1804.] 
tionary excefles, and by the inftitution of 
the Confular Authorities.. By the am- 
nefties to the emigrants, many fincere 
royalifts were reftored to France. Moreau, 
and ail thefe officers who, not being Bo- - 
naparte’s creatures, fav themlelves ex- 
cluded by his fupremacy from advance- 
ment agreeable to their wifhes, were, of 
courfe, induced to defirea new change of 
government; and when they confidered 
the old attachments of the people, and the 
example of England in the feventeenth 
century, could imagine no change fo likely 
to fatisfythe majority of the French Na- 
tion, and to build up their own fortunes 
on a fure foundation, as one that fhould 
reftore the regal dignity and the Family of 
the Bourbons. Among the exiles to 
whom all amnefty was dénied, or who, 
in their zeal for their King, and their ab- 
horrence of Bonaparte, fcorned to accept 
the Conful’s favour, were not a few per- 
fons of diftinguifhed ability, indefatigable 
in intrigue, impatient of revenge, fanguine 
in hopes, and therefore inceflantly labour- 
ing to overturn, by their correfpondence, 
the Con fular power, and to reconcile the 
minds of the French People to a reftora- 
tion of their old rulers. The burthens 
‘and loffes of the prefent war, and the ri- 
dicuie of eternal threats and preparations 
ending in nothing, have conliderably di- 
minifhed that popular enthufiafm in France 
for Bonaparte which arofe from his fuc- 
cefles in Italy, the only theatre of his 
martial glory—and from his giving peace 
to the nation at a time when it was ablo- 
lutely fick of the beggary, the defolation, 
the oppreflion of military adventure and 
of conquet. In this ftate of feelings, 
parties, opinions, and interefts, in France, 
that which was naturally to be expected 
has taken place. A confpiracy to de- 
throne the Firft Conful has been deteéted. 
Pichegru and fome other exiles, who had 
fecretly paffed to France from England 
and other furrownding countries, have 
been fzized at Paris in fufpicious fitua- 
tions, fuch as it is imagined that they 
would f{carcely have put themfelves into 
if they had not been in plots again# the 
Government. General Moreau, and va- 
rious other perfons never accufed till now 
of treafon again the Revolution, have 
been taken and put in confinement, as ac- 
complices in the fame defigns. The trea- 
chery of perfons who were in the confpi- 
Kacy had betrayed it to the fpies of the 
State of Public Affairs in March, 1804. 
285 
Firft Conful and his Minifters. The fei- 
zure of the papers of thofe perfons againft 
whom the information was given, is faid 
to have told more : and a good deal has 
been extorted by examination from the 
men under accufation and in confinement, 
A plot of the moft heinous intentions is 
faid by the Minifters of the Confular Go- 
vernmentto have beenthus feafonably dif- 
covered. But it is, onthe other hand, 
loudly alledged by the friends of Moreau 
and Pichegru, that the whole accufation. 
isa fiftion of the Government for the ruin 
of men whom the Firft Conful dreaded, 
and found a fuitable moment to deftroy, 
on pretence of their being in a con{piracy 
againft him. Athird party affirm that 
the confpiracy is in part real ; that the 
perfons accufed are, in general, privy to. 
it ; but that they have been enfnared by 
pretended accomplices, who were, in 
truth, the {pies and decoys of the Govern- 
ment ; that they had not intentions near- 
ly fo bold and guilty as thofe which are 
now attributed tothem; and that, if put 
to death, they will perifh, not upon fair, 
fubfantial evidence, but upon fufpicioas 
and pretences, which, however, are not at 
bottom entirely inthe wrong. Lavallee, 
Laborie, and feveral of thofe who are 
named by the Government as being in 
confpiracy, and profcribed for feizure or 
death, are faid to haveefcaped to London, 
Within a fhort time before the con{piracy 
was detected, molt of the officers who had 
been promoted to eminent command un- 
der Moreau, or upon his recommendation, 
were removed from their appointments. — 
Public expectation at Paris is now turned | 
with great anxiety toward the iffue of the 
trials of the confpirators. As the trial 
by jury is now under fufpenfion in France, 
‘it is not fuppofed that they will be fuffer- 
ed to efcape, if the Government can find 
advantage in their death. 
Inthe meantime, the preparations for 
the invafion of this country are much in- 
‘creafed in all the ports gf France and 
Holland. There are faid to be not fewer 
than twelve hundred armed veffels ready 
at Boulogne only. At other ports the 
preparations are believed to be prepor- 
tionately great. At Toulon, at Breft, at 
every poit of France and Holland, arma- 
ments are faid to be in readinels to fail, as 
foon as they may efcape out with any 
profpect of eluding or defeating the 
bleckading fquadrons. 
+ 
; ALPHA- 
