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pers relative to the royalift confpiracy. These papers, the authenticity of which is inconteftable, detail the plots, name the confpirators, and develope the thread of the treafons. These texts are too pofitive and clear to need any comments. It is fufficient that the Directory fhould retrace to you, in a few words, the events to which thefe papers refer. There are facts fo palpable, that no impofture can difguife them in the eyes of nations: fuch was the confpiracy of Vendemiaire. It was in vain that tribunals, which in the firft inftance did not deny its existence, declared afterwards that there was neither revolt nor fedition: royalifm itself blufled at this lie. All the circumftances of that event too clearly proclaimed its aim, nature, and characteristics; and the opinion of Europe would have been invariably fixed on this head, provided even no discovery had been made by the correfpondence of Lemaitre, by the papers of the emigrant Gelin, and by the palpable and convincing proofs of the intercourfe which the principal agitators, the plotters and the libellers of Vendemiaire, kept up with the exterior royalifts. An important circumftance, however, of that epoch was long concealed from us; and in laying it before you we fulfil a painful duty, fince we have to denounce to you a traitor in the perfon of a man, who fometimes led your defenders to victory. While the diffolution of the national convention was plotting in Paris, and the faction endeavouring to feize on the fupreme authority, Pichegru, ftationed on the bank of the Rhine, received the propofitions of Condé, and replied to them by plans of invafion and royalifm. If the white flag was not

difplayed in the French camp; if the Rhine was not croffed by the hoftile army; if your strong holds were not delivered up and taken poffeffion of, in the king's name, by imperial troops; if Pichegru did not march to Paris; if he did not come hither in the space of a fortnight,--citizens, it is dreadful to have to ftate to you, that it was Condé who refused to put in execution Pichegru's plan. This plan would not, however, have fucceeded: the brave foldiers whom the General dared to infult would not have permitted it to have been carried into effect. They were calculated to obey the voice of patriotifm alone; and would have repulfed and overcome the treason.

"I fhall leave nothing unfinished," faid Pichegru; "I do not wish to be the new third volume_of La Fayette and Dumourier." He was defirous to refemble them in perfidy: but he wished also to furpafs them in fuccefs, and in the completion of his guilt. Behold then the fecret of that favour which royalifm conftantly afterwards granted to Pichegru. This is the reafon why he was the firft to be chofen prefident of the Council of Five Hundred, after the entry of the third. And this explains the calumnies which were heaped on the Executive Directory, when it merely, however, accepted of the refignation of that General, whose infidelity it fcarcely began to fee through and fufpect. Subdued on the 13th Vendemiaire, royalism for a moment yielded to the ftorm: for feveral months after, it displayed itfelf under the hideous features of terrorifm alone, perfectly certain of profiting almoft equally either by the fuccefs or defeat of this new kind of manœuvre. Such, citizens,

is the danger of anarchy, that if it triumphs, it leads to royalty through calamities and crimes, and can only be fubdued by caufing the public authorities to affume a carriage invariably more or lefs favourable to the partifans of defpotifm. This last maxim has been but too much verified during fifteen months paft; and royalifm, ftrengthened by the defeat of a few brigands, whofe rage it had itself organized, and whofe attempts it had directed, would, fince the commencement of that period have made a progrefs if not more extensive, at least more rapid, provided one of its orators had not been in too much hafte to point out the aim in view. This orator, named Lemerer, has been, as well as Merfan, acknowledged by Duverne de Prefle to be known and established intermediary agent between a part of the legislative body and the agents of the pretender. When, in the month of Fructidor, of the 4th year, Lemerer undertook, in one of the national tribunes, to point out the constitution of 1791 as the object of the regret of his party; when he rafhly infulted the triumph which liberty obtained on the 10th of Auguft, 1792, the eyes of all the faithful deputies were inftantly opened, and from that time to the Ift of Prairial laft, they constantly opposed to every counterrevolutionary propofition, their zeal, their energies, and their votes. Obliged to adjourn on the 1ft Prairial, the epoch of its legiflative fway, royalism gave a new direction to its efforts. It encircled the feat of government more clofely than ever; and by establishing agents, guards, and emiffaries on all fides; by organizing their connections, their fubordination, and their correfpon

