 'I'hey, 

 these men who now talk for the 



constitution, observed — listened— 

 prompted — those savage murderers 

 in the shape of men ; those frightful 

 furies in the shape of women, 

 smiled complacently to their smiles. 

 The constitutionalists of to-day 

 paraded their ranks calm and un- 

 disturbed, or rather with the tri- 

 umphant air of the conqueror who 

 enjoys the shouts of public festivity 

 and mirth. They shewed the 

 badges of their dignity to those 

 infernal groupes, and they were 

 hailed by the title of faithful repre- 

 sentatives. Yes, they were faith- 

 ful to murder and confiscation; 

 and now they talk of principles, 

 but they have forfeited all title to 

 such an appeal, they are condemned 

 to silence and to execration. The 

 moment of indulgence and of weak- 

 ness is past, and men of worth have 

 felt that even civil war would be 

 less disastrous than the infamy of 

 their yoke. 



" But you, fathers of your coun- 

 try, you who are desirous of giving 

 to France happiness and peace, you 

 are at length separated from those 

 wicked men who must be no less 

 terrified at the smallness of their 

 own number, than at the multitude 

 of their crimes. Their odious gang 

 is exhibited to public observation, 

 to the animadversion of the army, 

 to the horror of mankind, to uni- 

 versal infamy. 



" The eyes of France, of the 

 armies of Europe, of the world, are 

 upon us. If we sliould shew our- 

 selves fcelde to-day, we are the 

 basest of the human race. F(n- my 

 own part, I should have blushed any 

 longer to have worn the toga, when, 

 in this assembly, the clamours and 

 the daggers of a few factious indi- 

 viduals, silenced the voice of thirty 

 millions of men. I should blush to 



