1802. } 
try, and which will probably never again 
produce fuch unhappy events in apy other 
country; yet, as the tranfaétions that 
have taken place here, cannot, at our 
leafure, be blotted out from the page of 
itary ‘or the records of memory, I 
think I owe you fome account (from the 
belt information I can procure) of the 
operation of\the fyftem of terror in Bour- 
deaux. At thofe times, every one was 
obliged to acquiefce in the Sans-culote 
definition of equality, and matters of 
houfes often dined in their kitchens with 
their fervants. It was as dangerous here 
as in Turkey to be fuppofed rich. In 
the minds of the fams-culotes judges, the 
ideas of rich man and arijtocrat were fo 
connected, that they almoft confidered 
them as fynonymous terms, 
However, as men’s patriotiim was, in 
fome degree, judged of by the facrifices 
they voluntarily made for the country, it 
was prudent for men, who could afford it, 
tomake pretty confiderable patriotic dona- . 
tions, at the fame time referving enough 
to commute their punifhment tor a fine, 
in cafe they fhould be brought. before the 
revolutionary tribunal on a charge that 
was flight or feebly fupported. Spies, 
informers, and denouncers were highly 
honoured by the agents of government, 
and a man was hardly confidered a real. 
patriot who had not denounced: fome per- 
fon. This difpofition in the government 
to encourage denunciations, rendered the 
life, liberty, and property of every citizen 
very infecure, But, although the revolu- 
tionary tribunal, acting according to the 
{pirit of the exifting goverament, ufually 
inclined,in favour of denunciations, and 
again(t the party denounced, yet there are 
foine very rernarkable and well-known in- 
ftances of a contrary conduét. One cafe 
occurred here of a man’s denouncing his 
own brother. The charge, on the fullett 
examination, was judged a malicious de- 
aunciatton ; and the prefdent, in declaring 
the judgment of the tribunal, obferved, 
that, as the country highly honoured 
and efteemed thofe whocould give up the 
deareft relations of private friendthip or 
of blood, to preferve the exiftence of their 
country, and the entire family of French- 
men; fo, on the other-hand, that thofe who, 
under the mafk of patrioti{m, fought, from 
views of private malice, to rob the country 
of a citizen, were not only objects of general 
deteftation and abhorrence, but fell dire@-. 
ly within the letter of the law, which was 
made for the proteétionof all, and which 
was equaltoail. He then declared, thar, 
is cales of denunciations adjudged to be 
Original Letters by an American Traveller.) eu} 
malicious,the law applied to the malicious 
denouncer ; and therefore, in the name of 
the law, ordered the accufed to be fet at li- 
berty, and fent his unnatural accufer to 
the guillotine. his decifion gave, as you 
may well fuppofe,very general fatisfaction. 
There was another very remarkable 
cafe here,where, although that tribunal was 
obliged to pafs fentence (not having any 
diicretionary power), it did fo with the 
utmoft reluctance. 
An Abbefs and five or ix Nuns were 
brought before the revolutionary tribunal, 
on the charge of harbouring fome emi- 
grants, and concealing them from public 
juttice. 
They admitted the charge, and did not 
attempt to excufe it; but, on the contra- 
ry faid, that they were proud of having 
difcharged the offices of humanity to the 
unfortunate, although at the great rifk of 
their own lives, which religion had taught 
them to fet no other value upon, than as 
the means of obtaining eternal happinefs 
in Chrift’s kingdom; that, as for the reft, 
their tribunal might determine according 
to their Jaws, but they were prepared to 
appear before the tribunal of their Re- 
deemer. This ftrain, of religious enthu- 
fiafm, which was, at leaft, as fervent and 
fincere as any political enthufalm, affeét- 
ed the judges very much. They felt, 
that the execution of fuch a nuniber of 
female enthufialts (whofe fex would natu- 
rally excite compaffion, and whofe religious © 
profeffion and firmnnefs would caufe them to 
be confidered as martyrs), would not at 
all be ferviceable to the views of that go- 
vernment, of which they were, in a man- 
ner, the organs; but, at the fame time, 
they had not the power of pardoning ; 
(the government itfelf not having that pre- 
rogative). The law was clear and ex- 
plicit, and the parties accufed confeffed 
themfelves to be within it. In this em- 
barraffing fituation, the tribunal did as 
much as lay in its power to abfolve the 
accufed. The Abbefs and Nuns were fe- 
parately examined, in order, if poffible, to 
get a confeffion, that iome man had ad. 
vifed them to it. If they had obtained 
an anfwer, that either confeffor or prieft 
had advifed or known of the bufinefs, he 
would have been made the fcape-goat ; 
the preire fanatique would, after a fevere 
philippic, have been fent to the guillotine, 
and the whole nunnery abfolved: but the 
filters had too much firmnefs; they all de- 
clared it purely their own act, and faid 
they were prepared to meet the confe- 
quences of it. The tribunal was -there- 
fore obliged to fentence them. 
They) 
