Historical Epochs of the French Revolution Part 16

20. The regiment of Hervilly murders its officers, and 8oo of them desert, giving the word of order to the republican general.

The emigrants at Quiberon, being betrayed to General Hoche, a general attack is made on them, and almost all are cut to pieces. The brave Count Sombreuil, after distinguished proofs of generous gallantry, is taken prisoner.

The prisoners are ordered to Vannes, with General Sombreuil, the bishop of Dol, and other considerable persons.

Tallien, in his reports to the convention, states the loss of the royalists at 10,000 men and that of the republicans as trifling; his whole report appears extravagant.

Another victory over the Spaniards is gained by the republicans.

Peace is concluded with Spain.

Fresh, but unsuccessful, attempts are made to induce the convention to give up the republican calendar.

23. Ordered, that the committee of legislation make a report upon all the laws relative to divorce.

28. Read in the convention the treaty concluded at Basle between France and Spain.

The convention decrees two festivals, one in honour of the fall of Robespierre, the other of the 10th of August.

30. Mons. Querini, amba.s.sador from Venice, arrives at Paris.

Report of another victory obtained over the Spaniards the 17th of this month.

A plot discovered at Rome to open the prisons, to put to death the princ.i.p.al persons of the government, and burn the houses of the cardinals.

A proclamation from Louis XVIII. to all his subjects, dated Verona.

The chiefs of the royalist army solicit succours from the British government.

_Aug_. 1. Motion by La Riviere "to pursue with national "justice all execrable terrorists".

Comartin, Jarry, Boisgontier, and eight chiefs of the Chouans, contrary to the faith of the treaty, are seized and brought up to Paris.

2. The convention ratifies the peace with Spain.

The laws of divorce suspended.

All the departments make great complaints to the convention of a scarcity.

3. The eight chiefs of the Chouans, Comartin, Jarry, Gazel, la Nourraye, Salignac, Dufour, Boisgontier, and de la Haye, delivered to the military tribunal.

Disorders at St. Omer's.

The workmen at the wharfs (sic) at Paris refuse to work without two hundred livres a day wages.

4. Boudin moves to put an end to the revolution.

6. The colonies decreed a part of the French empire.

8. Journalists denounced; several deputies arrested, among whom is Lequinis.

More deputies denounced; Dupin, Piori, Po, Ma.s.sieu, Chaudron, Rousseau, Fourche, and la Planche, decreed in a state of accusation.

The Count Sombreuil, the Bishop of Dol, and 600 emigrants, condemned by the tribunal of Vannes to be shot.

13. In the prisons of Paris 4413 persons are confined.

Nantes in great distress.

The convention discusses the subject of a const.i.tution.

A deputation from Belgium demands to be united with the French republic.

16. Treaty of friendship between the French nation and the regency of Tunis.

The convention decrees a new const.i.tution.

The King of Spain ratifies the treaty of peace with France.

The convention annuls all revolutionary sentences pa.s.sed since March 13th, 1793, except those of the tribunals of Paris.

The emigrants not comprized in the exceptions are for ever proscribed.

21. The convention decrees that two-thirds of the succeeding legislature shall be chosen out of the present convention.

Violent declamation of Tallien against emigrants and royalists.

All clubs or popular societies are by the decree of the convention abolished.

The Count d'Artois lands in England on his way to, and with the design of forming a junction with, Charette.

A new mode of preserving corn discovered by a physician of Montpelier.

22. Tumults in the theatres of Paris.

The convention brings large bodies of troops into Paris.

Boissy d'Anglas, presenting a picture of France triumphant on all sides, and forcing Kings to court its friendship and alliance, beseeches the convention to distinguish the last moments of its existence by acts of beneficence, healing all wounds, drying up tears, and repairing by the force of justice those evils which tyrants had brought upon the world.

24. Lyons is denounced as attached to royalty.

25. The const.i.tution is declared to be perfected.

The word _Sans-Culotides_ is excluded from the calendar.

28. The section of Mail complains that the capital is filled with troops.

Treaty of peace between the Landgrave of Hesse-Ca.s.sel and France.

Several sections complain of the number of troops in Paris, and of the election of two-thirds of the present convention into the next legislature.

General Montesquieu, and the ex-const.i.tuent Talleyrand Perigord, recalled by a decree into France.

30. Much discontent in Paris; the sections make considerable movements; every thing seems to forebode an explosion.

31. The const.i.tution is laid before the people for their acceptance, and approved of in general; but the election of two-thirds disliked _Sept_. 1. Decreed, that the property of transported priests, which had been confiscated by former laws, shall be restored to their families.

Decreed, that no minister may officiate in public or private without having submitted to the laws of the republic.

Decreed, that Louise Marie Adelaide de Bourbon Penthievre, wife of Philip Egalite, be restored to liberty.

6. Dusseldorff taken by the French; the army of the Sambre and the Meuse pa.s.ses the Rhine under General Jourdan.

The section of the French theatre denounces the members of the deputation of Paris to the convention, as authors of the crimes of the 2d of Sept. 1792, and 31st May 1794.

Decreed, that the relations of emigrants be excluded from every employment administrative or judiciary.

