The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-08-04

|
ons aud hottie powers rendered ne this t.'li'no-
my. This conduct believed as proper IS our
victories, 70 make coTQue0S t. Iraace.
at a time when even Contrary 'naxirns ap4
lpeared to prevail in the committees or ,,oytrn-
ment, this conduct did not excite aga;ua me a.
ther caiunny or per.ecution. No cloud ever
arUie to tarnih the military glory which | had
acquirec, I'll thattco famous day, theeighteer;h
OF Fruttidor thote who, with too much rapi-
dity extoled that day, approached ne with be-
ing too How 70 denounce a man, in whom {
could Ice only hrOtherin arms, even at the mo-
ment when the evidence OK fattS and of proofs
convinced me that hcwasaccuted by tluth, and
not by unjuit iufocions. The DIRECTOR WHO
alone knew the circumstances of my conduf
iuincientiy to Judge OF it correctly. and wha
every one knows, could Eotbe dii2oled TO Judge
me with indulgence, boldly declared that they
found me irreproacha5le; they employed MS in
their t:rvice: the poit was rot brilliant, but il
foon bee anne 70.
dare to believe that the nation has not for.
gotten how much ihewed myielf worthy of it:
1t has not forgotten with what facle devoted
neis fought in Italy in subordinate fatons it
has not forgotten how wasrelloreti 10 the chief
command by the reveries ofour armies, and re-
named general, in iome mcclure, by our misfor-
tunes; it remembers how l twice recompofed
tine army of the wrecks of thof. that had been
dliperied and how, after having twice tent it
| back IN condition to Oppv!e the RutiianS and
Auitrlans, twice refgncd thecommandof it to
enter en- one of much higher confidence.
was not at that ers OF my life, more repub-
! lean than IN all the others appeared more
10. Jaw fixed upon me, in more peculiar
manner, regards and the confidence of tho{c
Whole province If was to impreis new move
| ments, and new directions on the republic
They propoied, it is well known, TO place me
at the head Of -, little iimilar to that of
the 18th Brumaire. Ny ambition, if | had had
much of it, could eaiily conceal titlf from ali
appearances, or even do honorto itfelf by eve.
ny ientiment of the love of country.
The proposition was made to Inc by men &C.
iehrated in the revolution by t1er patrioiiiir,
and IN our national aGembMeS by their talents;
retuied IT; believed myfelf made to com
matd armies, and did not win to command the
republic
IhIs was enough to prove, in my opinion,
that If had an ambition, it was not that of au-
| thorlty, or OF power; very ioon alter, proved
this fill further
4he 18th Brumaire arrived, and WAS at Pa
us. That revolution, provoked by others as by
me, could not alarm my confidence. Directed
by man environed with blaze Of glory, it
made me to hope for happy refuits. began to
iscond 1t when other parties pre!ied me to put
myielr at their head to combat it. I received in
Paris the orders of general BonaParte. In exc
| cutting them honoured elevate hint othathigh
degree Of power which circumstances rendered
| necenary:
When, fometime after, he. offered me the
CHEF command of the army of the Rhine, &C
| cepted it from him with as much devotion as
from the hand of the republic itftf. My mill
tary tucceiies were never more rapid, more nu-
merous, more Deceive, than ut that epoch when
their fplendor overipread the government which
accufed me.
| Upon the event of 70 many fuccehes, of which
the greatet of all was to have alcertained, in an
ciiicdcfotiS manner, the peace Of the continent,
the folders heard the lofty houts ofnationa! gra-
titude.
| What man---. = --aCnire &c f..l. +. r. n1lIe
| had ever been able to enter nv foul Every
one knows the devotednefs of armies to chiess
whom they love, and whom they have iuA led
from victory to victory: an ambitious man,
conipirator, would he have u:lared the occaiion
to etcape when, at the head of an army of
hundred thoufand men 20 often triumphant he
| returned TO the midft of nation fill agitated.
and always reitlefs with regard to its principle8
and their duration
only thought of dfbanding the army, and
returned to the repofe of a civil life.
In this repofe, which was not without glory,
enjoyed without doubt my honours thoie
honourS which human power can never wreR
| from me, the remembrance of nv actions. the
teftimony ofmy confidence, the efeem of NV
compatriots and ftrargerS, and, if it may be faid,
the fatterng and fweet prefentiment Of poteri-
ty.
Ienioyed fortune which was not great, be-
caufe my defres were not immenfe, and which
cauied no reproach of confcierce Ienioyed
the entertainment of my retreat. Surely was
content with my lott who never envied the
lot of any. My family and my friends, 70 much
the more precious as not having any thing TO
hope from my credit or my fortune, they could
remain attached but TO myitf alone.
All thefe blefiings, which alone / highly ar.
Preclate, filled my foul entirely, and could pii-
NIT no undue delire or ambitious with TO enirr.
would 1t then be opened to criminal projects
This condition ofmy foul was 70 well known,
1t was 10 well guaranteed by the difance at
which kept from all the paths of ambition,
that fnce the victory of HoheElinden till nv ar
rotation, my enemies have never been able eli
ther to lind or to 1eek me by another crime than
the freedom ofmy difcourfss my dfcourfes-
they have been often feen favorable to the ope-
ratlons of government and if at any time t6ey
! have net been f., could ] therefore think that
that was crime among people who had 60
! often decreed that of thought, that of word,
that of the preis, and who had enjoyed 70 much
| of it even under kings.
confeis, that, born with an openneGs of DIFF
! petition, have not loft this attribute of the
| country Cof FranCe) where received life, uci