dence; by, in fome measure, fetting up a counter-revolution in each department and in each commune, it fought at once to pave the way for the elections, and to fecure a military force which it might bring into action at its pleature. Such, citizens, from the month of Pluviofe, was the power of royalism, that the difcovery of the confpiracy of Brottier, Dunan, and Villernois, merely augmented its audacity, and fortified its means even by their manifef tation. Never did confpirators, fo fully convicted by their writings and confeffions, find more apologiits, fupporters, and protectors, who did not hesitate to manifeft the lively intereft they took in their caufe. In ferving them, it was found to be more useful than dangerous to difplay the full extent of the different refources of the party under which they acted. It cannot be doubted, citizens, but that in the majority of the departments the elections were the work of this party. In proof of this you have only to refer to the debates of the military tribunal; to the two declarations which Duverne de Prefle has placed in our hands, and which we publish this day; and, finally, to the fentiments and conduct of the new deputies, whom corruption and intrigue gave to the Republic. Emigrants inundating Paris and the departments more and more; republicans either butchered or forced to fly from their homes: fuperftition and fanaticifm recalled by thofe even who, under the monarchy, contributed the most effectually to profcribe them; the patriotic inftitutions abandoned and infulted; the fymbols of royalifm difplayed audaciously; the licentioufness of the prefs carried to an unexam

pled excefs; the purchasers of national domains menaced, and even ftripped of their property; public credit almost annihilated; commerce paralyzed; induftry precarious; private tranfactions without either rule or pledge; the national treasury left without refources in the midft of numberlefs and urgent wants; difcontents of every defcription at their greatest height; difcords rekindled; the defenders of the country rewarded for their triumphs, facrifices, and wounds, by infults and profcriptions; and, finally, external peace retarded by a declaration of new innovations. Such, citizens, is the picture which the Republic prefents; and it is thus that the hope of the establishment of the conftitutional act, which had been increafing for fome months, has been daily diffipated. No, it is not to return to fo much wretchednefs and disgrace that you have encountered the perils of a revolution. Your children, your brothers, your friends, fhall not in vain have difperfed the armies of kings, and acquired the admiration of nations. The factious will not be allowed to overthrow the work of the national will. The conftitution of the third year fhall not be wrefted from us. Some of the reprefentatives of Blankenbourg, ufurping the title of the chofen reprefentatives of the people, emigrants, chiefs of Chouans, heads of confpirators, men who have conftantly betrayed their duty in the most eminent functions, fhall deprive you of the fruits of your labours. The legislative body will doubtless make a wife diftinction. It is upon its patriotism and its talents that you ought to rely for the accomplishment of this great at of juftice and neceffity, -Confide in

the legislative body, and give the law its courfe; without which your generous impulfe, affuming an irregular and improper direction, and proceeding in the midft of tumult towards an object but faintly recognized, you will lofe the whole fruit of your exertion, if you do not experience the fatal effect of fuch conduct as you already have so often experienced them. Never forget, citizens, that we are placed between two dangers equally great, that of leaving behind the germs of an evil which infallibly would produce new fhocks, and that of perifhing by the too violent effect of the remedy.

LAREVEILLIERE LEPAUX

Prefident.
LAGARDE, Secretary.

The Executive Directory to the Citizens of Paris, Sept. 4th, 1797. Citizens,

ROYALTY has just threatened the conftitution by a new attack. After having for a whole year fhaken, by their dark manoeuvres, all the foundations of the Republic, they thought that they were fufficiently powerful to confummate its deftruction. They thought themselves fufficiently protected to venture to aim its firft attacks against the fupreme depofitaries of the executive authority. Arms were daily distributed to the confpirators; and all Paris knows, that one of the distributers was arrefted with a great number of bonds, upon which he had already delivered a great num ber of firelocks.

Cards ftamped Legislative Body, and marked with an R, were circulated, in order to serve as rallying figns to the confpirators

charged

charged with the office of maffacring
the Directory, and the deputies
faithful to the caufe of the people.
A great number of emigrants, cut-
throats of Lyons, and brigands of
La Vendee, attracted hither by the
intrigues of royalism, and the ten-
der intereft publicly lavifhed upon
them without fear, attacked the
pofts which furrounded the Exe-
cutive Directory; but the vigilance
of the government, and the chiefs
of the armed force, fruftrated their
criminal efforts. The Executive
Directory is about to lay before the
nation the authentic documents
which it has collected concerning
the manœuvres of the royalifts.
You will fhudder with horror, citi-
zens, at the plots entered into against
the fafety of every one of you,
against your property, against your
deareft rights, against your most fa-
cred poffeffions; and you may cal-
culate the extent of the calamities
from which in future you can alone
be preferved by the maintenance
of the conftitution. So many tri-
umphs had already crowned the
establishment of this conftitution;
your Generals and your intrepid de-
fenders, had furrounded it with
their immortal trophies. At the
fame of their victories, agriculture
and commerce refumed their acti-
vity, public credit by degrees reco-
vered, confidence and fecurity be-
gan to fpring up in every heart,
and this is the moment which has
been pitched upon to rekindle your
animofities, to propagate fuperfti-
tion, to reorganize the power of fa-
naticifm, to fow doubts and alarms
in every breast, by opening new
avenues for the return of the emi-
grants, to fhake the guarantee of
public contracts, to give the fignal
of civil war, and to retard, by the

