316 
GEN 
duftry, by refcrlffions on tlieir commerce, the natives, 
by a curioufly fingiilar expedient of tyranny, were called 
on to bear the principal burthen of the expences of the 
date. Men in this fituation, hearing the word liberty 
founded in their ears, would naturally wifli for a fhare 
of that bleffing, for which others were contending. Ac¬ 
cordingly, we find that, in the late revolution, they had 
afferted their right to the privileges of citizens. Their 
pretenfions, however, had been declared criminal and 
feditious by the fenate : the citizens, too, difapproved 
them ; but on what ground fliould the natives be enllaved, 
while the citizens were free ? When the rights of men 
were in contention, why fliould not their rights be in- 
vefligated, and, when known, why not alTerted and 
eftabliflied ? The contrary, however, happened ; and, 
in the treaty of 1768, the natives were forgotten by both 
the' other parties, who only thought of fecuring their 
own caufe, while tliey neglefted the liberties of their 
countrymen. 
Thedefrreof freedom, wlien once excited, is not eaflly 
reprefled. Tlte natives foon perceived that little atten¬ 
tion had been bellowed on their interells; and they 
opeiily complained of the hardfhips of their fubjeflion. 
The fenate anfwcred their arguments, in tliat kind of 
logic at which tyrants are fo expert, by banilhing one of 
their body for ten years, for liaving, according to his 
fentence, wijhed to vfurp the tit!' cf citizen, and for having de¬ 
fended his pretenfions by arguments de/lruElivt of the confitniion ; 
and the citizens, that they might not be backward in the 
good work of oppreflion, complained lliat the natives 
encroached on their cxcluflve privilege of trade ; and 
obtained an order, pointing out tlie narrow limits beyond 
whicli they were not to Hep. Thus, driven to extremes 
by two parties, they found a tempter in a third. The 
recufants, who. were the chiefs of tlie ariflocratic party, 
feeing themfelves fruflrated in their defigns on the ci¬ 
tizens, fecretly encouraged the natives, bccaufe they 
were in oppofition to the citizens ; and thus, paradoxical 
as it may appear, allifted the caufe of liberty, becaufe 
tiiey wanted to be tyrants. The miniltcrof France, alio, 
appeared to befriend tliem. Tluis fituated, is it wonder¬ 
ful that they fliould lay, that “they no longer would 
be the llavesof citizens who loved liberty ordy for them¬ 
felves; and that if the vvalls of Geneva were to inclofe 
a people who were fovercign, and another who were 
fubje6t, they would delert a country to which they had 
no attachment ?” 
Under thefe circumflances, matters were liurried to 
extremity by the folly of the fenate, who imprifoned a 
native for finging fome farirical verfes, in which he'aflertcd 
that he was a citizen. When judgment was to be pro¬ 
nounced on the prifoner, tiie natives alfembled, and de¬ 
clared their refolution to fuccour him, if any feverc pu- 
nilhment was to be inflidled. The punilhment was tri¬ 
fling, and the prilbner was carried home crowned with 
laurels. Gn that fame night, contrary to his lentence, 
which confined him to his itoufe, he appeared in public 
among his clafs. 1 he fenate were determined to fullain 
their decree ; and, on tiiis occafion, forgetting their dil- 
.putes with the citizens, applied to them to put them¬ 
felves in arms ; and tlie citizens, after contelling v/ith 
the fenate for years, joined them at the inlhint when tlie 
oppreffioa rvas to be removed from themfelves to the 
natives. So eaiily can we aft the tyrant to others, while 
we are fighting for liberty for ourfelves ! 
On the next morning, the delinquent was again feized; 
and the natives'began to airemble. The citizens were 
immediately called to arms; and, in one lireet only, 
where fome of the moll violent of the party had furniflied 
thcinieives with arms, a fciittit enlued, in wliich three 
of the natives loll their Hvcl-. 1 hus ended tliis infur- 
reclion. The fenate, tliat tiiey might revenge their in- 
fuUed authority, by adding injuflice to cruelty, deter- 
ihined to punilh the natives 'vvithput the culloinary forms 
EVA. 
of law ; and the citizens, that they might ftrengtlien the 
tyranny which was afterward to opprefs themfelves, 
liad the infamy to decree the punifliinent in the general 
aflembly. 
