contained, of the neceffity of placing the Parisian military on a footing of fubordination to the Conventional authority, and of preventing its becoming the inftrument of a faction, it was decreed that all ranks fuperior to that of chief of a legion, fhould be fuppreffed; and that, conformably to the original organization of the national guards of the metropolis, every chief of a legion fhould take his turn in the command of the whole body. The mayor of Paris, and the commander in chief of the military, were strictly enjoined to watch over the fafety of the Convention; and were to anfwer with their lives for neglect in preventing or fuppreffing commo-. tions. Barrere then feconded the fpeeches made against Robespierre, by adducing a variety of circumfrances in proof of his crimi-, nality. CHAP. IX. Robespierre's Party rifes in his Support. He is outlawed by the Convention. Further Meafures taken against his Party. The Majority of People, especi ally the better Sort, declare against him. Robespierre and his Party are overcome. He is feized, condemned to die, and executed with his principal Ac-. complices. His Character. Satisfaction expreffed by the Populace at bis Fall. New Arrangements made by the Convention. Satisfaction of all. Ranks of People at his Death. Syftem of Moderation adopted. Measures propofed in the Nation at large, and refolved upon in the Convention, to prevent the Return of Tyranny. Provifional Syftem of Government framed by Barrere, and adopted by the Convention. Sentiments of Europe on the Power of Robespierre. Affairs relating to France and America. Diffentions in the Convention, and Accufation of feveral of its Members. They are bonourably acquitted. Attempts to affaffinate Tallien.. Imputed to the Jacobin Club. Reafons affigned for this Meafure. Punishment of Carrier and his Accomplices, for their Cruelties in La Vendée and Nantes. Terms offered to the Infurgents. Members of the Convention, imprisoned during Robespierre's Adminiftration, liberated and reftored to their Seats. Repeal of the Edit for giving no Quarter to the English. R OBESPIERRE, deeply fenfible of his danger, endeavoured to obtain a hearing, and had mounted the tribune for that purpose; but as foon as he was perceived there, he was univerfally affailed with the cry of Down with him. You fhall not fpeak, faid a member to him the blood of Danton is upon your head; it flows into your throat; it choaks you. Is it Danton then? exclaimed Robefpierre, bewildered with rage. Over whelmed at laft by the denunciations of his manifold iniquities poured upon him without mercy from every quarter,-lead me then, he cried, in the voice of defpair, to immediate death. Execrable monfter! a member exclaimed, thou haft deserved it an hundred times. In this horrible ftate he had the confolation, if he was capable of any, of feeing his two intimates, Lebas and Couthon preserve their attachment to him, and courageously de mand mand that, as they had been partakers of his better fortune, they might now fhare in his adverfity. They were accordingly included in the arreft, together with St. Juft and Robespierre's brother, who feems to have provoked his fate by his audacious behaviour to the Convention. Such was the habitual terror in which individuals had been held by Robespierre, that the officer charged to take him into cuftody, was at a ftand whether to obey; till he himself fignified his readinefs to comply. He was led with his fellowprifoners to the prifon of the Luxembourg; but the police-officer on duty there, one of his adherents, refused to take charge of the prifoners: upon which they were conducted to the town-houfe, rather in a fort of triumph than as perfons under an arrest. Thefe extraordinary proceedings were foon reported over all Paris. Robespierre's party affembled immediately under their leaders; and the Jacobin club endeavoured to excite the people to infurrection. The alarm-bells rung; numbers armed themselves; and guns were brought against the hall of the Convention. Henriot, commander in chief of the national guards, had been arrefted, pursuant to the Convention's decree; but had found means to escape, and to colleft a body of men, which he divided into three parts. One was ftationed at the town-house, as a guard to the municipality; another was difpatched against the committee of public fafety; and the other against the Convention itself. This arrangement of their force infpired the party of Robespierre, which had formed a regular affem bly at the town-houfe, with fo much confidence, that they declared the Convention enemies and traitors to the ftate, and themfelves the true reprefentatives of the people. The Convention, alarmed at this bold and defperate measure, and confcious that their lives were at