HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



157 



occasion delivered the following 

 speech. — 



" Citizen first consul, the tri- 

 *' bunate and the legislative body 

 *' have adopted measures to cut the 

 ** last thread of the conspiracy. — 

 " Tticse measures would be in vain, 

 " if they were not prompt. Love 

 " of the country dictated to the tri- 

 " bunate the wish it has expressed 

 " for their being put in immediate 

 " execution. Every thing is at 

 " stake when you arc in danger. 

 " It is the repose, the glory, the 

 '• existence of the republic which 

 " must be saved by the preservation 

 " of its chief from criminal attacks. 

 " The French people have inti- 

 " mated to us their destinies ; you 

 " owe it to them, and we require 

 " of you to take all means for prc- 

 " serving him in whom centre their 

 ': wishes, their aft'eciions, and their 

 " hopes." 



The first consul answered, that 

 he would take the wish expressed 

 by the tribunate into early and 

 serious consideration. 



At the same time a proclamation 

 was issued from the police office, 

 notifying the law which had just 

 passed — informing the inhabitants, 

 that Georges and his associates 

 were still at Paris, from whence 

 it was impossible for them to escape, 

 the barriers and roads being guar- 

 ded with the utmost vigilance ; and 

 summoning all those who had, or 

 did conceal thim, to profit of the 

 period allowed by the law, for the 

 purpose ol averting its axe. Mas- 

 ters of furnished houses, were or- 

 dered to examine all individuals 

 lodging with them. The drivers of 

 hackney coaches were apprized, 

 that such ])erson3 were in the habit 

 of using their carriages, and a re- 

 ward vfis promised to those Tfho 



would assist the police, in securing 

 tht'm. A report was likewise jmb- 

 lished, describing the persons, to 

 the number of sixty, implicated in 

 this atiivir. 



Accordingly, on the 9th of March 

 Georges, accompanied by a person 

 of the name of Leridan, the youn- 

 ger, was arrested in a cabriolet, at- 

 tempting, as it is supposed, to es- 

 cape from Paris, in the dusk of the 

 evening. He killed, with a pistol 

 shot, the peace othcer who stopped 

 the horse, and wounded another, 

 who endeavoured to seize him. 



Several others were daily taken 

 up. Madame Moreau, the wife of 

 the general, was however suUered 

 to remain at liberty; and indeed, du- 

 ring his confinement, she experi- 

 enced, notwithstanding the jealousy 

 of the government, open marks of 

 attention and compassion, from 

 the inhabitants of haris. But this 

 lenity towards Madame Moreau, so 

 unusual on the part ot the French 

 government, was more a measure of 

 policy, than of humanity. For 

 the high military reputation of her 

 husband, his probity, moderation, 

 and disinterestedness, had rendered 

 him the idol of a great proportion 

 of the army, and had gained him 

 the esteem of all well thinking per- 

 sons in France. He was also con- 

 sidered as the natural rival of the 

 first consul, and looked up to us 

 the person most likely to deliver 

 France from his tyranny, lie had 

 long excited the jealousy of Bona- 

 parte, but prudence had checked 

 the exercise of that passion by any 

 act of violence. A pretext for his 

 arrestatioii was consequently an ob- 

 ject of the greatest magnitude to 

 the first consul, flowcvcr, it was still 

 judged expedient fo proceed against 

 him with caution, lest any apparent 



harshness 