From this period, Geneva rem.ained, for a time, in 
peace; but peace could not long bejexpefted in a re¬ 
public thus coihlituted. Tlie ariflocratic party were 
daily feeking means to increafe their power;- and t-lre 
citizens began to be convinced of the impolicy of their 
behaviour toward the natives. Among other caufes of 
complaint, was the want of a regular code pf laws., and 
of a rigid and impartial obfervance of them. Tills had 
been decreed by the mediation of 1738 ; but had been 
neglefted till 1774, when a partial reviflon of the ol(i... 
laws was undertaken by the fenate. The citizens,' 
finding their remonflrances on this fubjeft to be in vain, 
had recourfe to iheir right of re-election, and excluded 
from tlie fenate four of its members. This happened 
on the 26th of January 1777, when the four fenators 
were excluded by 950 votes againfl 550. A refiflance 
fo determined, gained tlie citizens their ends; the fenate 
liflened to their propofals; and a committee, formed 
equally from the two parries, was entrufled with tlie 
important buunefs of regulating and pubiifliing their 
laws. I'his committee, however, was of fhort duration. 
The ariflocratic pr.rcy accufed their opponents of aiming 
at the fubverfion f all law, under the pretence of revifing 
tlie old laws ; and the council of two luindred pafTed a 
decree, by which the committee was difl'oived, and a. 
new one created. The account of tJiefe difputes was 
induflrioufly magnified at the court of France; where 
the conite de Vergennes, who had fucceeded to the 
due de Clioifeul, feemed determined to lliew the Ge- 
nevefe, that his mafler was refolved, in one way or other, 
to filence their debates. With this view, he applied to 
the cantons of Berne and Ziiiich, who lia;! the magna¬ 
nimity to refufe their interference in a uilpute wliich 
the Genevefe themfelves were fnfficiently able to fettle. 
Tlie ariflocracy had now again recourfe to the natives; 
vvlio, irritated by their pall injuries, and encouraged 
witli hopes of redrefs, entered into their fchemes. On 
the night of the 5th of February 1781, the accidental 
quarrel of two natives colle6led together a number of 
I’peftators, who foon became aftors iu the affray. At 
the fame time, the arfeaal was forced by a party of 
natives, headed by fome young men of the ariflocratic 
party. This was a fignal to the citizens to arm them¬ 
felves. Their opponents were few, and they foon be¬ 
came mailers of the tov/n without bloodflied. 
Tlie citizens had before found the impolicy of fe- 
parating their interells from tiiol'e of tlie natives, iiu 
Head, therefore, of preparing punifliments for tlicm, they 
caufed a decree to be palled in'their favour : the votes 
in the council-general, on this occafion, were one thou- 
land and leven, againft twenty-nine. Every thing now 
feemed to take a peaceable turn; and a ixtonciliation 
was fpeedily to be effefted from the good offices of the 
cantons of Berne and Zurich : but peace, on fuch terms, 
was not the wilh of tlie ariflocracy ; and the comte de 
Vergennes, on tiieir perfuafion, again, came to deflroy the 
repole of a town, v/liofe happii.efs lie h.id engaged to 
pfomote. '1 he bwifs deputies had tlie mortification to 
rind tlieir negociation broken oil, and their meetings re¬ 
moved to a diflance from Geneva. Nor was this all : 
the French would enter on no terms, unlefs the treaty 
of 1768 yeas previoufly l'..fpeiided. The objedlion to 
this treaty was, that it gave to the council-general, the 
right of electing one iiaif ot tiie council of two hundred; 
■which council, in its prelefic ftatc, included all the chiefs 
of the ariflocracy. 'ihis eletlion was to take place 
whenever fifty places were vacant iivthat body ; and, afc 
tills time, only two were wanting to complete that num- 
ber, ■ It was of iiiatenal coiileqnence, then, to lui'pend 
an edict, which enabled tlie .cuizens to introduce their 
own 
