FRA 
the new legifiators ele£led by the people. Barras was the 
moft obnoxious of the director's; and an attempt was 
made to deprive him of his office, upon the footing that 
he was lefs than forty years of age. Had not force been 
fpeedily ufed on the fide of the directory, the councils 
muft naturally have prevailed. The majority of the peo¬ 
ple confided in them. The national pnrfe was in their 
hands; and they hoped to fubdue the diredtory, as the 
conftituent affembly had done the king, by avoiding to 
vote the neceftary fupplies. They could enadl what laws 
they pleafed. They had not indeed the command of the 
armies ; but to remedy their weaknefs in this refpect, 
Pichegru, on the 20H1 of July, prefented a plan for re-or- 
ganifing the national guard, and placing it more at the 
difpofal of the councils, by depriving the diredtory of 
the nomination of the officers. 
In the mean time the diredtory was by no means defi¬ 
cient in providing for its fecurity. At length the parti- 
zans of the two contending powers began to diftinguifli 
themfelves in Paris by their drefs, and every thing pre- 
faged an approaching convulfion. On the 20th of July 
the councils received intelligence that a divifion of the 
army of general Hoche had advanced within a few leagues 
of Paris; whereas, by the conftitution, the diredtory in¬ 
curred the penalty of ten years imprifonment if it nutho- 
rifed troops to approach nearer to the refidence of the le- 
gi fiative body than twelve leagues, without its own con lent. 
An explanation of this event was immediately demanded. 
The diredtory denied that they had ordered the march, 
and aferibeJ it to a miftake of the officer by whom it was 
condtidted. Their explanation was treated with con¬ 
tempt, and much angry debate took place in the councils 
concerning it; the diredtory all the while condudting 
themfelves with much feeming moderation, and even fub- 
miffivenefs. Vet in a few days the council were rendered 
ftill more fenfible of their danger, by an authenticated 
report that Hoche wa-s at Rheims with twenfy-feven 
thoufand men, and that it was their intention to march to 
Paris to annihilate the legifiative body, which was inimi¬ 
cal to peace, and wilhed to oeflroy the government. Inti¬ 
mations were given of an intention to move for an im¬ 
peachment of fome of the directors ; but it was apparent 
that timidity, hefitation, variety of views, and want of 
mutual confidence, would prevent the adoption of the 
only mode of conduct which could, in the prefent ftate of 
affairs, tend to the advantage of the oppofition. 
On the feftival of the 10th of Auguff, the council of 
five hundred declared their fentiments, and refuted tire 
calumnies advanced againft them. The prefident f.fid, 
they were animated only by the defire of peace; and it 
was decreed that the armed citizens who, on the 10th of 
Auguft 1792, vanquilhed royalty, had deferved well of 
the country. A meffage was received the fame day from 
the directory, charging the march of the troops to Ferte- 
Alais entirely on Hoche, denying the diffribution of arms, 
and excufing the addreffes of the army of Italy. 
This meffage was by both councils referred to a com¬ 
mittee : in the ancients the report was made by Tronfon 
Ducoudray, who was feledted for the talk, on account of 
his acknowledged moderation and talents. He gave a 
full detail of the conduct of the directory and armies ; 
fhewing, in many inftances, their inconfiftency with the 
letter and fpirit of the conftitution ; though he was not 
hafty in imputing evil intentions, and paid every refpedt 
to the bravery and fervices of the military. He dif- 
proved the accufation that the oppofition party wilhed to 
retard peace ; and fliewed how unfounded were the com¬ 
plaints of the diredtory that the operations of govern¬ 
ment had been impeded for want of fupplies, by exhi- 
biting'a table of the fums entrufted to them within the 
fpace of one-and-twenty months. He concluded by re¬ 
commending general reconciliation and forgetfulnefs of 
the paft, but reprobated the oath adminiftered to the army 
of Italy of implacable war againft the enemies of the re¬ 
public and of the conftitution. Thibaudeau made a report 
N C E. 827 
equally argumentative, though more warm, to the coun¬ 
cil of five hundred ; and concluded by recommending 
two laws : one charging the public accufer to profecute 
all plots, machinations, and generally all offences againft 
the legifiative body, the executive diredtory, and each of 
their component members; the other declaring penalties 
againft the military who Ihould deliberate or perform col¬ 
lective adts. 
