fion of property was for the good of the ftate, the will of the individual ought not to interfere with the public welfare. The arbitrary difpofition of parents not only obftracted the public profperity, by contributing to the inequality of fortune among the citizens; but frequently produced the most cruel outrages, by difinheriting their children from paffion or mifreprefentation. It was not however contended that the reftriction fhould be fo abfolute that a parent fhould Have nothing left to diftribute as a recompenfe to a deferving child, nothing to withhold as a check upon one lefs worthy; the object was, to leave a part of the inheritance at the difpofal of the teftator, and to diftribute a part in fuch proportions as Thould feem moft likely to promote the profperity of the commonwealth. laft fentiments, was more honourable and confpicuous. Some fufpicions were entertained that he died by poifon; but, on opening his body, ho proofs were found to justify fuch a conjecture. 1 The prefent age has not feen a more extraordinary character than M. de Mirabeau. His talents were brilliant, and the times and fituation were favourable to the exercise of them. He was formed by nature and by habit to govern, and direct a popular affembly.His deep penetration, his promptitude, his fluent eloquence, his powerful voice, were all adapted to command attention, and to filence or confute. Born of a noble though not an opulent family, his early education had initiated him in all the engaging, all the focial arts; his love of pleasure had led him into a variety of fituations, and had made him perfectly acquainted with the human charac ter; the perfecution and diftrefs which he had encountered in' early life, had rendered him firm; a tédious confinement had made him ftudious. Few ftatefmen poffeffed more extensive views; few orators have been capable of bolder flights, of a more paffionate addrefs, or a more energetic expreffion, Of this latter opinion was Mirabeau ; but he fpake no longer from the tribune, which had fo often refounded with the thunders of his eloquence, but from the dark and filent regions of the dead. While the law of fucceffions continued in agitation, he was feized with an inflammatory colie, and at the early age of forty-two was cut off in the meridian of earthly glory. Dur-" ing the moft fevere part of his illnefs, and even while ftruggling in the arms of death, he continued ftill the man of the public. A few hours before his decease he fent for the bishop of Autun, and obferved to him that the law of inheritances was the order of the dayHe requefted him to take down his fentiments on the fubject, and report them to the national affembly. It is difficult to fay whether the affliction with which they heard the news of his death, or the refpect which they feemed to pay to his Of his private life we profefs to know but little common report, however, has not fpoken of him in this view in the most favourable terms. His private character clouded with fufpicion his public conduct; though it must be confeffed, that there is nothing upon record which juftifies fuch conjectures. Though he defended royalty, it would be harfh to fay that he did it only to promote his intereft with the monarch: though he pleaded for the admiffion of minifters to the Hegiflative body, we have no authority to affert, that he meant to folicit an L an employment. He profeffes of himfelf, that his fyftem of politics was that which is termed the moderate fyftem. Perhaps every man who fees deeply into human nature, and who knows the weakness of mankind, and the inflability of popular counfels, will be moderate, He is even faid in his last illness to have expreffed his fears left the democratic party of France fhould go too far in weakening the executive government. As an orator, the faireft teftimony is the amazing power which he poffelfed in a numerous and turbulent affembly, and his confeffedly excelling all the efforts of his illuftrious rivals and contemporaries. The fa culty on which he appears molt to have valued himself, was that of improving on the obfervations of others, and perpetually drawing even from his adverfaries a copious fund of matter. His writings are unequal, and not unfrequently obfcure. In delineating the characters of other men, he is fevere, farcaftic, and uncandid; and in his gallery of portraits (if it be indifputably his) he appears to have made facrifices to jealoufy and envy unworthy of his own great talents, and unbecoming a liberal mind. The honours, which he received from his country are perhaps unpa ralleled in the prefent age. During his illuefs his door was befieged by inquiring citizens, whofe countenances evinced that they confidered him as the faviour of their country. The directory of Paris and the national allembly decreed a mourning of eight days. By a refolution of the legiflature alfo, a public funeral was ordered, and which was attend ed by the national affembly, the minifters, the magiftrates and judges in their robes, the national guard of was Paris, the fociety of Friends of the Conftitution, or Jacobins, and an incredible number of fpectators. The magnificent new church of St. Genevieve was confecrated for the re. ception of the remains of great men, and Mirabeau was the firit who publicly decreed that honour. As that church however was not cómplete, the body was for the prefent depofited in St. Etienne du Mont, which adjoins St. Genevieve, by the fide of the coffin which contains the afhes of Defcartes. The next difcuffion which engaged the attention of the affembly, was the organization of the miniftry. The minifters were declared refponfible; and it was alfo decreed, that no member of the national affembly could take any part in adminiftration till four years after the conclufion of that legislature of which he was a member. The appointment of minifters was vefted in the king; but their number was to be regulated by the legislature.