GEN 
o%vn chiefs into this council, which, in fa6t, conftituted 
the ftrengtii of their adverfaries ; but to this fufpenfion, 
the Swifs cantons pofitively refufed to agree ; and the 
French niinitler, experiencing nothing' but oppofition 
from them, withdrew the name of his matter from the 
terms of the g'uaranteethip which he had entered into in 
1738. If, however, tlie of France was withdrawn, 
its influence remained ; and the citizens found themfelves 
threatened with tlie fevered retaliation, if, according to 
the e-Iict of 1768, they proceeded to fill up tlie vacancies 
in the grand council. His mod chridian majedy, they 
were told, was determined to fave tliem; and, to })re- 
ferve them from all mifchief, he had already marched a 
body of troops into their neiglibourhood. 
Together with thefe friendly proofs of the difpodtion 
of France,tile citizens Iiad another evil preding on them. 
The edict, which had been pad'ed in favour of the na¬ 
tives, had been fufpended dnce tlie interference of the 
French ; and it was well known tiiat, on any attempt to 
carry it into execution, it would receive an abfoliite ne¬ 
gative from the fenate. The natives already began to 
cliarge the citizens with having deceived them w'ith 
promifes, which, they knew, would never be fulfilled; 
and called on them to claim, from tlie fenate, the per¬ 
formance of an engagement, which, it wa§ evident, 
would be denied when alked. The claim was, how¬ 
ever, made by a thoufand and ninety-fix citizens, ac¬ 
companied by a thdufand and feven hundred natives ; 
th it is, by more than four-fifths of the heads of families 
in the republic. The fenate returned for anfw'er, that 
the law in queftion could fubfilt no longer than the 
times of anarchy which gave it birth ; and that being 
free, they could not carry it into execution without de- 
ferting the intereifs of their country. The rage of the 
natives was now ungovernable ; nor w'ere the citizens 
heard in their attempts to calm them : they ran to arms, 
and while fonie feized a part of the garrifon, which op- 
pofed them with an ufelefs refiftance, others furrounded 
the habitations of the fenators, againit whom they vowed 
immediate vengeance. Thus circuniltanced, the citizens 
faw no method of quelling the tumult, but by joining 
with the natives, and atfuring them of the fuccefs of 
their demands; and to fecure this, they determined to 
compel fuch a number of the magillrates to refign, as 
might gain their party a majority in the two councils, 
and thus enable tliem to efiablifii the treaties of 176S, 
and of 1781. This was accompliflied : but the citizens 
were not contented to flop liere. Knowing that their 
aftions would call down the vengeance of France, they 
detained twelve of their niagiftrates as hoftages for their 
own fafety. It was this proceeding which irritated the 
canton of Berne, and induced it to enter inta a league 
with the courts of Verfailles and Turin; the purpofe 
of which was to reduce the Genevefe by force. To this 
end, twenty-two companies of grenadiers from Turin, 
with as many from Berne, and fix thoufand French 
troops, began tlieir march to Geneva ; while the citizens 
and natives, being determined to (land a tiege, made 
fuch preparations as they could, and named a committee 
of eleven perfons to conduct their defence. To refill 
was, however, madnefs ;—and, on the evening before 
the attack was to be made, they entered into the terms 
of capitulation which were olFered to tliem, and opened 
their gates. 
What were the view's of the arillocratic party, and 
how unfavourable their dilpofitions were toward liberty, 
became now evident in the precautions which they took 
to prevent any difeufiionin their meafures. The liberty 
of the prels was taken away : all public meetings or al- 
lemblies were forbidden ; and not only their military 
exercifes were liipprelfed, but the citizens were com¬ 
manded to keep no fire-arms in their houfes, under pain 
of banilhment. Ti he garrifon, too, was newly modelled; 
a power of increafing it was given to the grand council; 
and its officers, which, before, were always Genevefe, 
VoL.VIII. No.505. 
E V A. 31? 
were now allowed to be ftrangers,. and the colonel and 
major even obliged to be fo. It was ordained, too, that 
every Genevefe ffiould take an oath of fidelity and fub- 
miffion to the new law. In- addition, the people faw 
their defenders forced into exile, for fupporting their 
rights : fome for the fpace of ten years, and others for 
life. In return for thefe facrifices, they were recom- 
penfed by a magnificent theatre, and a company of co¬ 
medians, with all the indulgences of luxury and vice. 
It was in this fititation, that the citizens entertained fe- 
rious thoughts of emigrating; and turned their views 
towards Ireland, as affording them a fititation where they 
might exert their induftry, and enjoy that liberty which 
they had loll at home. The pLui was interefting ; it 
was the Itruggle of a manly people almofl weighed down 
with their misfortunes; and it was lillened to with that 
eagernefs, with which a free and generous nation gives 
way to its firfl feelings in favour of the opprelfed. The 
obflacles which prevented its execution, are known to 
have arifen from the changes of adminiftration in Ire¬ 
land, and from the delay which necelfarily attended 
fuch a fcheme. Fortunate it was, perhaps, that fuch 
obllacles did exift to prevent an emigration, which 
would have been an all rather of defpairthan of reafon; 
and which, however flattering in its appearances, would, 
as muft now be evident, have been pernicious in its 
eifedls to Ireland, if not to England. 
From this ftateofdejedlion, the Genevefe were partly 
roufed by the death of the conite de Vergennes, and by 
the fubfequent elevation of their friend and countryman, 
M. Necker. The impolicy of the magillrates ferved to 
diffipate totally their fears. In the fevere winter of 
1789, the lower claffes underwent much hardfltip for 
want of provifions ; and at the time when the diltrefs 
was greateft, the magiflrates raifed the price of bread ; 
the profits on the fale of which conllitute a part of the 
revenue. Immediately the fliops of the bakers were 
flripped ; and, the next morning, fome bread, though 
efcorted by foldiers, was feized. In this tumult, it 
happened that one of the populace was killed, and the 
dead body was carried through the llreets as a fignal for 
infurredlion. The government now prepared to reprefs 
the di/lurbances, by military force ; and, accordingly, 
fome troops were marched into a part of the city ; but, 
far from being difperfed, the inhabitants not only at¬ 
tacked them with Hones from the lops of houfes, but, 
by means of fire-engines filled with hot water mixed 
with vinegar and foap, totally defeated them. The ci¬ 
tizens had hitherto remained inadtive, and it was only 
on the application of the fenate, that they agreed to 
terpofe ; not, hoivever, by means of arms, which were 
unnecelfary ; they had only to Ihew the natives that an 
accommodation was really intended, and the tumults 
immediately fubfided. So anxious, indeed, were all 
parties for peace, that the terms of agreement were fet¬ 
tled in fix days. In thefe terms, both parties made 
great concellions. With regard to the natives, parti¬ 
cularly, the law which provided for their gradual in¬ 
corporation with the citizens, was allowed ; fo that 
from this time, natives of the fourth generation became 
citizens ; the citizens alfo, who had been baniffied by 
the edidl of 1782, were recalled, and fully reinllated in 
their employments. 
In 1791, the magiflrates, anxious to maintain the good 
underftanding which had thus prevailed, made further 
conceflions in favour of the popular party, and extended 
their privileges, allowing to every native the freedom 
of the city at the fmall price of fix guineas. This con- 
du£l, which it was hoped would have removed all dif- 
content, had, however, an oppofite effedl, and feemed 
only to raife the tone of the popular party, from the 
idea it gave them of their own power, which could ex¬ 
tort fuch terms, and emboldened them to demand other 
privileges with an air of authority. A private appli¬ 
cation was alfo unfortutiately made to tlie Brilfotin 
4 M party* 
