STATE PAPERS. 



617 



io maintain, and when she violated 

 the treaty of Amiens, she counted 

 less on her strength than on the 

 success of her machinations. But 

 government was vigilant ; the steps 

 of the agents of the enemy were 

 followed by the eye of justice : the 

 people of London were no doubt 

 expecting to hear the explosion of 

 that mine which had been dug under 

 our feet. At any rate, the most 

 ominous reports were spread, and 

 they were indulging the most cri- 

 minal hopes ; on a suddin the agents 

 of the conspiracy were arrested ; 

 proofs have accumulated, and they 

 arc so strong and so evident, that 

 they carry with them convictions to 

 every mind. Georges and his band 

 of assassins had remained in the pay 

 of England ; their agents were still 

 traversing La Vendee, Morbilian, 

 the Cotes du Nord, and were en- 

 deavouring, but in vain, to find 

 partisans of whom they were de- 

 prived by the moderation of govern- 

 ment and of the laws. — Pichegru, 

 unmasked by the events which pre- 

 ceded the 18th Fructidor, year 5, 

 (Sept. 5, 1797), and unveiled, in 

 particular, by that correspondence 

 which general Moreau had addressed 

 to the directory, had carried with 

 him to England his hatred against 

 his country. In the year eight he 

 and Villot were in the train of the 

 armies of our enemies, in order to 

 unite with the brigands of the 

 south. In the year nine he con- 

 spired with the committee of Ba- 

 Tcuth, and since the peace of 

 Amiens he has still been the hope 

 and the counsellor of the enemies 

 of France. The British perfidy 

 associated Georges with Pichegru, 

 the infamous Georges, with that 

 Pichegru whom France had esteem- 

 ed, whom she wished for a long 

 time to consider as incapable of 



treachery ! In the j'ear eleven a 

 criminal reconciliation united Piche- 

 gru and Moreau, iwo men between 

 Avhom honour oi'ght to place eter- 

 nal hatred. The police seized at 

 Calais one of their agents, at the 

 moment when he Mas returning a 

 second time f/oin Ei^land. This man 

 had in his jjosse^sion documents 

 which confirmed the reality of a re- 

 conciliation at that time inexplicable, 

 had not the bonds which united 

 them been formed by criminality; 

 On the arrest of this agent, general 

 Moreau appeared for a moment to 

 be agitated. lie took some private 

 steps to ascertain whether govern- 

 ment was informed of it ; but it was 

 passed over in silence, and he him- 

 self, when he recovererl his tran- 

 quillity, concealed from eovernment 

 an event which could not but 

 awaken its vigilance. lie observed 

 silence even when Pichegru was 

 publicly admitted into the councils 

 of the British ministry, when he 

 united in a notorious manner with 

 the enemies of France. Govern- 

 ment was disposed to consider hi^ 

 silence as arising from the dread of 

 a confession, which would have 

 humbled him, as it considered his 

 retirement from public affairs, his 

 suspicious connexions, and his im- 

 prudent language, as the effect of 

 peevishness and discontent. Ge- 

 neral Moreau, who could not fail 

 of being suspected, since he main- 

 tained a secret correspondence with 

 the enemies of his country, and 

 who, in consequence of this susj)i- 

 cion, which was too well founded, 

 would at any other period have 

 been arrested, was sul|i;red to enjoy 

 in tranquillity his honours, an im- 

 mense fortune, and the kindness of 

 the republic. Events, however, 

 rapidly succeeded each other : La- 

 joUaiSj the friend and confidant of 



Pichegru, 



