their popularity, and were re-elected, with Robefpierre, members of the Convention for the trial of the King. On the RIGHT and LEFT fides of the Affembly-Houfe, there was a jeu de mots (a play on words) very commonly repeated before the reign of terror began, under Robespierre, in the polite and fafhionable circles of Paris. Le Coté droit eft Gauche: mais le Coté Gauche n'eft pas droit,-the right fide is the left (or wrong) but the left fide is not the right. JACOBINS. A number of gentlemen, from Britanny, joined chiefly by feveral journalists, and other men of letters, had formed themselves into a club for the difcuffion of political fubjects; and were called the Breton Club. Towards the end of 1789, they were diftinguished by the appellation of Jacobins, from a conyent of monks called Jacobins, where they held their meetings. THE JACOBIN CLUB, eftablished at Paris, and composed of the ringleaders, of the revolution, excited the inhabitants of all the other towns in France to infurrection. They correfponded directly with about eleven hundred kindred, or, as they called them, Affiliated Clubs; which eleven hundred clubs, had each their circle. of affiliated clubs, in inferior towns and villages, with which they correfponded. GIRONDISTS. The deputies of the departments of the Girond; that is, Bourdeaux and the country around it; being the course of the Garron. Like the Conftitutionalifts, or Friends to Limited Monarchy, they wished to fteer a kind of middle courfe between the two extremes; and, like them too, after enjoying, under Louis XVI. all the authority of government, were crushed in the contest between the two oppofite and violent parties. FEUILLANTS. Another political club like that of the Jacobins; but of which the members were men of moderation. They maintained for a time, an unavailing oppofition to the Jacobins ; by by whom they were at length, in 1791, driven out of their hall by force, and finally difperfed. Such was the CLUB-LAW of the Jacobins. CORDELIERS. Another club, compofed of men even more violent than Jacobins; and, for the moft part, of the lower claffes of the people. They were not in oppofition to the Jacobins, but maintained the fame doctrines. Though their fociety was not fo completely organized, and though they had not fo extensive a correfpondence, the club of the Cordeliers was kept up nearly as long as that of the Jacobins. At the head of the Cordeliers were a number of Journalists. BRISSOTINS. So called from the Journalist, and author of various works, Briffot; who held a distinguished place among the Girondifts: from which circumftance the terms Girondift and Briffotine are fometimes confounded. Briffot, who had travelled in America, confidered the form of government of the United States of that country as the best that had ever actually exifted; and confequently as the beft model for imitation. Hence the adherents of Briffot, and fometimes the Girondifts, in general were called FEDERALISTS, or friends to a federal union; fuch as that among the Swifs Cantons; the United Provinces of the Netherlands; and, above all, that among the United States of America. MUNICIPALITÉ. An inftitution for regulating the police of cities, fimilar to our courts of a Mayor and Common-Council-men. SECTIONS. These have been formed only in Paris. They correfpond nearly to the former parochial divifions, and are neceffary for the management of the police, and the national guards. DEPARTMENTS. The general divifions of France. DISTRICTS DISTRICTS. Sub-divifions of departments. COMMUNITIES or COMMUNES. Sub-divifions of diftricts. PRIMARY ASSEMBLIES. Meetings of the communities for the purpose of chufing electors. ELECTORS. Citizens chofen by the communities for reprefenting their respective departments in the National Affembly. SANS-CULOTTES. Literally without breeches. The loweft and moft numerous clafs of the people; the mob; the rabble. THE THE ANNUAL REGISTER, For the YEAR 1792. THE HISTORY OF EURO PE. CHAP. I. Human Affairs governed by permanent Principles.. Characters of Nations how formed. Character of the French Nation. Hiftory of the Spirit of the French Nation for more than a Century paft. Connection between the Infiitution of the French Academy and the late Revolution in France. The greatest Characters in the higheft Stations, carried, along with others, on the Tide of public Opinion. Queftion concerning the real Views of the Authors of the French Revolution. Manifefto drawn up by Condorcet, and decreed by the National Affembly. The fame, extravagant Hopes of general Improvement and Happiness that were entertained in France, diffufed throughout other Countries in Europe. Different Parties and Denominations of Men concur in a Defire to fubvert the old, and establish a new Order of Affairs. The immediate Commencement of the Millenium expected. Miferable Difappointment. The Conftitution from which fo much had been expected, fraught with the Seeds of Diffolution and the most Shocking Crimes and dreful Calamities. In the Muft of thefe, the Levity and Impetuofity of the French Character fill predominant. The first Fruits of the new Conftitution adopted by the Legislative Affembly. The Revolution and Maffacres of Avignon. The ambitious Policy of the French the fame as that of the ancient Romans. Act againft Emigration, and for punishing the Emigrants. This not fan Fioned by the King. The King writes Letters to the Princes, preffing them to return within the Bofom of France. The Royalists of France, after the Retreat of the Princes, divided into two Parties; the Queen's and that of the Princes. Circumflances that fomentVOL. XXXIV. B ed ed a preconceived Jealoufy of the King. Plan of the Affembly for leffening the Power of the King, and establishing their own on its Ruins. The various Steps taken in the Profecution of this Plan. Thofe taken by the Court for their Counteraction. Change of Miniftry. Internal Contefts and Diffentions. Declaration of War against the Emperor. The King refufes to fanétion Decrees for a Camp near Paris, and againft the Refractory Priefs. A furious Multitude breaks into the Palace of the Thuilleries. Remonftrance against this Outrage by the General La Fayette. Decree announcing the Country to be in Danger. LTHOUGH in all well eftagovernments, and particularly thofe of the monarchical kind, many important events may be traced to the intrigues of courts, and characters, and views of particular perfons, yet there is a tide in the affairs of nations, as well as in thofe of individuals, operating with an uniformity which excludes the poffibility of chance, and flowing from permanent principles. The conftant change in the opinions, paffions, and characters of nations, is not readily perceived in the monotony of peaceable times: but fooner or later it tends to fome important crifis, and is found to be the grand engine that governs the world. It is this that exercises a fovereign influence on the great movements of the human drama: the rife, the convulfions, and the fall of empires. The characters of nations are not formed entirely by moral, but partly by the phyfical caufes of extraction, climate, foil, and other circumftances. The character given of the French nation by Roman hiftorians, men of intelligence and penetration, and who had the best opportunities of knowing it, be longs to them at this day*. They are restlefs, impatient, and defirous of change: they are the most univerfally, and the most fenfibly and fuddenly alive to the spirit and paffion of the times, whatever that may be religion, war, gallantry, colonization, and commerce; or refinement and the advancement of knowledge. Whatever they defire, they purfue with ardour, and in a body. Diftinction and pre-eminence is always their aim, whether in gaiety and frivolity, or arts and arms. If the genius of the times be an ambition of conqueft, and an attachment to warlike chiefs and hereditary fovereign princes, they convert their king almoft literally into an idol : if that of piety and devotion, they are the foremost in the crufade, and the most liberal in their donations to the church: and, as we fee now, if that of liberty and equality, they violate all treaties, invade all property, level all ranks, and give the kifs of fraternization to negroes. In fhort, in every thing, good or bad, they must be foremost; with this adjunctive and unfortunate circumftance, that any thing Cæfar tells us that the Gauls were fickle, given to innovation, and fo turbulent and feditious, that factions exifted not only in every principality and state, but almoft in every house. Polybius, Tacitus, and other writers, give them the fame character. + The ftatue of Louis XIV was fet up in the place de Victoire in Paris; and the French officers and others took off their hats and bowed to it as they pafled. good |