Historical Epochs of the French Revolution Part 15

Patroles (sic) are doubled in Paris; much apprehension is entertained.

19. The convention announces peace with the Chouans.

_May_ 1. Decrees severe against emigrants.

Preliminary articles signed between France and Holland.

Seventy persons ma.s.sacred in a tumult at Lyons.

On the motion of Dubois Crance, decreed, that three milliards of a.s.signats be issued.

S. The Spaniards defeated near Figueras.

Motion to permit a loss of two per cent. a month on a.s.signats.

Vernier, successor to Cambon, states the expence of the last campaign at 3,000,000,000 in a.s.signats; and the last month at 738 millions.

15. An alliance offensive and defensive concluded at the Hague between France and Holland; the first article excludes the Stadtholder for ever; the second a.s.sures to France one million of livres for the expence of the war.

A vigorous action near Mayence.

Great agitation at Naples; several disturbers of the peace imprisoned.

A deputy complains earnestly against the facility with which divorces are obtained.

The Sardinians defeated near Mount St. Bernard.

Decreed, that Le Bon be brought to trial charged with cruelties equal to Carrier's.

Twenty members of the revolutionary tribunal guillotined.

20. An alarming insurrection of the people of Paris against the convention; Ferrand, a deputy, is ma.s.sacred at the feet of the president; the a.s.sa.s.sin of Ferrand is condemned 22. to death, but is rescued by the people; the 23. suburb St. Antoine marches against the convention, which is in extreme danger and 24. alarm; divisions take place among the insurgents, and they lose their force at once. After having had the advantage some time, the terrorists are overcome by the moderates.

The convention resumes its deliberations, disarms the fauxbourgs, decrees the arrest of a great number of its own members, and orders the immediate execution of fifty of the chiefs of the insurrection.

Decreed, that Barrere's transportation be suspended, and that he be tried again, his sentence being too mild.

The terrorists rise at Toulon, as at Paris, and are subdued with much difficulty and bloodshed.

25. The Chouans, seeing themselves betrayed and deceived by a phantom of a treaty which had been held out to them as secure and permanent, again take up arms.

28. Rhull blows his brains out.

A pet.i.tion is presented to the convention demanding a separation of the supreme powers, as the only means of guarding against tyranny.

The Spaniards are again defeated by Kellerman.

A camp of 3000 men, chiefly cavalry, formed at the Tuilleries.

A proclamation of the convention to French seamen concludes thus, "War, eternal war, against the "English."

Lanjuinais obtains a decree for freedom of religious wors.h.i.+p.

31. Decreed, that the revolutionary tribunals, created May 13, 1793, be suppressed.

Ordered, that the tribunals prosecute the authors and accomplices of the ma.s.sacres of Sept. 2, 1792.

The convention, afraid that Barrere's trial should take up too much time, decrees that he be transported to Africa.

Among the papers of the jacobins is found an order of the old committee of public safety to pay 100,000 livres for printing the correspondence of that society.

A journalist in Paris ventures to write thus: "Legislators, do not exhaust your strength and "genius in discovering that which has been done "before your time; give us the best government you "can; consider that the people of France were the "happiest and the longest so of any people; give us "the laws we have been used to."

_June_ 1. The commune of Valenciennes deliberates in a full a.s.sembly whether it should continue to acknowledge the convention; or whether it should not arrest the representative Lamar.

5. Dutch amba.s.sadors are received in the convention, and the treaty of alliance between the republics ratified.

6. The Vendeans declare that the treaty with them is shamefully evaded; and they again take up arms.

Their brave leader Charette publishes a manifesto.

Decreed, that the property of those condemned or executed since the establishment of the revolutionary tribunals shall be restored to their families; except those of Louis Capet, and his wife, of Philip Egalite, and Madame du Barre (sic).

Decree to apply the palace of Versailles to national uses.

a.s.signats burned to this month amount to 2,623,680,000 livres.

7. The fortress of Luxemburg, almost impregnable, surrenders to the French from want of provisions.

8. Louis Charles, the descendant of 60 Kings, the son of Louis XVI. whom the royalists acknowledged as King since the 21st of Jan. 1793, under the name of Louis XVII. in the eleventh year of his age, finished his unhappy life and vain reign in the prison of the Temple, where he had been confined near three years without communication with any friend. History alone will hereafter instruct the world whether or not he died a natural death, as the convention took great pains to have it believed.

11. Decree in favour of those whom the tyranny of Robespierre caused to fly from the kingdom.

A motion is well received to declare the produce of the next harvest public property.

General Santerre, long detained in prison, and released at the death of Robespierre is again denounced.