-The minifters then appointed were, 1ft, A minifter of juftice, who was to keep the great feal; to execute all laws relative to the fanctioning of decrees; to preferve a correfpondence with all the inferior departments of juftice; to fubmit to the legislature all queftions of jurifprudence, &c. 2d, A minifter of war, to fuperintend the regulation of all the troops of the line, &c.; to order the movements of the armies against the enemy, &c. 3d, A minifter of foreign affairs, to fuperintend and conduct all . correfpondence with foreign courts; to enforce the execution of treaties; and to have a general care of the political and commercial interefts of the kingdom. 4th, A minister of marine and for the colonies. The minifter of foreign affairs to have a falary of 150,000 livres (about 7.4001.) 400l.) per annum, and the reft 100,000 livres (about 5,000l.) per annum. The king and the minifters to compose a great council of kate, for the due exercise of the executive power. The nobleffe affembled on the borders of Alface, for the purpofe of reconquering their titles, began now to create fome alarm in the people. The emigrant army had been reviewed by the prince de Condé their uniform was black, faced with yellow, with a death's head furrounded with a laurel wreath on one cuff, and a fword on the other, with the motto, "Conquer or die." The emigrants alfo, it was added, were well received by moft of the German princes, and every thing appeared hoftile on the frontiers. As the cardinal de Rohan had taken an active part in feducing the people from their duties, an at of impeachment was decreed against him aud fome other of the princi pal emigrants. With this circumftance feveral others concurred to keep awake the ever-watchful eye of popular fufpision. The king, whether he entertained them through prejudice and predilection, or through mere compaffion, was furrounded with nonjuring pricfts, and other perfons of a dubious character; and the people had not forgotten the fingular tranfaction of the Thuilleries on the 28th of February. However, therefore, we may condemn, we cannot be furprifed at the tumult which took place on the 18th of April, while the royal family was preparing to fet out for St. Cloud, where they intended to pafs the Eafter holidays. The populace, who confidered this as only foreboding the flight of the king, and a counter-revolution, clameroufly furrounded the carriage, and infifted on their majeflies' re turn. It was in vain that M. Bailly and M. de la Fayette opposed this phrenfy; in vain they exerted them. felves to procure a free paffage for the carriage. A fet of orators better adapted to the ears of the common people, exclaimed, "If the king efcapes, there will be a civil war, and the ftreets of Paris will be deluged with the blood of the citizens." The national guard refused to act" We know," "faid the grenadiers, "that we are violating the law; but the fafety of the country is the firft of laws." The royal family,in fhort, was obli ged to return. The king immediately repaired to the affembly, where, with a becoming firmnefs and dignity, he complained of the infult, and declared his intention of pérfevering in his refolution. He was anfwered in a refpectful fpeech by the prefident; and he proceeded on his journey. At the fame time, his majefly embraced this opportunity of notifying to all the foreign courts his acceptance of the conflitution and, in compliance with a requeft from the municipality of Paris, difmiffed from about his perfon those obnoxious perfons who had been a principal caufe of the fufpicion.New affurances of fidelity to the conftitution, and of loyalty to the king, paffed between the fovereign and the national affembly, and all was quiet. The writers of all parties have done juftice to the fpirit and propriety which diftinguished the conduct of M. de la Fayette on this occafion. On the 21t, he, with the other ftaff-officers, fent in their refignation, obferving, that fince the national guards would no longer obey, they muit ceafe to retain a command which was merely nominal. This event was no fooner known than all Paris was feized with a ge neral neral terror; nor could all the ma chinations of La Fayette's enemies prevent their foliciting in a body, and under circumstances the most refpectful to him, that he would reaffume the command. After fome hesitation on his part, and the ftrongeft affurances given on theirs of entire obedience, he agreed on the 24th to comply with their withes. During thefe tranfactions in the capital, the provinces could not even yet be pronounced in a perfect ftate of tranquillity. At Toulouse in particular, feveral patriot citizens were affaffinated on the night of the 17th of March. The murder was attributed to the officers or foldiers of the regiment of St. Barthelemy. The people immediately took arms, but happily the tumult ended in burning the colours of the regiment. The real authors of the affaffinations, however, efcaped into Spain. Thefe commotions, which agitated the mother country, were however trifling when compared with the fatal animofities which prevailed in the colonies. The decree of March 1790 was fo far from quieting the jealoufies and difturbances which exifted, that its immediate effect feemed to be to kindle the whole of the French West Indies into a flame. Before the arrival of