Su 
We fhould have preferred death. 
But the safety of the State re- 
quired that we fhould inform 
you of these facts, that you may 
put.aterm to the misfortunes 
with which all France is threa- 
‘tened. 
«« They wanted to punifh us 
for a motion made in the Af 
sembly, for supprefsing the sa- 
laries of the priests. ; 
“ The Agrarian law was 
proclaimed.—They cried out 
that the leases of the farms 
fhould be reduced to half their 
present price: that the farms 
thould be divided: that the 
time of masters was past: and 
that now the labourers fhould 
have their turn. 
“ They announced thatthe 
train would spread to, Paris, 
where they fhould treat as they 
‘deserved, that Convention who 
are the enemies of the people ; 
who destroy the priests, and 
who with to enrich themselves 
alone,”’ d°c. et ah 
Such was in substance the 
report of [Lecointre, part of 
which was made in the presence 
of his colleagues. 
Petion mounted the tribune. 
“ Citizens, said he, the enemies 
of the country are leading us 
on to anarchy, and from 
anarchy, to despotism there 
is but a step. We have 
nothing more to fear from our 
external enemies, and we /are 
tearing ourselves to pieces with 
our own hands! Can it be de- 
nied that this is the work ofthe 
historical chroniclee. 
agitators?—Corn is dear in the 
south, and all is quiet.—Near 
Paris it is cheap and all is con- 
fusion ! 
“© you, who incefsantly de- 
grade the Convention, and the 
constitrted authorities, say, 
what is your wifh ?—we have 
overthrown royalty. You wifh 
to be free ; but is it by the prin- 
ciples of reason, or those of 
barbarity, that you think to be 
So; 9? ; 
Petion concluded by. mov- 
ing, that a sufficient force be 
employed to reprefs the insur- 
rections by their presence, 
and to spare the effusion of 
blood. 
Danton moved for an ad- 
drefs to the people to quiet 
their minds, relatively to the ~ 
public worfhip, “The people, 
said he, have need of this con- 
solation of hope. The idea 
of another life is necefsary to. 
compensate them for the mis- 
fortunes and injustice they suf- 
fer in this. 
“ Let our deliberations, ad- 
ded he, have a more rapid 
course. Let us dispatch the 
trial of the king; we must 
deprive royalty of its last 
hope.” 
The Convention annulled the 
price of corn, as subscribed to 
by the commifsoners, and dis- 
approved their signature. 
The executive council was 
charged to send, without de- 
lay, to Chartres, sufficient armed 
force to re-establith order. 