Before anv decifion could take place with refpedt to 
thefe proportions, the three diredtors who had refolved 
to overturn by force all the impediments raifed by the 
conftitution againft arbitrary power, obtained a new ad¬ 
vantage, by the expiration of the term for which Carnot 
was allowed to be prefident of their body. This office 
entitled its pofleffor to hold the feal of ftate, and to (peak 
the fentiments of government on all public occafions : 
Carnot had exercifed thefe rights with great moderation.; 
bo t Lareveilliere, who fucceeded on the. 27th of Auguft 
at the expiration of his three months, fliewed a contrary 
difpofition. In (beeches which he made to Vifconti, 
plenipotentiary from the Cifa'pine republic, and to gene¬ 
ral Bernadotte, who brought trophies from the army of 
Italy, he launched out into general abufe againft the op¬ 
ponents of government; accufing them, without referve, 
of intending to annihilate the new republic, difgrace 
Bonaparie, and re-eftab'ifh the throne. To thefe attacks 
the council of five hundred feemed highly fenfible ; but, 
in fa£t, they had not among themfelves any principle of 
common concord, nor did they repofe in any one of their 
affbeiates fufficient confidence to irnruft to him the direc¬ 
tions of their operations. The laws propofed by Thi¬ 
baudeau were difeuffed with much warmth, and produced 
a great portion of perfonal altercation; but although the 
conftitution was more vifibly and daringly violated than 
before, by drawing troops dill nearer to Paris, general de¬ 
bates were ftill maintained, and no vigorous effort adopted. 
The fitting of the 3d of September terminated in per¬ 
fect tranquillity ; and the motion on Thibaudeau’s report 
was adjourned to the next day, a day in which the exifting 
legifiature was doomed to undergo a total alteration in its 
conftitution and members. Many of the oppofition party, 
fenfible of the perils which awaited them, had propofed 
bringing forward a decree of accufation againft the three 
directors ; while others, judging the period too much ad¬ 
vanced for fuch a proceeding, propofed marching to the 
palace, arrefting, and putting them to death, and then 
publifhmg to the people of France a ftatement of their 
motives; but thefe meafures were overruled by the more 
moderate party. 
Carnot and Barthelemy, already apprifed that a grand, 
commotion was to take place, though they did not know 
the exact moment, attended, for the laft time, a fitting of 
the directory, where their adverfaries were fully prepared 
to finifh a plot which they had meditated ever fince the 
laft elections. Carnot was not, however, negligent of his 
own fafety : he had prepared a private way to quit his 
apartments in the direCtoral palace; and being apprifed,, 
by repeated meflages from the triumvirate, to afeertain 
whether he was within, that their plot was ripe for exe¬ 
cution, he haftened to make his efcape, and had but juft 
reached the garden when an officer fent to arreft him was 
breaking down his door with an axe. He found the pa¬ 
lace furrounded, and the garden filled with armed men, 
whom with difficulty he avoided ; and as he was clofing 
the laft door of the fatal precinCt, he heard the firing of 
the alarm gun, the fignal for the military to a£t according 
to their inft ruCtions. Carnot effectually fecured his re¬ 
treat, and reached a foreign country ; but Barras, enraged 
at his efcape, went with a party of guards, and himfelf 
arrefted Barthelemy. Having fo far executed the firft 
portion of their project, the triumvirate proceeded to 
other operations. Augereau had been fent from Italy 
under pretence of prefenting fome Auftrian ftandards to 
the directory, and he was employed as their tool upon 
this occafion, They commanded the garrifon of Paris, 
