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it had held in Europe, and which incapacity and treafon had brought to the verge of deftruction. To the officers of the national fedentary guard, at Paris, he declared, in a third, that a new order of things was on the point of being fettled, that the council of elders was going to fave the state, and that whoever fhould oppofe their defign, fiould perish by the bayonet of the foldier. At the fame time care was taken that thele proclama tions fhould be fupported by a due military force. But fill every at tempt was made to colour the enterprize as much as poflible, not only with patriotic profeflions but legal appearances. For this end, a pamphlet, on the fame day, Norember 9, was distributed at the doors of the two councils, and throughout all Paris, entitled " A Dialogue between a Member of the Council of Elders, and a Member of the Council of Five Hundred." The former endeavours to overcome the objections, and to allay the fears of the latter, refpecting the tranflations of the councils, by obferving that it was a conftitutional measure; that in the prefent circumstances, it was neceflary to the freedom of deliberation and debate; that, as to infuring the execution of this meafure, by an armed force, this allo must be confidered as a thing conftitutional, or clearly within the powers of the council of elders, who, if they would change the refidence of the legislature muft alfo be fuppofed to poflefs the means of changing it in peace and fafety; that the Parisians would have no reason to complain of it, as the councils would remain at St. Cloud, only for a few days; that protection was going to be afforded to li

berty and property, the conftitution reftored, the reign of terror and factious intrigue overthrown; and a bafis eftablished, on which foreign powers would treat with confidence for peace, which was the grand object of the prefent measure. To this reafoning the member of the council of five hundred made little objection. "But," faid he, "between ourfelves, my friend, I dread, in this affair, the interference of Buonaparte. His renown, his authority, the juft confidence that the army place in his talents, and, above all, his talents themfelves, may place in his hands the most formidable afcendency over the deftinies of the republic. What, if he should prove a Cefar or a Cromwell? Here the elder quoted the words of Buonaparte, that "He would be a fool who fhould fport the glory of having contributed to the establishment of liberty and a republic against the fovereignty of Europe." He went ftill farther and affirmed that Buonaparte's ready acceptance of the commiffion which he had been called on to execute, by the elders, was a most unequivocal proof of his moderation and fubmiffion to his country. "If he had refused to accept

it what would have been faid of him by any man of judgement and penetration? Why nothing elfe, but that his refufal was the refult of profound ambition. Every thing tends faft to anarchy and confufion. The republic is on the point of diffolution. Buonaparte, amidst a thousand ex. ceffes and horrors, will afk the command of the army and will obtain it. Every citizen, wearied with fruitless attempts to bring the guilty to juf tice, or to find an afylum for him. felf, will turn his eyes to the general, throw himself into his arms, and

demand

demand from him vengeance, juftice, and protection. In order to be invefted with arbitrary power, it would then be only neceffary for him to accept it."

The general, on the night between the eighth and ninth, fent a confiderable force to the palace of the elders, while he himself, with a great number of staff officers, repaired to the Thuilleries; all the avenues of which were fhut up from the public. A ftrong detachment of cavalry was fiationed near the hall of the council of five hundred. Thefe different bodies were reinforced in the morning by additional troops, and particularly by cavalry and artillery."

Of the five directors, Sieyes alone was privy all along to what was going forward. Ducos was admitted into the fecret afterwards. Barras was informed of the change that had taken place early on the morning of the ninth, and invited to give in his refignation. He hesitated for fome time, but at length fent in his refignation into the hands of general Buonaparte, who had come to the Thuilleries, at eleven, by Bottot, about twelve o'clock. The general, when Bottot arrived, had juft gone out to harangue the officers, foldiers, and citizens, in fome of the adjoining courts, and garden. Bottot whispered to the general the object of his miffion. Buonaparte with his left hand took hold of Bottot's arm, and placed him a little behind, and then began his fpeech to the troops, the exordium of which "The army has cordially united with me, as I cordially act with the legislative body." Some fentences in this harangue, reflecting on the conduct of adminiftration, were afterwards mifreprefent

was

ed as addrefled to Bottot, and point ed particularly againft Barras. But the fact has been fully afcertained to have been otherwife. When this fpeech, which was followed by repeated acclamations of vive la Republic! vive Buonaparte! was finished, Buonaparte took Bottot aside and defired him to tell Barras that he was inviolably attached to him, and would protect him against the violence of his enemies.

