Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-06-06

country. They resisted the taxes, abused the
government, hampcred its proceedings. and
kept back the recruits for the army. in hopes
ot gaining popularity.
" Had this continued we should have fallen
prey To the enemy in fifteen days. We were
not yet strong enough to hazard IL My power
was too new TO be invulnerabe. The Cousu-
late would have faded like the Directors, it
had not destroyed the opposition by stroke
OF policy. depoSed the tactiOuS tribuneS
The world OF Paris called this 10 elimiadts-
them; thss term became a bon mod
" This triiling event. which is now forgotten,
changed the constitution OF France, both in
ternaiiy y with regard 10 Europe. The enemies
ot the revolution, both within X without, we're
too violent not 10 force her 10 adopt the form
OF dictatorship, rs every other republic has
done IA moments or danger. Balanced powers
can only answer in peaceful times. For This
reason, my power WAS increased every time
II appeared IN danger, In order 10 prevent d
relapse.
Z" should perhaps. have done better, had /
frankly insisted on the dictatorship at once
since was accnsed OF aspiring 10 it. Every
one w0aid have been Il Judge OF what tlIev
called my ambition: believe it would have
been better; Sor monsters appeared greater at
a distance than near by. 'ihe Dictatorship
would have had the advantage of removing all
doubts as u the future; OF ieaving opinion un.
divided, and of lntimidating the enemy by
showing the resolution of France TDut how
much wiser would he have aCted-had he a.
destroy 1T By an act OF usurpation Wv hat
blin,ineS, :
Blu, perceived that this high authority
was paced, as fitSell, IN my hands. | eNer-
c,Sed Il in fact, if not by ri@ht, and was suiii-
clent survive the crisis, aOd To save France
and the re vOlution.
Ny task, then, was to establish the revou-
on, by giving it lawful character, that it
might be acknowledged and legitimated by
the commonwealth of Europe.
II revolutions have UNDERGONE the SAM.
conflicts. Ours could not expect to be eX-
empt from them; tut she might claim in her
turn the right OF citizenship III that common
wealth.
knew that before we proposed il, our
principle must be liked, our legislation agreed
upon aud our excuses repreSScd. believed
mySelfstrong enough 10 succeed, ana / WAS not
mis- y. eu.
1.-THE principle of the revolution was the
abolition OF Castles or, in other words, tO esta
biiSh equality. l respected it. Yiie oflce OF
legislation Is to regulate principles. Ia this
spirit made laws. EXceSscS had shown them
selves in the existence Of factions did not
notice then and Il eYdiS1ppeare't-.'a- had
shown themselves ~ the destruction Of reii-
gions worship; Ire-estabishcd tin the ex
iStence Of cmi@rantS J recalled them--in the
general diSorUcr OF Administered ton; reformed
it-m tine rain or the fiua .cs: / restored
;hem-Iu the want OF an Opportunity CONNIE.
tent 10 govern France; gave her that autho-
rity by taking into my own hands the reins of
government.
g Few men have done so much as 7 then
did IN short time. History will one day
record what France was at INV acCessi-
on, and what she WAS when she gave laws to
Europe.
mad no occasion to employ arbitrary pow
er to accomplish these StupendOus works. Pro
badly II would not have been refused me-but
l would not have accepted il, because have
always detested what is arbitrary. I loved
good orderan iaws-i made many, aud made
them severe ant precise, Dnt just; because a
law which permits no exception is ALWAYS iUSt
| caused them 10 be vigorously observed for
such is the duty of the throne; but res pected
them-They will survive me, and that will re-
ward my IabOurs.
All seemed to prosper-The state revived :;
good order 6agan to re appear devoted my.
self lrtently 10 the work, but felt that there
WAS something wanting an the system-that is
to say, dehnitive.
However strOng my desire might he to es-
tablsh permanently The principles of the Tevo
luton, clearly saw that should have 80 over
cohie great obstacles before | succeeded: for
there was Il necessary antipathy between the
OLD and neW systems. The formed two mass
es whose interests we're preciselyin an inverse
idilo. All the governments which still snbsis-
tel by virtue of the ancient law OF nations
saw themselves exposed by the principles of
the revo.rtiOn, which had no security itself bat
M treati'g with the enemy, or destroyin. him
n he refused 30 acknowledge It..
" This STRUGGLE was to d eide. as nv last ap-
peal, on the renewal Of the 30 cial order az En-
rope. L WAS at the hedd of the great action
which would lain have DESTROYED the system
on wAch tle world hai g0ue on since the time
or the Romans. As such, | was Set up as
mark iOr the hatred i al 10 We terested
IN prescribing heir GOTH il rust-A less lecd-
ed Character than mine mig Int nave tempOrized,
ana lett part, al least, of this question, to be
a Sposed o by time.
= But as soou as | had sounded the two fac
tons TO the very bottom-as soon as | had
perceived that they really divided the world
as at the time Of the reformation. understood
That there could be no compact between them,
because their interests cashed too much-i
perceived that the more the crisis WIS shorten
ed tie better for the people. 1t was, there
fore, absolutely necessary that VIC shouId have
with us the greater part Oi Europe, i'm order
To incline the balance in our favor. cOUld
only command this prepouderence by the right
OF Tie strongest, because ii Is the OulN one aC-
knowledge between nations. IL vas. there
lore, also necessary to become the strongest,
for was not only called 10 govern France, but
to Subdue the world before her; otherwise she
womb have been crushed by The world.
- never had choice u tho course pur-
sued, Tor 1t was aiway IS commanded Dy events
because our danger was imminent: and The
3ist OF 'idrcn proved low far il was TO he
dreaded, and now impossible II was to teach
the old and new systems 10 abide tOgc iher in
peace. 1t was, therefore. easy 70 forsee, that
as long as there Was purity OffOrca between
the two. there Nvouid ba Val, open or disguised
Any peace that might be signed would be but
to gain breathing tine. France then, as the
headquarters Of the revolution. was bound 30
mold herself III readiness 20 resist the teizncst
For THIS purpose, II was requisite that there
should be unity in the government. 70 ensure
strength; union ia the nation, 20 produce com
mon aim and confidence in the people, that
they might consent to the sacriGc es necessary
to command victory
= But every thing was prccariOus in lle coil
sular system, because nothing was IA its pro
per sphere There was nominal republic,
aud Il real sovereignty; and feeble repressn-
tation Of the people, ana strong executive
power; Obedieut authorities, aud a preponde-
rating army"
Here follow some farther reflections; but