Of six thousand three hundred and thirty-seven primary a.s.semblies, containing 958,226 persons, 914,800 voted for accepting the const.i.tution, 41,892 rejected it, (so the convention reports); consequently it was decreed that the new const.i.tution is become a fundamental law of the state.

As to the re-election of the two-thirds--of 270,338 voters, 167,757 voted for the re-election and 95,373 against it.

The convention declares the enlargement from prison of all terrorists who had been imprisoned since the death of Robespierre.

The committee of marine writes thus to the convention: "We are going to prepare arms in our "a.r.s.enals and forges against the most perfidious of "our enemies, against the haughty England, which "must fall under the efforts of a nation which has "subdued the rest of Europe."

20. The army of Pichegru having pa.s.sed the Rhine near Manheim, this city surrenders itself to the French by capitulation, of which one of the articles is, that the Palatinate shall be considered a neutral country.

The convention addresses the Parisians, to inform them that if any attack be made upon the national representatives, the convention will remove to Chalons-sur-Maire (sic). The convention, which never had so much apprehension for its safety, ordered the republican columns to march to its defence.

Decreed, that every member of the convention shall make a declaration of his fortune before, and since the revolution.

Joubert, representative of the people, writes to the convention, that the French, since their pa.s.sage of the Rhine, have taken 371 pieces of cannon, 331,000 pounds of powder, and other stores.

Decreed, that Belgium and all the countries which are, or shall be, conquered from the House of Austria, shall be incorporated with the French republic.

The section of Le Pelletier writes severe truths to the convention.

The salaries settled by the const.i.tution upon the 750 members of the next legislature, amount to 174 millions of livres a year. The salary of the five members of the executive directory amounts to 20,400,000 livres.

According to the new organization, Belgium and the county of Liege form nine departments, of which, the chief towns are Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, Liege, Maestricht, Mons, Namur, and Luxemburg.

A funeral ceremony in honour of the victims of decemviral tyranny.

A famous resolution of 33 sections of Paris is the cause of a terrible explosion hereafter.

Proclamation of the convention on the danger which threatens.

An afflicting picture given of the state of the Southern provinces of France, by a representative of the people who was an eye witness of it.

The primary and permanent a.s.semblies of Paris demand of the convention the re-imprisonment of the terrorists, and enquiry into the conduct of the committees of government.

_Oct_. 5. An extraordinary fermentation agitates all Paris.

A civil war is ready to break out. The clashing of arms, the general beating of drums, and the cannon, are heard on all sides. Several b.l.o.o.d.y engagements take place between the sections and conventionalists. Two thousand dead bodies lie in the streets. The party of the convention, by the aid of the troops of the line and of a formidable artillery, defeats the insurgents.

Execution and proscription of the chiefs and movers of the insurrection.

Tallien renews his motion to transport all those who did not like a republican government.

The Count d'Artois, under convoy of Sir John Warren, takes possession of l'Isle Dieu (sic).

A French squadron of six sail of the line falls in with a valuable British convoy from the Mediterranean, and captures the Censeur, a 74 gun ship, and several merchantmen.

Vernier, the organ of the committee of finances, proposes to subst.i.tute money made of some metal in the place of 18 milliards of a.s.signats in circulation.

The inhabitants of Versailles supplicate the convention to take into consideration the sad state of their commune.

A horrible picture is laid before the convention of ma.s.sacres in the South; the banks of the Rhone and of the Durance are said to be covered with dead carcases, upon which the dogs are feeding.

Garnier de Saintes addresses from the tribune the royalists of France. "Insects," (says he) "return "to your nothingness; ye shall perish, whilst we "shall be masters of the world, with which we will "share our fortune and our liberty."

Tallien prophesies, that before three months a counter-revolution will be effected; and he therefore advises his colleagues to make their political testament.

Thibadeau immediately accuses Tallien of all the calamities of the revolution.

Clairfait and Wurmser compel the French to repa.s.s the Rhine precipitately, and obtain great advantages over them.

Baudin, the organ of the committees of government, proposes to the convention to adopt a plan of a general amnesty for any act regarding the revolution, excepting always the banished priests, the emigrants, the fabricators of forged a.s.signats, and the a.s.sa.s.sins of the South.

As to the punishment of death, it is not to be abolished till peace be established.

24. Rewbell pretends that the new government cannot establish itself but by calling in the a.s.signats, and subst.i.tuting an augmentation of taxes.

The convention, having proclaimed an amnesty, declares its sittings at an end; and to make up the 500 members who are to remain, it const.i.tutes itself into an electoral body.

Le Bon is condemned to death by the criminal tribunal of Amiens.

The colonists of St. Domingo, who are at Paris, nominate their deputies to the new legislature.

26. From the 12th to the end of this month the Austrians continue without ceasing to pursue the French, and to destroy them in great numbers.

CHAPTER IV.

THE new legislature, or fourth a.s.sembly of the French, enters upon its office. It is composed of a legislative body of 500 members; of a council of ancients 250; of an executive directory of 5 members; and of 6 ministers, viz. for the interior department, for the war, for justice, for the admiralty, for foreign affairs, and for finances.