the commiffioners who were to enforce the decree, a mulatto of the name of Ogé attempted to excite a rebellion in St. Domingo: his party was, however, defeated: he took refuge among the Spaniards; they, however, furrendered him, and he expired upon the wheel. The very troops which had been fent from France to restore tranquillity, became infected with the fpirit of infubordination. A regiment of native troops too, which was named the regiment of Port-au-Prince, affaffinated their colonel. The re bellious regiment was embarked, and fent to Europe; but the king's commiffaries fill exercised a feeble and dubious authority. But the very decree of the affem. bly, the fubftance of which has been already intimated, proved: the most deplorable fource of difcord: In that decree, parochial affemblies were directed to be held previous to the forming of a colonial conftitu-* tion; but no definition was given' of the perfons who were to form thefe meetings. The people of colour, not being excepted, concluded naturally that they were virtually comprifed in the law. The moit violent contefts enfued, and a depiner tation was fent over to the national affembly, to demand an explication. 15 In May 1791, the matter was warmly agitated in the affembly. The advocates in favour of the people of colour urged the declaration of rights, which the affembly itfelf had agreed on as the bafis of their new conftitution, and even appealed to a higher authority, the great fundamental principles of reafon and juftice. The colonial des puties, and their abettors, confeffed that the prejudice againft the people of colour was abfurd and unjuit; but they alleged that it was a prejudice which could not be annihi lated by a fingle decree, or be obliterated in a fhort space of time That a law which fhould at once elevate thefe perfons to the fame rank with the white colonifts, would' expofe the ifland to the fevereft ca lamities. The affembly found itfelf. in a most difficult predicament. The free people of colour on the one hand, and their dependents, were numerous and wealthy; and, on the other, the whites in the French islands were masters of nearly 200,000 negroes, were poffeffed of 7 all all the actual power, and had exhibited the moft alarming fymptoms of independence. They had already opened their ports to foreign nations, and had threatened to tranffer their allegiance to the English government. The troops which had been fent had been debauched from their duty, and corrupted in their principles, and little reliance could be placed upon new debarkations. In this dilemma, the legiflature proceeded gradually, and with extreme caution. On the 13th of May, a decree was paffed to quiet the apprehenfions of the colonifts with refpect to the liberation of the negroes; and it was establifhed as a conftitutional article," that the legislature of the mother country could decide nothing with refpect to the liberation of the flaves, but upon the ac tual and formal demand of the colonial affemblies." This was followed, on the 15th, by another decree equally cautious, and in effect partial to the white colonists; which was, that people of colour born of free parents on both fides, fhould be admitted into all the colonial affemblies and as to those whofe parents on one fide only were free, the legiflature would not determine any thing till they heard the fentiments of the colonial affemblies. Thus, by a repetition of the fame timid policy which had produced the disturbances, the affembly still continued to widen the breach.Neither party was fatisfied with the decree. The majority of the people of colour were not born of parents who were both free, fince it happened that a confiderable number were the offspring of flaves who had been in a ftate of concubinage with their masters; and the white colonitts, on the other hand, found their darling prejudice invaded even by this tri fling innovation. The moft fatal difcord manifefted itself immediately. The affembly had fent over no troops to enforce its own decree. The colonifts complained, that the decree in itfelf was impracticable. Such a fcrutiny as it required into the pe digree and extraction of individuals, could not be conducted without of fence, without difficulty and litigation. The white colonists reprefented in the ftrongest terms, that this laft decree was a total violation of the preamble to the former: though the affembly had fanctioned the continuance of flavery, they fill feared the abolition of the flaves trade, and determined to relax nothing in their feverity and oppref fion of the people of colour. In the mean time, the enemies of the revolution were not inactive in inflaming the minds of both parties. The flaves, whether inftigated by incendiaries, or whether finding the civil authority which held them in obedience almoft annihilated, foon began to take a part in the difputes; and difcord, violence, and bloodshed: pervaded every part of the colonies. In Martinico, and the fmaller islands, after much conteft, order has been partly restored; but St. Domingo ftill remains a melancholy scene of. defolation and civil war. The hif tory of thefe tranfactions has not yet been fufficiently investigated: but, in our next volume, we purpose to collect the moft authentic flatements, and to furnish as complete a narrative as poffible, both of the caufes and confequences of this infurrection. し In the latter end of June, the eity of Paris, and the whole kingdom of France, were thrown into the most! violent confternation, by the defertion of the king. It was remarked, that for fome weeks previous to this. event, the emigrations had greatly increased; |