156 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



appear, that the accusation against 

 Iiim was an infamous caiiimny. 



It was said, in reply, tiiat the 

 defence of general Moreau should 

 have all the latitude, liberty, and 

 publicity of which so important a 

 cause was Susceptible. 



Deputations from the senate, the 

 legislative body, and the tribunate 

 waited accordingly on the first con- 

 sul, and, in terms of strong indig- 

 nation, deprecated the conspiracy 

 which had been revealed : attribut- 

 ed it to the instigation of England, 

 atid exhorted him to pay greater 

 attention than his natural courage 

 prompted him to do, to his personal 

 safety, which was so inseparably 

 conne6ted with that of the nation. 

 The most memorable passage in 

 those addresses is the following, 

 used by Joubert, president of tiie 

 tribunate. — 



" While we imagined, citizen 

 *' first consul, that you hadnotiiing 

 *' to dread but the dangers of le- 

 " gitimate war, the perfidy of the 

 " English government surrounded 

 *' you with new snares. Whata humi- 

 *' Hating avowal of its inability to 

 *' combat with open arms the re- 

 *' pairing genius of France."!!! 



Bonaparte replied to these ad- 

 dresses, that, " Since he had at- 

 " taincd the chief magistracy, many 

 *' plots had been formed against his 

 " life. Educated in camps, he nevei- 

 " regarded, as important, dangers 

 " which caused in him no fear. — 

 " But he could not avoid cxperienc- 

 *' ing a serious and painful feeling, 

 " when he reilcded on the situation 

 " in which that great nation would 

 " have been involved, had this last 

 *' conspiracy succeeded : for it was 

 " principally against the glory, the 

 " liberty, and tlie dosdny of the 

 " French people that it was planned. 



" lie had long since renounced the 

 " hope of enjoying the pleasures of 

 " private life. AH his days were 

 '• employed in fulfilling the duties 

 " which his fate and the will of the 

 " French people had imposed upon 

 " him. Heaven would watch over 

 " France, and defeat the strata- 

 " gems of the -ivicked. The citizens 

 " might be free from alarm — his 

 " life would continue as long as it 

 '' should be of utility to the nation. 

 " But he wished the French peo- 

 " pie to understand, that without 

 " their confidence and affefUon, 

 " existence would be to him with- 

 " out consolation, and to them 

 " without an objeCt." 



These measures were accompani- 

 ed by communications to the same 

 eifedt, issued in general orders to the 

 French armies, and were followed, 

 of course, by corresponding^ ad- 

 dresses. 



That from the sailors, composing 

 what was styled the right wing of 

 the national flotilla, concluded thus : 



" Citizen first consul, we wait 

 " with impatience for the moment 

 " when you shall proclaim the hour 

 " of vengeance.'' 



These events, together with the 

 extraordinary adtivity of tlie police, 

 created the greatest agitation and 

 alarm. 



On the ISth of F^ebruary, Piche- 

 gru was arrested in a private house 

 at Paris, having been betrayed by 

 a person with whom he had lodgeil : 

 and on the 29th a law was jiroppsed 

 and passed, in the course of a single 

 sitting, by which the punishment 

 of death was denounced against all 

 those who should conceal Georges, 

 or any of his accomplices ; and a 

 deputation was charged to commu- 

 nicate this law to Bonaparte. 



Duvidal, their organ, on the 



occa- 