ftake, loft no time in preparing the moft vigorous meafures against their adverfaries. They began by proclaiming a sentence of outlawry against all those who formed the meeting at the town-house. Le Gendre and Barras, two men of known intrepidity, were placed at the head of the military, and of others who had repaired to their affiftance. Seven other members were deputed to the principal parts of the metropolis, to iffue in each a proclamation explaining the real ftate of the cafe between the Convention and its oppofers. These deputies exerted themselves with fo much expedition as well as prudence, that long before night the different fections of Paris were secured to the Convention, and fo lemnly renewed their oaths of fidelity to that body, as fole reprefentatives of the nation. The principle that now operated moft eflentially in favour of the Convention, was, that very terror by which Robespierre had kept the public in fubjection. Released from their fears, people now gave the reins to their inclinations and real fentiments. As thofe only who fubfifted through his tyranny were interested in its fupport, an immenfe majority appeared inftantly against it. The reputable claffes, who embraced the opportunity of throwing off fo cruel a yoke, feized the aufpicious hour when the the alarm-bells were ringing; they rofe unanimoufly, as it were, by inftinct the moment they were apprized of the caufe; and, running through the streets, loudly exhorted every one to fly to the aid of the Convention. In the mean time, Henriot, at the head of his divifion, made an attempt on the Thuilleries, where the Convention held its fittings: but on their proclaiming him out. lawed, his officers and foldiers forfook him directly; and he withdrew with this diftreffing intelligence to his affociates at the townhoufe *. Their affairs were now in a defperate fituation. In addition to this check, Le Gendre had difperfed the Jacobin club and all their partizans, and was now at the head of a numerous body of foldiers and citizens, determined and pre pared to defend the Convention. The only remaining enemy to be fubdued was the force collected for the fupport of Robespierre and the chiefs of his party, affembled at the town-houfe. That force howe ver was fo confiderable, that had it retained its attachment to that party, and acted with vigour in its defence, the iffue of the conteft would have been very doubtful. But relying on the effect which the fcheme of outlawry had produced, the Convention refolved to attack their enemies with that weapon, in conjunction with the foldiers and citizens appointed for that fervice, at three o'clock in the morning. On the 28th Bourdon de L'Oife put himself at their head, and marched directly to the town houfe. He halted at the front of it, and The heads of the Robespierrian party had withdrawn from the hall of the Convention to the town-houfe of Paris. Robefpierre himfelf was in the midft of them, in the full poffeffion of his influence over the fections of Paris and the national guard. The Convention were under a kind of blockade in their hall, against which was pointed a number of cannon. Henriot, the right hand of Robefpierre, was at the head of the armed force, which invefted it on every fide. The first who moved the outlawry of Henriot was Barras. Several members of the Convention made an effort to get out of their hall, and to promulgate this fentence to all Paris; but they were opposed and driven back. But a thought ftruck one of the members, that the fentence of outlawry might be fignified to Henriot by one of their ufhers or door-keepers: and this expedient completely anfwered the pur pofe for which it was intended. The ufher made his way through the national guards, and delivered the decree of outlawry into the hands of Henriot; who threw it into the meffenger's face without looking at it, faying, "Go back to those who sent thee to me, and tell them that I laugh at both them and theis decrees." But when the man had gone, on a little reflection, he faid, "Let us fee, however, what those raicals would be at." On reading the contents of the рарег, he was in great agitation, and coming again to his troops, faid, in a faulter ing voice, "Would you believe it? They have outlawed me." Having faid this, he haftened to the town-houfe. The firft of Robespierre's adherents that met him, pushed him under the ftair-cafe with great difdain. "Go," said he, you are a coward." The inftant Henriot deferted his poft, the cannons, pointed against the Thuilleries, were turned against the town-houfe, Barras was ape pointed commandant of the military force of Paris, and Robespierre was overthrown a very ftriking proof, that the greatest revolutions and fate of nations, may fometimes depend upon the