The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-08-15

defined Tor Clerical orders are even to be in
trueted By them.-( JfoDrnaides Dcfegfewy.J
THE SECRET FRENCH POLICE.
The prefent fecret French police is founded
upon the fame plan as the iecret German trbu-
mails, during the twelfth, thirteenth, and four
teenth centuries, with the only exception, that
1t tecretiy intpects or renozcs obnoxious or iif-
pected per,ons; whf the tribunals fecretly
condemned, and tecretly executed every perfon
mourning their difplcafIre.-in the prefrnt
French iyitem all forms are laid aide in TIE o.
Their the forms were more terrible than death it.
felt. U2der the prefent fyffem, perfons t,ifap-
pear from iociety, to be ibut up in dungeons,
to be traniported, or to be ihot, without often
Knowing the cauie, equally unknown by their
Tailor and by their exccutioners. It is and re-
mains, the iecret of government. Formerly the
accuied were iummoned, tried, acquitted CT
condemned !. had time to prepare themielves
Tor defence, or by flight to efcape, if poilibe,
their perfecutors. Under the preient fyitem all
fight is impoGihle, efcape avails nothing, be-
caute the agents OF our police are every
where, in England as in Ruiiia, in America as in
Africa, in Turkey as in the EAT Indies they all
poiiefs the deicription L.fgnntement) of the per-
ION periecuted; they are informed of his habits,
place of refort and have fac. Gmile of his hand
act in union by their reports as by their actions.
The duke of Enghein, Moreau, Pichegru, Geor-
ges, and others were watched by hundreds of
agents for years, of whom not two knew each
other. Louis XVIII. at Warfaw, and the Bour-
bons at London are yet furrounded by numerous
agents unknown and invifible to them as to each
other. The traniactons of the cabinet of St. Pc
teribugh, of Vienna, and of Berlin, are as well
| known to our government, as thofe of Madrid,
Florence, Naples, St. Cloud, the Hague or of
Bernc. Thefe agents fit in the Dvan at Con-
itantinople, as in The CongrefS of the Americans
and although their fentinents are often oppoite,
| their fervices meet in the fame central point.
Nota ioversien, not a niinitter, nor a ftatefman,
not councillor, not warrior, not banker,
not merchant, not an author ofauy reputation,
! who is not watched by the invilible agents of
our iecret police. who employ the talents of
preachers, as well as thole of actors, to ferve
them they take the advantage of the popu!ari-
~ OF an orator in the fenate, as well as the fahi-
enable lmbecility of ballad finger in the treet );
they influence the decifions of privy councils in
palace as well rs the toats of facti-
on at public tavern. Their activity is
feen in the budget of finances for a fate,
as well as a fubfcription for picnic or
charitable inititution. They indirectly decide
the marriage of princes, as well as the divorces
OF iubjeets. The political as well rs the amor
Gus inti1guer, wear often their lvery.-The
law promulgated, the air flung, the bargain con-
Guided, the treaty hgned, the war declared, the
peace proclaimed, are more than often their do
inss. Ihey employ at the fame time and for
the lame Purpoie, the devotion OF the Chrifian,
and the iniidelity of the Deift {; the bigotry of
the 1uperititlous, and the blafphemy of the Athe-
lift; the intolerance of the fanatic, and the indf
ference of the philosopher. They penetrate and
plot equally in the pasods of the Hindoos, in the
temples OF the Chineie, in the mofques at Con-
isaiitiiopic, IN the church of St. Peter at Rome,
and IN the grand fynagogue at Amiterdam.
Inc Royal Exchange in London, and the fifth
market at Paris the diamond mines at Brazil
and the marble quarries at Laconia the gale
ons at Cadlz and the fower-hall at Naples, are
equally vifted and inlpected by them. 1t is
more diihcuit to fay where they are not than
where they are; what tranfa6tions efcape their
notice than thofe they influence.
Some Of the agents of our fecret police are
paid, others are volunteers; but they all combat
under the fame banners they all fight for the
lame caute, and they are all regihered at the
lame ONCE, in the fame regifer-Though the
volunteers are more numerous than the regulars,
the expence of our government for this inRitati-
on amounts yearly to eighty millions of livres
large FUN, if it was not remembered, at the
lame time, that tributary kings and nations pay
va yc'hiY iboIe tidn three times that 1un and
that we owe notify to the agents of our fecret
police the power we have to command iuch an
enormous external tribute.
Foreigners, as well as Frcnchmen have done
fouche the honor of coniidering him the parent
OF our fecret police (; but they are all mifaken.
Its plan was propofed to our cabinet under the
monarchy, but laid aide as impraaicablc. Tai
leyrand was the perfon who corrected aud I'M
proved this plan; and our lecret police may
therefore, juitly be called his natural child.
Though our grand Judge is a mniiter of police,
Talleyrand prefides in the Office of the fecret
police, directs all its operations, rewards, pro-
notes, diigraces, puniihes, its agents. In this
place he IS the hrlt conful. Regnier, Real,
fouche, and Hauterive, are his councillors, and
Dsimarais is his fecretary. Each of thefe coun-
fei!ors has his department in Europe as well
as IN America; he knows nothing more than what
concerns his own department the whole lie
tour eyjem61eI is known to Talleyrand alone
even the female agents of his fecret palice are
under his fole and immedite controul aud the
report of Madame Stael, and of Genlis, direct
ing their operations, is without Eoundation.-
Pafiions, more than money, are his means he
always employs and addrefFes the former the
latter is only ufed an auxiliary to filence rea-
ion, or confidence, if they fhould murTnur-
Les No@UrILsS Ia Main GoraIiaai. IN. IL.
No. Ill., London.