42] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



conduct, the zeal of a soldier of 

 liberty, and of a citizen devoted to 

 the republic. The ideas of preser- 

 vation, protection, and freedom, 

 immediately resumed their places 

 on the dispersion of the faction, who 

 wished to oppress the councils, and 

 wlio,in making themselves the most 

 odious of men, never ceased to be 

 the most contemptible." The three 

 consuls met together, on the next 

 day, for transacting public business, 

 in the palace of the Luxembourg. 

 Some changes were made in the ad- 

 ministration; and the new ministers 

 were generally approved, with the 

 exception of Fouche, minister of 

 police, formerly a great terrorist, 

 as unexceptionable characters, in 

 respect of both talents and morals. 

 — On the twelfth, a short procla- 

 mation was publislied by the con- 

 suls to the French, stating that the 

 patriots had made themselves to be 

 heard ; that every thing that could 

 injure them had been removed, and 

 that every thing that remained pure 

 in the national representation, was 

 now united under the banners of 

 liberty .Still,amidst so many changes 

 and violations of oaths, we hear of 

 new vows I " Take with us," said 

 the consulsin conclusion, "the oath 

 which we have made, to be faith- 

 ful to the republic, one and indi- 

 visible, founded on equality, liberty, 

 andtherepresentativesystem." The 

 fertility of French genius was not 

 able to substitute any thing in the 

 room of an oath, though it favoured 

 so much of the al tar ! Honour again 

 would have recalled the great 

 principle of the monarchy On 

 the thirteenth of November, a let- 

 ter was sent from the minister for 

 foreign affairs, Rcinhard, to the fo- 

 reign ministers, informing them that 

 the consuls of the French republic 

 had taken into their hands the reins 



of government, with orders to no- 

 tify the same intelligence to the go- 

 vernments at which they resided. 

 The ]ioIitical relations of France 

 with other nations, and the diplo- 

 matic relations of its government 

 with other governments were tore- 

 main the same, only that the public 

 force would derive new energy from 

 the public unanimity. Other pro- 

 clamations were published, to the 

 same effect with these now noticed; 

 and various defences of the revolu- 

 tion of St. Cloud, and the provi- 

 sional gov(n-nment appeared, from 

 time to time, in newspapers and 

 pamphlets. Nor did Buonaparte, 

 on his accession to the govern- 

 ment, forget to write a letter to his 

 army in Egypt. In this letter 

 he says, " the consuls of the re- 

 public have frequently their minds 

 taken up with what regards the 

 army of Egypt; the eyes of all Eu- 

 rope are fixed on you ; I myself am 

 frequently, in thought, among you. 

 Whatever may be the situation in 

 which the chances of war may throw 

 you, shew yourselves always the 

 soldiers of Rivoli and of Aboukir, 

 and you will be invincible. Re- 

 pose in Kleber that unlimited con- 

 fidence, which you were wont to 

 place in me, it is only what he de- 

 serves." Two deputies, one from 

 the commission of elders, and ano- 

 ther from that of five hundred, were 

 sent with pacific overtures to the 

 western departments, with a very 

 agreeable pledge of mildness on the 

 part of government, presently to 

 be stated. It has already been 

 mentioned, that Buonaparte had 

 been joined by general Augei'eau, 

 a violent and outrageous jacobin. 

 As an instance of the conciliation, 

 yet prudence, with which Buona- 

 parte conducted himself, it may not 

 be improper to notice the manner 



