till the morning of the 17th of July, when the magiftrates were alarmed by the report that a large body of feditious perfons were about to affemble in the Champ de Mars. Two of the magiftrates were fent to the fuburb of St. Antoine, where they had the fatisfaction to find that every thing was quiet. At eleven o'clock however intelligence was brought, that in the quarter of Gros-caillou two perfons had been murdered: three municipal officers were there fore dispatched, at the head of a battalion of national guards, to feize the murderers and difperfe the infurgents. At the fame moment in formation was received of an alarming tumult in the Champ de Confé dération. The mob attacked the national guard, and one man had the audacity to fire on M. la Fayette himfelf. The man was feized; but M. la Fayette, with a falfe generofity, permitted him to efcape. The red flag was now difplayed, and martial law proclaimed. The national guard was at length obliged to fire upon the people, who did not difperfe till about twelve were killed, and fifty or fixty wounded. It was afferted, with what truth it is difficult to fay, that foreign emiffaries were discovered among the populace diftributing money, and exciting them to rebellion.

The period now approached, when the conftituent affembly were to terminate their labours. A committee had been for fome time employed in compiling and digefting into a code the conftitutional decrees, and on the 4th of Auguft it was read to the affembly by M. Thou. ret, and debated article by article on the following days. On the 3d of September it was prefented to the king. He fignified his acceptance of it in writing on the 13th; and the

following day he appeared at the af fembly, introduced by a deputation of fixty members, and folemnly confe crated the affent, which he had already given, and concluded with an oath "to be faithful to the nation and to the law, and to employ the powers vefted in him for the maintenance of the conftitution, and the due execution of the law."

While the conftitutional act was in agitation an additional decree was paffed, importing that no branch of the royal family could exercife any employment in the gift of the people; and on the 30th of September the conftituent national af fembly terminated an uninterrupted feflion of two years and four months, and spontaneously diffolved itself.

In treating of the different acts of the national affembly, we have freely criticised fuch parts of the new conftitution as appeared liable to objection. One general error, and which may ultimately effect its deftruction, muft appear on the perufal of it to moit readers; and that is, the extreme weakness of the executive power. Unless the agents of government be protected and fupported in the execution of their feveral duties, their operations muft neceffarily be timid, feeble, and ineffective. Perhaps the impeachment of minifters, which is a moft folemn, a molt important, and also a most dangerous branch of legislative authority, unless exercised with great difcretion, ought to be fubjected to fuch formalities as might render it difficult upon frivolous pretences. Perhaps the concurrence of a certain portion of the legislative body ought to be required before an impeachment could be brought forward or moved for; fince it appears that, if a popular harangue from a fingle demagogue is fufficient to

H 3

difplace

which he did in a letter to the national affembly dated the 7th of July. The return of the king appeared to make little alteration in the defigns of the fovereigns who were confederated againt France. Spain, indeed, whofe political interefts are diametrically oppofite to a rupture with France, renewed on the occafion its profeffions of amity. The other courts kept ftill at a diftance, and the German frontier was crowded with troops, and every where en gaged in military preparations. He must know little indeed of public affairs, who can suppose that such a circumftance could make any alteration in the intentions of the combined courts. The politics of defpots are always felfish; increase of territory is ftill their favourite purfuit. It would be weak to fuppofe that compaffion for the emigrants, fympathy for the king, or even zeal for the maintenance of royal authority, would be motives ftrong enough to engage them in the expences and difficulties of war. A ftronger in citement must be fuppofed; and that could be no other than the difmemberment of France, connected moft probably with the deftruction and annihilation of the petty ftates of Germany. Victorious, Auftria and Pruffia may be enriched with the fpoils of France; and even 'difappointed in that object, as the fmaller tates of Germany will in that cafe be the chief theatre of war, excufes may be found for placing them under the protection of more powerful empires, and for aggrandizing thefe at the expence of their weak and indigent neighbours.

France however ftill continued in too united a state to warrant any immediate enterprife againft her. Addrelles breathing the ftrongest profeffions of loyalty and attachment to the conflitution poured in from

every quarter. Foreigners refident in France feemed folicitous of the honour of being claffed among her citizens. Among thefe it would be unpardonable not to mention particularly general Luckner. This celebrated veteran, who had renounced his German origin for the privileges of a Frenchman, embraced the opportunity of teftifying his wifh to conquer or die in the fervice of liberty and the conftitution. The conduct of the affembly was not unworthy the confidence which the nation feemed to place in its virtue and patriotifm. Calmness, dignity and moderation characterized its proceedings at this period. In oppofition to the violent republicans, the legislature tenaciously adhered to its conftitutional decree concerning the inviolability of the king's perfon. Even the emigrants were treated with a degree of indulgence: the prince de Condé himself, though profeffedly in a state of war with his country, did not experience either hafte or severity from the assembly. M. Duveyrier was fent as envoy to him and the other princes, to folicit their return to the enjoyment of happinefs and fecurity in the bofom of their country; but this ambassador of peace was imprisoned, and infulted in the most barbarous manner.

