, st M 
ose 
historical chronicle. iii 
“grefs of men with unlimited power in their hands, by a sct of words imply- 
‘ing authority where no power of enforcing obedience was given. This 
“constitution was received with universal applause ; because it set bounds to 
the ambition of no one, and was declared by the unanimous afsertions of a 
whole people to be eternal. The national ajsembly by that deed, was vo- 
luntarily difsolved, because the leading men in it had no doubt of becoming 
such in the convention, that was instantly to be called. Here again, intheir 
and the very first act. of this convention was 
ution, which a few months betore they hac 
“turn, they were disappointed ; 
to annihilate that eterzial constit 
sworn to preserve. 
Hitherto Lrserty had been the only boon that was sought by the peo- 
ple; but now the new word equality was added to it: a wood of mystexi- 
‘ous import, which startled a few weak minds at first; and therefore it was 
explained away, till the time fhould come when it might be adopted in 
the most unequivocal sense of the word. The king was at first deposed, > 
then imprisoned,—then tried as a culprit, and brought to the block.—Milli- 
ons now saw that they had let loose a torrent which threatened to sweep 
away every thing they deemed valuable in society; but where was the 
‘power to stopit? If a murmur was heard, the strong arm of power instantly 
crufhed the pretended culprit: .An attempt was at last made by those who 
had long been the most-active agents of what they called reform, to stem 
the torrent which they themselves had contributed to render all powerful. 
They found it irresistible ; and they were sweeped away before it, as the o- 
‘thers in succefsion had been. 
The natural consequence of anarchy, a pure despotism, is now fully es- 
tablithed in France. A second constitution was offered and rejected. A third 
has been substituted and received in its place. By that constitution the na- 
tional convention fliould have been annihilated; but, under the pretext that 
the nation is in a state of danger, it has, like Oliver’s parliament been conti-~ 
‘hued, in order to screen despotism from appearing to open view. Indeed 
“there is but one party in that convention at present; and that party is of 
course armed with the most absolute power, which is exercised with a rigi- 
dity of despotic authority of which no paraliel can be produced in the an- 
nals of Europe. Emifsaries are sent out to every quarter with full autho- 
rity to imprison or put to death every one they suspect of incivism, and to 
confiscate their property. They have absolute power to summon every indi- 
vidual to take the ficld when they please, The sytem of equality, so long 
4 
disavowed, is now establified by the Jaw itself, which declares that money 
“qhust be taken from the rich to support the poor: that bakers must sell bread 
‘at a certain limited price avowedly bclow prime cost, taking their chance of 
Gndemnification from the state ; and lastly. that farmers must not take be- 
yond a limited very low price for their corn, whatever it'may have cost 
oF 
‘ 
