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

carctcd by two OF the greateit monarchs Eu-
rope has ever witneHed; for both Frederick s.
Catharine were proud to behold them at their
courts, and eager to coniide the future hopes
OF two abtolute thrones to their enlightened
councils.
The economics were BATTERED at beholding
mlniters ieleeted from among them and con-
hdered Turgot, while regulating the finances
and meiorating the fate of IN oppreiicd nation,
as at once their ornament and their chief. They
were learned and emil .,htcned body, had devo-
ted their attention to the fciencc OF government,
and, by uniting with the philosophers, actually
obtained for time, two out of the three great
objects to which they afpired ;--thc liberty of
the prefs, the free circulation of grain, and the
Establishment of an intermediate power between
the king and the people, under the name of pro-
vincial itates. Thefe various focieties and indi-
viduals, at once cultivated and propagated ade-
tettation of tyranny /; fome OF them beheld its
hrit gleam Others lived to fee the MERIDIAN
fpiendour of the revolution and alas few
witneiied, but were not permitted to iurvivc,
It's horrors.
Such were the men who beheld the approach
OF, and endeavoured TO render their country
worthy OF, liberty: happy had it been for the
nation had il either remained longer under their
tutelaee, OF that tuch only had been called to
preiide over them: for, although fpirit of in
tolerance and calumny hath gone forth, yet it
is fact, and truth requires it fhould be every
where proclaimed, that the philosophers, ma
thematicians, and men of letters, were neither
the init,gators nor perpetrators, but uniformly
the victims, OF crimes and that in no one of the
horrors of the revolutionary conflict, have any
oftheie embrued their hands
But 1t ought not to be omitted, that there
were writers of another kind, who coGfpircd,
tometimeS involuntari!y, aGanft the ehahlihed
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iinances, diiclofed fecrets that proved ruinous
TO the credit of the monarchy; while the plans
& writings of MS rival Calonne, who meditated
important changes relative to the piiviedged or
ders, d5monftratcd that new and 4 better fyi-
tenn of government mutt necciarily be required
TO, on purpoie to fave the fate from bankrupt
cy and dngrace. The contentious of thefe &C.
LIBERATED men, by enlightening the nation ref
pc6ting its revenues, mutt be allowed to have
produced furpriling effect /: for the grand pr-
mary and predifpofing csufe of the revolution,
originated in the diorganiZation CT the finances,
which excited the clamours of the people the
fpirited and eloquent protects of the paramcnts;
the impotent vengeance of the prince and final
ly an appeal to the ftates-general, which, by
awakening the multitude from their lethar-
gy, prepared the catastrophe that 10 fpcedily
enfued.
There were ALTO many other circumstances
which did not fail to operate, although in an
inferior degree. TIE liberties and profperity
Of England-a country feparated only by mar
row arm OF the Tea, and which by its free confi-
tuition had been enabled to combat with, and
not unfrequently to humble, the monarchy
could not be contemplated with IMMUNITY. 1t
is difficult 70 filppoft that 70 many thnufand of
iicers and folders had vilited and fought in be-
half ofthe rights of America, without being i'm
bued with iomethins of a kindred fpirit there
they beheld new and happy nation, among
whom the pride of birth and diftin6tions OF rank
were alike unknown there they, for the frlt
time, faw virtue and talents and courage re-
warded there they viewed with furprife TO-
vereign people fighting, not for matter, but
them.elves, and haranguing, celebrating, diff
pcnhng iuftice, and administering the laws,
by representatives oftheir own free choice. On
therreturnthe contrait was odious & intolerable:
they beheld family preferred to merit, influence
to juftice, wealth to worth /: they began to exa-
mine into a contribution in which the monarch,
whom they were now accuftomed to conhder as
only the hrt magifrate, was every thing; and
the people, the fountain of all power, cyphers
they beheid weakking and an unpopular prin-
cefs, fulrounded by favourites and minions
they felt that they themfelves and their fervices
were overlooked the crowd of petitioners, or
echpfed by the prcteniions of leis meritoriouS
claimants, and they may be iuppofed to have
wifhed, and even to have Ianguiihed for
change
The great body of the army, hitherto the bull
wark of the monarchy and the fcourge of the
people, participated alto in fome meafure, al
though, perhaps, from different cauieS, in the
general diiaffettion. Ever fince the days of Tu-
renne and Condo, the French troops had been
fiattered into obedience, and the principle ofb2-
nonr iubltitutcd in the place of harlhnefs and
rigour. But the ancient difcipline was now per-
vcrted. The folders of Germany, {ubdued in
to mechanical corre6,nefs by the canes of the
corporal and the adiutant, and pofIefing all the
facility of we-regulated machine, without be-
ing animated with any portion of that heroic
ardour which gives fuch a decided fuperiority
to the armies of free ftates, had become models
for TIE imitation of all the kings of Europe.
During the administration OF the count dc St.
German, who had ferved many years abroad,
Louis XVI. was perfuaded TO adopt the military
puniihments of Prulfia, Auftria and RufIia it
was unwifely attempted to iubdue the refined
icnfe of delicacy of which the French folder
had always boafted, and to overcome his vanity
by fubieSting him to the humiiating difcipline
of the fibre. Many preferred voluntary death
to iuch degradation and 70 far was the point
OF honour carried, that ieverai of the drummers,
deeming themielves debated by the infection
alone, actually imagined that nothing but the
grave could obliterate their difgrace.
1t ought not however to be omitted, that o.
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