The unanimity which prevailed throughout France, from the time of the king's return till his acceptance of the conftitution, was however interrupted by a fhort but difgraceful riot at Paris. Several efforts had been made by ill difpofed perfons, fuppofed to be in the pay of the emigrants, or of the hoftile princes, to difturb the public tranquillity, by circulating lifts of members of the affembly who were reported to be bribed to betray their truft, and other infidious manœuvres. These efforts however all proved abortive

till the morning of the 17th of July, when the magiftrates were alarmed by the report that a large body of feditious perfons were about to affemble in the Champ de Mars. Two of the magiftrates were fent to the fuburb of St. Antoine, where they had the fatisfaction to find that every thing was quiet. At eleven o'clock however intelligence was brought, that in the quarter of Gros-caillou two perfons had been murdered: three municipal officers were there fore dispatched, at the head of a battalion of national guards, to feize the murderers and difperfe the infurgents. At the fame moment in formation was received of an alarm ing tumult in the Champ de Confédération. The mob attacked the national guard, and one man had the audacity to fire on M. la Fayette himfelf. The man was feized; but M. la Fayette, with a falfe generofity, permitted him to efcape. The red flag was now difplayed, and martial law proclaimed. The national guard was at length obliged to fire upon the people, who did not difperfe till about twelve were killed, and fifty or fixty wounded. It was afferted, with what truth it is difficult to fay, that foreign emiffaries were discovered among the populace diftributing money, and exciting them to rebellion.

The period now approached, when the conftituent affembly were to terminate their labours. A committee had been for fome time em ployed in compiling and digesting into a code the conftitutional decrees, and on the 4th of Auguft it was read to the affembly by M. Thou. ret, and debated article by article on the following days. On the 3d of September it was prefented to the king. He fignified his acceptance ofit in writing on the 13th; and the

following day he appeared at the affembly, introduced by a deputation of fixty members, and folemnly confecrated the affent which he had already given, and concluded with an oath to be faithful to the nation and to the law, and to employ the powers vefted in him for the maintenance of the conftitution, and the due execution of the law.'

66

While the conftitutional act was in agitation an additional decree was paffed, importing that no branch of the royal family could exercife any employment in the gift of the people; and on the 30th of September the conftituent national af fembly terminated an uninterrupted feffion of two years and four months, and spontaneously diffolved itself.

In treating of the different acts of the national affembly, we have freely criticised fuch parts of the new conftitution as appeared liable to objection. One general error, and which may ultimately effect its deftruction, muft appear on the perufal of it to molt readers; and that is, the extreme weakness of the executive power. Unless the agents of government be protected and fupported in the execution of their feveral duties, their operations must neceffarily be timid, feeble, and ineffective. Perhaps the impeachment of minifters, which is a moft folemn, a molt important, and also a most dangerous branch of legislative authority, unless exercifed with great difcretion, ought to be fubjected to fuch formalities as might render it difficult upon frivolous pretences. Perhaps the concurrence of a certain portion of the legislative body ought to be required before an impeachment could be brought forward or moved for; fince it appears that, if a popular harangue from a fingle demagogue is fufficient to H 3

displace

difplace a minifter, and even to fubject him to a criminal profecution, thefe offices will never be executed by men of spirit and character.

Another obfervation will perhaps not be confidered as impertinent, as relative to the prefent ftate of France. When the conftitution was fettled, it should have been the great object of every friend to his country to labour for the restoration of tranquillity, order, and industry. Those political affociations, under the denomination of Amis de Conftitution, &c. &c. which might be use, ful at first in keeping up the fpirit

of the people, are certainly no longer wanted. It is not a fupply of politicians, but of mechanics, manufacturers, and hufbandmen, that must now give vigour and profperity to France; and it is better to rest fatisfied with even an imperfect form of government, than by a continued purfuit of ideal perfection to retain the country and the government in an unfettled and a divided state. A free government may fometimes experience injury from too much conEidence; but it is certain to be deftroyed by a series of discord, diforder, and faction.

W

THILE the empire of France was convulfed with the amazing change which had been eflected in its government, the neighbouring countries of Europe were fearcely lefs agitated with foreign wars or with inteftine commotion. No fovereign could fucceed to a throne at a more difficult cilis than that in which Leopold 11. was invefled with the imperial purple. By the temerity of his predeceffor, he found himself involved in a diftant and unprofitable war; while the most flourishing part of lis hereditary dominions appeared for ever alienated from the houfe of Auftria.

Jofeph II. was the mimic of Frederic, who has been mifnamed the Great; but if his views were less selfish, his conduct was lefs art

ful than that of the Pruffian tyrant. Like his great model, he was a votary of the pretended philofophy of Voltaire, and confidered every thing as reformation which was opposite to cftablifhed opinions. No people are more attached to their religion than the Flemings; and the alterations which Jofeph attempted in the church and conftitution of the Delgic provinces, had kept them in alate of agitation for a confiderable period. What was effected by violience was enforced by feverity. The unrelenting perfecution to which all the opponents of Jofeph were expofed, had depopulated the coun try by continued emigrations. The exiles in the mean while preferved a ftrict correfpondence with each other; they had their agents in every part of Brabant and Flanders,

and