fudden and unaccountable emotions of one mind! read read the declaration of outlawry; on which the national guards refufed all further obedience and adherence to the party they had been brought together to defend. Nothing was left to do, but to feize the heads of that party. Bourdon dé L'Oife, accompanied with a fufficient force, ruthed into the townhoufe, where the difmay they were under, made their difcomfiture a talk of no difficulty. Most of them were feized, and most of them who efcaped for the prefent were fpeedily taken. Robespierre was found alone in one of the rooms of the townhoufe. He had discharged a piftol in his mouth, which had broke his under-jaw. He held a knife in his hand, apparently with the intention of difpatching himself; but a fol. dier who difcovered him, thinking he meant to employ it in his defence, fired a piftol, which wounded him in the fide. His brother threw himfelf out of a window, and broke his leg and an arm; Couthon ftabbed himself, but not mortally; only Lebas fhot himfelf dead on the fpot. Henriot, in the mean time, was endeavouring, from one of the windows of the town-houfe, to prevail by his entreaties on the folders who had been under his command, not to defert the cause they had promised faithfully to defend; but he was feized while he was fpeaking, and hurled headlong upon the ftones, where he bruifed to death." was The circumftances attending the lafter hours of Robefpierre were horrible. He was first conveyed to the house of the committee of general fecurity, where he was laid on a table, weltering in the blood that flowed from his wounds. A VOL. XXXVI. meffage being fent to the Conven- The principal of those who fuf- M ened lution of thofe who formed it, their abilities, their numbers, ftrength, and influence, were every way equal to the object they propofed; and it was rather uncertain for a while, whether they would not fucceed: but at five in the afternoon their vaft projects had been overthrown, and they were all no more. ened the Convention. The refo- difinterestedness and integrity: by the fecond, he was enabled to win the confidence of thofe with whom he was connected: confidering him as an individual of great prudence and difcretion, they trufted him the more readily with their own fecrets. It was chiefly by these means, aided by an eafy and impreffive eloquence, not unfrequently adorned with the energetic brevity of a profound and bold fentiment and a steady courage, that he rofe into reputation, and gained the knowledge of thofe men whom he was defirous to cultivate, and of thofe meafures which he fought to guide. He had arrived at the age of thirty before he attracted particular notice. His parts did. not feem calculated for any exalted fituation, nor even for much exertion in the ordinary occurrences of life. His perfon was the reverfe of prepoffeffing; his afpect was fickly; and the cheerfulness that ufually marks his countrymen, was not visible in any of his features: yet, with all thefe difadvantages, the neceffity of rendering himself acceptable to thofe who employed him in the line of his profeffion, which was the law, had taught him obfequioufnefs and complaifance. He thereby procured himself the goodwill of his acquaintances, and, through their means, together with his parts, made an advantageous figure at the bar in his native city of Arras, the capital of the province of Artois. The credit and The character of Robespierre has exercifed the ingenuity of various writers--they all agree in reprobating his conduct; but they frequently differ in their opinion of his capacity. But in fpeaking of a man fo well known by his actions, thefe alone are fufficient to convey an adequate idea of his abilities, as well as to fhew the frame of his mind, and by what motive he was actuated. The features moft predominant in his character, were, the luft of power, diffimulation, and cruelty. He had none of thofe magnanimous fenti ments that occationally counterpoife the very worft of vices, and command foine refpect for individuals for whom no real attachment can be felt. His vicious inclinations were always predominant: they were at the bottom of all the deep and latent views that perpetually occupied his thoughts. The only two qualities he had, which might be ftyled commendable, were contempt of money and impenetrable fecrecy. By the firft of thefe, he obtained the fame of At a meeting of his political friends, during the trial of the King, when fome of them feemed doubtful and wavering in their refolutions how to act, Robespierre, with a very serious and fignificant look, faid, "If Lewis XVI. be not guilty, what are you?" This produced an immediate effect-many voted for the death of the King, through the fear of death to themselves. Besteem |