636 
History. 
—_—— 
Tumults in 
Parm. 
Executive 
Directory 
established. 
Members 
of it, 
Peace with 
Prussia, 
A. D. 1795. 
It is now time to look to Paris, at once the scene of 
constant intrigue, and the mutual massacre of parties, 
and the source whence all the victories of the arm 
flowed. The Jacobins, though defeated, were not  di- 
spirited or inactive: they formed a most dreadful plot 
to regain their power ; and this plot, as usaal,-was to 
be carried into execution in Paris, for whoever ruled 
Paris ruled the kingdom; and in the most profligate 
districts of Paris, for hitherto whoever ruled there, ru- 
led the capital. The hall of the Convention was sur- 
rounded, on the 20th of May 1795, by. immense num- 
bers of abandoned and desperate women, who demand- 
ed bread, and the constitution of 1793; and the mem- 
bers were compelled to retire, till General, Hoche with 
the military, dispersed the insurgents, The Jacobins, 
however, returned to the charge in the evening; and by 
pointing some pieces of cannon against the hail of the 
Convention, intimidated the members into a promise 
that bread should be supplied, and the constitution of 
1798 restored. The troops again came’to the relief of 
the Convention ; and, by attacking the suburb of St 
Antoine, the t focus of rebellion, they succeeded in 
reducing the msurgents, and in restoring the authority 
of the Convention. Inthe south of France, where the 
Jacobins also endeavoured to regain their power, they 
were not more fortunate ; so that the Convention might 
have established themselves firmly, had they been ne 4 
sessed of that commanding talent and energy, which 
the state of France, both at home and abroad,’ at that 
time, imperiously demanded, But they were deficient 
in these respects; and their deficiency they were anxious 
to compensate, by the establishment of a new constitu- 
tion. The plan of this constitution was laid before the 
Convention, by the committee appointed to frame it, on 
the 25d of June. According to it, the legislature was 
to be composed of two assemblies; and the executive 
upc was to be entrusted to five persons, who were to 
called the Executive Directory. This plan was not 
received with much approbation at Paris; and an espe- 
cial provision made by the Convention, that at the ap- 
proaching election, the electors should be bound to re- 
turn two-thirds of the present members, or, if they did 
not, that the Convention themselves might fill up the 
vacancies, gave very great dissatisfaction. In this emer- 
gency, the Convention endeavoured to strengthen them- 
selves against the citizens of Paris, by an union with- 
the Jacobins ; and by this union, and the assistance of 
the troops in Paris, which were placed under the com- 
mand of Barras, Brune, and Bonaparte, the refractory 
citizens were compelled to submit to the Convention ; 
but the consequence was, that the Jacobins regained 
their ascendency. 
On the 27th of October, the Convention was dissol- 
ved, and the new legislature began to act. Their first 
measure was the election of the Executive Directory. 
Sieyes, Barras, Reubell, La Reveillere Lepaux, and Le- 
tourneur de La Manche were chosen. Sieyes, however, 
declining the honour, Carnot was appointed in his 
lace. All the members of the Directory except La 
eveillere Lepaux, had been connected with the Moun- 
tain party. 
At the commencement of the campaign of 1794, the 
King of Prussia had received a subsidy from Britain, 
on condition that he brought into the field an army of 
60,000 men ; but as this army never arrived, it was 
suspected that he was about to make peace with France. 
This suspicion was confirmed ; for on the 20th of April, 
1795, a treaty of peace with him was ratified by the 
Convention. Shortly afterwards, the Kings of Sweden 
FRANCE. 
__ of tlfe campaign of 1794, and before the conquest of Hol- 
and Spelt, and the cantons’ of Switzerland, also con- History. 
cluded a peace with France ;-and towards the end of 
August, several of the German princes followed their 
example. The rest were on the point of acting in the 
same manner, when victory began to desert the French 
standard. 4 , : 
this reverse, however, the military successes 
of the French had been very great. .We have already - 
mentioned, that, after the reduction of Nimeguen, their 
army halted in its career of victory. It \is le 
that they would not have invaded the province of Hol- 
land at this season of the year, (the winter of 1794-1795) ° 
had not the frost, setting in with uncommon severity, 
o oft for. ag Ba a 9s over the ice of 
very rivers and lakes, which it was hoped would 
have served as a secure protection, The allies in vain 
tempting to o their progress, they took ssi 
of hrneatoen ethene 
, without resistance, on the 16th of Ja- 
nuary 1795. They were well received fn dle, 
and increased their influence and popularity by the 
abolition of the Stadtholdership, 
Soon after this conquest, the Diet of Ratisbon seemed 
Holland 
subdued. 
isposed for peace. e allies, instead of overrunning 
and dividin arrardy as they had planned and 
ed, beheld the republic increased by an additi po- 
pulation of nearly 14 millions; while in the course even 
land, the French had taken 2000 pieces of cannon, and 
60,000 prisoners. The wish of the Diet, however, notwith- 
standing these wonderful successes of the French; and 
the probability that they would continue, was not, met 
either by Britain a ae The former was still sue- 
cessful by sea; and hoped, by nourishing and sw 
i sist palin ‘in La Vendée, to. ish that 
which the allied army had failed in effecting ; but, the 
most disastrous expedition to Quiberon extinguished 
her hopes in that quarter. wen 
Austria directed her efforts with more wisdom. . By 
the middle of June, the French were in possession of 
the whole left bank of the Rhine, except Mentz. In 
August, Jourdan crossed this river, in order to besiege 
Mentz ; while Pich succeeded in gaining posses- 
sion of Manheim. The Austrians having been driven 
batk, the siege of Mentz was begun ; but Jourdan was 
‘ 
5 
. 
h 
wc Bete 
_ 
soon obliged to give it up, in uence of a defeat 
which Pichegru experienced from Wurmser, 
It was now n for both the French armies to re- 
cross the river; and after had effected this, and - 
the Austrians had recovered eim, an armistice for 
three months was too. and 
In the mean time, the Directory and ‘the Jacobins 
were continually at variance, and, as usual, each endea- 
voured to enlist the citizens of Paris in their favour. 
The more respectable classes were decidedly inclined 
oe ee ee 
to su’ the di 3 but the mob, and the Legion 
of Pati, lvahaywrere called, isting of 10,000 men, 
were as zealous for the Jacobins. . ing on these, 
the latter attempted to carry into execution a plot, ac- 
cording to which, the members of the Directory were 
to be murdered, and a new directory and legislature 
appointed from among the most, violent. of their own 
party; but the plot was discovered, Py ea 
agents in it arrested. On. the 9th of June, this year, 
e Dauphin died in the pg aa pr fd soon Death of — 
afterwards delivered up.to the Emperor of Germany, the Dau- : 
in exchange for the commissioners, — Dumourier Phin- 
had sent prisoners to the Austrians, and for two French- 
men, who had been seized on their way to Turkey. _ ‘ 
As the campaign of 1795 had terminated unsuccess« i 
ee ee 
