The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-20

in the capital, had formed an intimacy and a
friendihip with the citizens numerous and
formidable body, by long continuance there,
had begun to initiate the manners, the cuGoms,
and even TO adopt the political fentiments of
the inhabitants. France alto, the mon warIik,.
| nation in Europe, fcarcely poilelTed fnglc in
dlvicual who had not ferved in her armies
great portion otthe Parf;ns were therefore al
ready cnured to diicipline, and familiar with
| arms. In addition to all the other motives
which this clafs of men podeGed in common
with their fcliCw-fubieGts, the deductions of in
tereit ought not to be omitted. The French
guards iecre;ly coveted the homo of being en-
pioycd about the pcrflns of their kings the We
tcrans IN the line were taught to hope that thcv
might become fubalterns, for. although plebei-
ans, they stp,red to thefe diitlttcns, hitherto,
with very few exceptions, conferred OH blood
alone.
No fooner, therefore, did the revolutionary
volcano burt forth, than The troops of the ca
pital were entangled in, and carried along with
| the burning lava. Dazzled with gold, gratifi-
ed with women, intoxicated with wine, inaam-
cd by Patriotfm, it was utterly inlpople for
| them to reh;' 70 many allurerents accordingly
they at length joined, and, in great mcaiurc,
actually decided the fate Of the ynct genera!
| contpiracy Europe bad hitherto wtuened acainlt
| the deipotlim OF a throne, upheld b. powerful
clergy and nolility, furrounded by numerous
armies accutuned to implicit obedience, and
strengthened and fupported by the invcteracy
OF cufton,, and the preiudices of ages.
| At this critical period, when union and abili-
| ~ might have protracted the fate of the monar-
chy, the court was diitratted by private iealou-
mes, and divided by petty feuds. 1t no Longer,
| awed by talents, or tazzled by dignity, or in
tinidated by terror. The crown, in compliance
with the recommendations of a citizen of &C.
neva9, was thorn of its lutre for he had pre-
vaiiedupon Louis XVI. TO reform his brilliant
| out expeniive eitabliihment of houfehold troops
| committing or the light horfe, the gendarmes, and
| the mufqueteerS, whole gilded traDDines at
traeted the admiration of the multitude, and
whole haughtinefs was in fome meafure cacu-
lated to awe them into obedience The royal
authority, frequently and uniuitly exerciitd a.
galnit the parliaments, had at length, Welded to
| Their hrmnefs the prerogative, omnpotent in
theory, was now, for the firft time, bounded in
prattice. The king, poleiling many virtues,
but feeble, rreiolute, and luxurious, excited pi-
| ~, and even contempt. Vibrating between the
violent councils of his comfort, and the timidity
OF his own nature, he appears to have been emf
nentiy capricious, Cor he was by turns tyranni-
! cal and compliant.
Maria-Antoinetts, while dauphineis, had &c
| CURED the refpect of the nation, by refIfnG to
countenance the mitrefs of the reigning mo-
1 .
but imPrudent prncefs now experienced its
hatred. Until her time, the queens of France,
| reitfalned by certain accufomed formalites. had
never dined in the company of the other fex :;
and, IN confequence of ftrange inconfifency,
her msJeity was accufed by the inhabitants of
! gay and dehauched capital, with having over
leaPed the bounds of pundlio, and even of de-
corum, by living and converting farniliarly with
her courters and favourites. But it cannot he
~ of q
Ject TO more ferrous repreheniion. Her expen-
ces were enormous, her demeanor naughty
her averiIon to every thing that bore the name
OF liberty was confpicuous, and the manner in
which The governed the prince, expofed both
him and herfelfto unceafing fufpicion. The peo-
pie were jealous of her early partialties they
| imagined that fhe was better filter than wife,
| and more attached to the intereRs of Auitria
than OF France; they ever pryed into and loud
ly arraigned her pleafures in addition TO this
the recent tranfaction about the diamond neck
lace, in which her character was unfortunately
implicated with that of the debauchcd cardinal
de Rofan, and female adventurer Of the name
OF la Mote, had alto generated fufpcions that
were revived, from time to time, by the clam
ours OF difcontent, and the virulence Of party
zeal.
Her majefty and the kings two brothers were
ALTO ut open variance among themielyes. The
SidSI vi thClS ildtl acquired ana retained me rel
pect of the nation until the period of his fight
but the profuion of the younger, and fill more
tls zeal againG every innovation on the anc-
ent defpotiiin, at length rendered his name obi
Gus. On the other hand, the Duke of Orleans,
the firtt prince of the blood, openly afpired 10
popularity. His anceftor had been inveitcd
with the regency by the parliament of Paris, in
exPrefs oPpofition TO the will of Louis XIV and
both his father and himfelf, moved perhaps by
gratitude and affection, had ever warmly efpouf-
ed the claims and privileges of that auguft fri
buna Arrefed and exiled by the king, conf
dering hmief as the object OF the queens un-
ccahng vengeance, and victim defined TO bleed
on the reftoration of the monarchy, he and his
adherents engaged in the political conteit with
unceafing ardour, and expended an amazing for
tune to produce, ftrengthen, and fupport re-
voiutIon, that in the end proved their deftruc-
ton.
The numerous and notorious abufcs in the
government, alto produced an effect correfpon-
dent to the knowledge of an inquftive and cri-
teal age. France, prey by turns to cruel, con-
temptioie, or ianatical princes, ambitious or
profilgate regents, tyrannical miniters, avarici-
GUS fnanciers, corrupt favourites, and devour-
ing courteZans, had not for whole centuries en-
joyed either happinefs on repofe. She was de
med even the .Ree6 Of deLbofijn, the only coufo-
latlon that people can derive from the degra-
dation offervitudc, having twice experienced all
L.~r-e -