Proposed "' to change the odious name of "revolutionary committee, and to suppress the "infamous red bonnet, as being only the symbol of "blood."

14. The republicans receive a severe check at Grand-Champ from the royalists.

The law repealed which forbad the wives and daughters of emigrants to marry foreigners.

The republicans charge the royalists with violating the late treaty. The latter retort the charge.

The republicans claim the victory of the 14th ult.

The nephew of General Dubois writes a letter full of invective and gall against the convention.

All sorts of pastry forbidden, on account of the scarcity of corn.

The decree which declares all a.s.signats, bearing the King's bust, to be of no value in future, takes away from private property one milliard, 665 millions, and 157 thousand livres.

The expence for public instruction amounts to 300,400,000 livres.

20. Romme, Goujon, Duquesnoy, Soubrany, Duroy, and Bourbotte, members of the convention, and active leaders in the late riots, are executed.

23. Boissy d'Anglas reads a new const.i.tution, which the convention proposes to read article by article.

Insurrection at Arras for bread.

The convention orders a school of 200 apprentices to watch-making.

26. Bellisle is summoned by the English, and returns a resolute answer of defiance.

A complete victory obtained over the Spaniards.

2. The emigrants in England are put under the orders of Puissaye, and disembark at Quiberon.

The deputies Peyssard and Forrestier condemned to prison. Prieur de la Marne and Albitte escape judgment by flight.

The value of a louis-d'or is up to 1000 livres.

All citizens from 16 to 60 commanded to serve in the national guard; and in their oath to swear these words, "Hatred against Kings".

Decreed, that murders, which were to be punished with 20 years imprisonment, shall in future be punished with death.

A member proposes that the convention should look back and punish all judiciary a.s.sa.s.sinations, abuses of authority, ma.s.sacres, and arbitrary acts committed since the 1st of Sept. 1792. The convention pa.s.ses to the order of the day, saying, that such retrospect would involve half of France.

All the members of the revolutionary committee of Brest are delivered over to the tribunals.

The Vendeans have further successes.

Fresh ma.s.sacres are committed at Macon.

A section of Paris demands of the convention that it should efface the inscriptions on the gates of churches, by which the nation, at the instance of Robespierre, granted a certificate of existence to the Supreme Being, and insured immortality to the soul.

The churches in Paris are opened, and service performed with great ceremony.

22. Lord Bridport engages the French fleet, and takes three sail of the line.

30. The convention decrees that the daughter of the late King shall be given up to the Emperor, in exchange for the commissioners whom Dumourier had put into the hands of the Austrians.

_July_ 1. The powers of the administrative bodies at Lyons are suspended, and the mayor ordered to the bar of the convention.

The "Reveil du Peuple"(awakening of the people), a new song against the terrorists, is in great vogue.

Lanjuinais proposes to suppress the publication of the votes of the convention, which costs the nation 2,300,000 livres annually.

Report of Genissieu in favour of transported priests.

Tallien and Blad, members of the convention, ordered to repair instantly as representatives to the department of La Vendee.

2. Le Bon, pale and trembling, enters the convention, and begins his defence: "His crimes (he observes) "are those of the convention itself, under whose "orders he acted."

3. Horrid ma.s.sacres in the Southern provinces.

Various skirmishes between the French and Austrians reported.

Bread 16 livres a pound in Paris.

b.l.o.o.d.y action at Chatillon between the Chouans and republicans.

The convention decrees that France is a republic, one and indivisible.

6. Le Bon continues his defence.

Bresson a.s.serts that it is impossible to make France a democratic republic; he votes for a senate, an executive power, and censors.

A member complains that the rights of man only, and not the duties of man, are subjects of consideration.

14. Anniversary of the French revolution celebrated.

Project of a national tontine.

A loan of a milliard at three per cent.

Lanthenas reads a motion from Thomas Paine, he not being able to speak French.

Mons. d'Hervilly is wounded near Aurai (sic).

Warm action between the republicans and Chouans near L'Orient.

Le Bon proceeds with his defence.

Disorders at St. Malo; and at Lyons.

15. The royalists attack the camp of St. Barb; forced to retreat.

16. The Spaniards again defeated.

17. Le Bon decreed to be in a state of accusation.

Report of a complete overthrow of a Spanish army.

Tumults at the theatres.

France contains 28,000 square leagues of 2280 toises. Each league contains 3,850 acres (arpents) which make 105,400,000 acres. Valuing the acres one with another at 150 livres each, the total value of the lands would be 15,810,000,000. The debts of the republic at this time are 17.500,000,000, and these are secured by the lands; there is a deficit therefore of 1,690,000,000.