Gohier, who did not rife from bed till late in the morning, was furprised to find on his table the decree of the council of elders for changing the refidence of the legiflature. He repaired to the councilroom of the directory, where he met Moulins as much furprized and perplexed as himself. Their perplexity was increased when they discovered that Sieyes and Ducos, in confequence of a meffage from the elders, had repaired to the Thuilleries. The fecretary was called to write their orders, but it was observed that two members did not form a majority. They repeatedly fent for Barras, who pofitively refufed to join in their deliberations. As the only refource that now remained was that of military force, they fent orders to general Lefebre, who commanded the 17th divifion, to furround the houfe of Buonaparte, with a ftrong party of the directorial guard. But general Lefebre fent for answer, that he was then under the orders of Buonaparte, on whom the chief command of all the troops, in and near Paris, had been conferred, by the council of elders. And it was quickly difcovered that the directorial guard had gone over to the fide of the general, and had joined a large body of other troops, in the garden of the Thuilleries.

The

10

The other principal pofts in and round Paris, fuch as the bridges, the Luxemburg, the hall of the council of five hundred, the military fchool, the invalids, St. Cloud, and Versailles, were alfo occupied by troops under the command of Marmont, Serrurier, Lannes, Macdonald, and other generals, the companions and friends of Buonaparte. Lefebre was his first lieutenant. While the general was engaged in clofe converfation with Sieyes and Ducos, on the important objects under their confideration, the tranflation of the legiflature to St. Cloud, and the means of preferving tranquillity in the capital, he was joined by general Augereau, who, with every demonftration of cordiality, faid, General, you did not fend for me, but I have come, unfought, to join you." Augereau, who was

one of the moft zealous and ener getic among the jacobins, had, in 1797, rendered a fimilar fervice to his own party, in controlling the national reprefentation by an armed forcé, to what he now offered, for the overthrow of his colleagues and friends to Buonaparte.

Moulins, finding every thing defperate, did not wait to be arrested, but, jumping out of the window, made his efcape across the garden of the Luxembourg. Gohier repaired to the Thuilleries, where, as prefident of the directory, he put the feal to the decree for the tranflation to St. Cloud. But he refufed to refign the feal of state, and returned to the palace of the directory, where he was put under a guard Sieyes and Ducos, about the fame time with Barras, refigned their offices.

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СНАР. II.

The Village of St. Cloud filled with Troops, and Spectators from Paris-The Two Councils conflituted there.-Refignations of the Directorial Office.-Motion in the Council of Elders for inquiring into the Reasons for their Tranflation to St. Cloud.-A Debate on this Subject fufpended, by a Motion for Messages to the Council of Five Hundred and the Directory, which was agreed to. Buonaparte comes into the Hall and addresses a Speech to the Council of Elders, in which he flates the Danger of the Country, and invites them to affociate their Wisdom with the Force they had placed under his Command for its Salvation.-Oppofition to Buonaparte, and a Change in the Conflitution.-Buonaparte goes out and harangues the Soldiers and the People. Returns, and infifts on the Neceffity of taking Measures for the Realization of facred Principles that had hitherto been only chimerical.Motion by Dalphonfe for renewing the Oath of Fidelity to the Conftitution. -This Motion oppojed, and the Defects of the Conflitution briefly flated.— The Council of Elders adjourned till nine o'clock in the Evening.-Proceedings in the Council of Five Hundred.—Motion for a Committee for making a Report on the actual State of the Nation.-And propofing Measures for the public Intereft.-Sufpicions expressed of an intended Dictatorship, and Cries for maintaining the Confiitution. The actual Conflitution of France diftinguished from certain Republics.—Motion for renewing the Oath of Fidelity to the Conftitution.-Agreed to.-And the Ceremony performed with the greatest fang froid, even by the moderate Party.-Mefjage from the Elders.-Buonaparte appears in the Council of Five Hundred.-Uproar and Violence.-Lucian Buonaparte, together with his Robes, lays afide the Office of Prefident.-Threatened by the adverfe Party.—Carried out of the Hall by a Party of Grenadiers.-The Soldiers harangued by both the Buonapartes.-The Council of Five Hundred difperfed, and the Legislature thus diffolved by a military Force.