hopes with which foreign nations were infpired, the fo much wished conclufion of peace with our external foes, honourable and folid, worthy of the triumph of the French people, and of their generofity. No, you will not lofe the fruits of your long facrifices, you will rife indignantly against those bafe emigrants, the authors of our calamities, of all our agitations, of all our fufferings. You will arm yourfelves to ftop their designs, and to defend against their attacks your perfons, your property, and your rights. But beware of agitations: do not difgrace the most glorious of caufes by the exceffes of an anarchy juftly abhorred. Refpect property. Let not an ill-directed patriotic impulfe throw you into a fatal confufion. Obey no voice but that of the avowed chiefs appointed by the government. Rely upon the vigilance of your magiftrates, and upon the exertions of your legiflators, who have remained faithful to the caufe of the people. Patriotifm will refume all its energy, the conftitution all its force, the nation all its glory, and every citizen will enjoy, in their fullest extent, liberty, happinefs, and tranquillity.

Arrêt of the Executive Directory of the 12th Ventofe.

THE Executive Directory having confulted the law of the 9th March, 1793, confidering that the flags of neutral powers being no longer refpected by the enemies of the French Republic, and all the rights of men being violated to their prejudice, it is no longer permitted to the French people to fulfil towards thofe powers in general that with which they have fo often

manifefted, and which they will constantly entertain for the full and entire freedom of commerce and navigation, directs, among other difpofitions,

ift. That ships of war and privateers may ftop, and bring into the ports of the Republic, neutral fhips which fhall be charged, in whole or in part, with merchandise belonging to the enemy.

2d. That merchandise belonging to the enemy fhall be declared good and lawful prize, and be confiscated to the profit of the captors.

3d. That in all cafes neutral fhips fhall be releafed the moment that the merchandise feized is discharged; that the freight of it fhall be paid at the rate which fhall have been ftipulated by the configners; and that a juft indemnity fhall be granted on account of their detention by the tribunals competent to decide upon the validity of prizes.

4th. That these tribunals fhall be directed befides to fend, three days after the decifion, a double inventory of the merchandise to the minifter of marine, an! another to the minifter for foreign affairs.

5th. That the prefent law, applicable to all the captures that have been made fince the declaration of war, fhall ceafe to have effect as foon as the enemy fhall have declared non-feizable, although deftined for the ports of the Republic, the merchandise laden on board neutral ships, which fhall belong to the government, or to French citi

zens.

Having feen the law of the 27th of July, 1793, which directs the foregoing law to be fully executed; having alfo feen the 7th article of the law of the 13th Nivofe, third year, which enjoins all the agents

of the Republic to refpect and ooferve in all their difpofitions the treaties which unite France to the neutral powers of the continent, and to the United States of Ameri

ca; confidering that this laft law is derogatory to the law of the 9th of May, 1793, refolves as follows:

Art. 1. The commiffaries of the Executive Directory with the civil tribunals of the department, shall take care that, in the contefts upon the validity of marine prizes, no decifion fhall be founded upon the 7th article of the law of the 13th Nivofe, without the minister of juftice having been previously confulted, conformably to the third article of the law of the 8th Floreal, fourth year, relative to the treaties, in virtue of which neutral perfons pretend to withdraw themselves, sy means of the first of these laws, from the execution of that of the 9th of March, 1793.

2d. The minifter of justice shall examine whether the treaties still fubfift, or whether they have been modified fince the conclufion of them. There fhall be furnished to them by the minifter for foreign affairs, all the documents of which they fhall ftand in need; and reference fhall be made to the Executive Directory, as it is prescribed by the law of the 8th Floreal, fourth year.

sd. The Directory remind all French citizens, that the treaty concluded on the 6th of February, 1778, between France and the United States, has been, on the terms of the fecond article, modified of full right by that which has been concluded at London on the 19th November, 1794, between the United States of America and England: in confequence, lft. After

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