THE

HE committees of infpectors, thofe of the five hundred, as well as of the elders, with the exdirectors Sieyes and Ducos, and other pertons of confideration and influence, paffed the night at the Thuilleries, to prepare measures for the fitting at St. Cloud, whither the legiflature, according to the decree,

repaired the following day, at noon. Sieyes and Ducos arrived at the fame time, and retired to an apartment deftined for the executive directory. Soon after, came the generals Buonaparte, Berthier, Murat, Marmont, and the whole ftaff. The court of the caftle in which the councils were aflembled, and the

village

village of St. Cloud, were filled with Lagarde's letter was tranfmitted

troops and fpectators from Paris. The cry of vive Buonaparte! was every where heard, and re-echoed both by the foldiery and people. At half an hour paft two, the council of elders, formed in the chamber called the gallery, by a great majority, was opened. The refignation of Barras was received, and ordered to be fent to the council of five hundred. A motion was made by Savary to inquire into the reafons that had determined the committee of infpectors to remove the legiflature from Paris to St. Cloud. This motion was feconded by Guomard. and fupported by Colombel, who farther propofed that a fecret committee thould immediately be appointed for that purpofe. Fargues, a member of the committee, vindicated its proceed ings, and hinted at certain propofitions, which had been made to Buonaparte, and of which we shall prefently be informed from the general's own mouth. A debate on these points was fuperfeded by a motion made by Cornudet, and carried, for fufpending all business until melfages fhould have been fent to the directory, who, by the conftitution, must reside in the fame commune with the legiflature, and to the council of five hundred; acquainting them that the council of elders was conftituted in due form.

A fhort time after the meffages agreed on had been difpatched, a letter was received from the fecretary-general Lagarde, informing the council, that four of the directors had given in their refignations, and that a fifth was under the guard of general Buonaparte; fo that, as there was no longer any directory, he could not receive their meffage.

to the council of five hundred. At this inftant Buonaparte entered the hall, and the whole council, eager to hear him, kept profound filence. "Your folicitude," faid the general, " for the falvation of your country, has called me to come before you. I will not diffemble, for I will fpeak always with the frankness of a fuldier; you stand on a volcano, but, you may depend on our devoted attachment. I have come here with my brave companions in arins.-Crowned as they are with victory, they prefent to you that fecurity which is the refult of the fervices they have done their country. To what purpofe is it to talk of Cæfar or Cromwell, and of a military government? If we are invited by your confidence, we fhall know how to juftify it. It is allo neceffary to declare to you that vigorous meafures are neceffary. Plots are at this moment carried on. Crimes are hatching; nor are your dangers thofe alone with which you are immediately threatened. The minifter of police has juft received the moft difaftrous news from LaVendée, announcing the progrefs of the rebels, and the reduction of several towns. Let us not be divided. Affociate your wildom to the force that furrounds me. I will be nothing but the devoted arm of the republic." A member, anxious to push the general to a declaration of the full extent of his political fyftem, added, in a very audible tone of voice, "And of the conftitution." "The conftitution!" refumed Buonaparte, with vivacity: "does it become you to invoke the conftitution? Have you not trodden it under your feet on the eighteenth of Fructidor, on the [C 2]

twenty

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