Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-10-08
HISTORICAL.
ON TIE EXECUTION OF LOUIS XVI


1 ON THE EXECUTION OF LOUIS XIV
BY EAPOLEoN BoNAPARrE.
{ The following extracts are sand to have beer
copied from suppressed work in France
: which has never been since discoverable, ant
r will b read with interest at this eventfa
? moment:
=" l learnt the next day that the ad.
} vocate Target had refused his profess.
ionai aid to his sovereign. This was,
IN the strongest acceptation ofthe term,
to erase his name from the records OF
} Immortality! What were the argu-
ments of his cowardly prudence? Il
stall not save his life, whilst may risk
} my own Malesherbes, Tronchet, De-
seze, faithful and devoted subjects
whom could not initiate, but whom,
II were a, monarch, j would place at
my right hand, aud to defend by their
jealous exertions the descendant of st.
Louis. Should they survive this coura-
geous act OF fidelity, / will never pass
them without barring my head. De-
tanned by business at Versailles. only
retuIned TO Paris on the 10Th Of Janua-
Try; had consequently lost three or
iour scenes of this ambitious tragedy,
but on the 18th attended the Nation
al Convention. All! my friend what
ever these revolutionary maniacs may
say, a monarch is not merely man
his head will iali, it is true, with that of
the shepherd, but he who commands
the murder will shudder at his own
temerity; and were he not compelled
by the force of his secret motives, the
sentence would expire on his lips ere
ITS utterance. gaZed eagerly on the
intrepid mortals who were about to dare
pronounce on the fate of their virtuous
sovereign. Istudied their looks-scru-
tlnlzed their very hearts. 1t was by
the excess, the Importance of their
Itrespass, they were supported, whilst
inwardly awed by the rank of their VIC
tim, could they nave ventured to re-
tract, the prince had been saved But
unfortunately they had said, ifhis head
does not fall to-aa5 ours must soon sub
init to the stroke of the executioner.
This was the predominant idea that
dictated their votes. No pen could
with justice describe the situation of the
people in the galleries. Silent, gloo-
my, breathless, their looks were alter
nately directed towards the accused,
his advocates, and his Judge. Circum-
stances AZ strange as, horrible, Dor
leans oote ioas-Dcath! The shock
of electricity would have been less visi-
bly, felt: the assembly rose with one
spontaneous start of horror, and the
hall reyerberated the murmur Of SINH
lar and responsive feeling; one man a.
lone, immoveable as rock, kept his
seat-it ,oas /! Iventured to inquire
of myself the cause OF this indifference;
found it in ambition-only such sem
timent could reconcile the conduct of
) the Duke OF Orleans, TO me, therefore
1t was natural; he sought throne to
which he had no title, and such acqui-
sitions are not TO be made without for
: feiting the right to virtuous and gene
raj estimation.
8" L shall now, my friend, become
, concise: do not like the unfolding of
funeral Grape. The King was con-
demned to death and if the 2Ist OF
January did not forever affix an odium
, on the French character, at least it add
ed a glorious name to the list of mar
, tyrs! What a town was Paris on this
awful day! The populace appeared in
, state of stupefaction it seemed that
the people assembled only to exchange
gloomy looks, and fly from each other
without speaking. The streets were
deserted, and houses and palaces wore
the appearance of tombs. The air e.
zen seemed to smell of the ezecutioner.
To be brief, the descendant of St. Lou
is was led to death, through files Of
, mourn!ul automata, but lately his sub
t ljects.
off any one be near you, my friend,
when you read this despatch (even
were II your iather,) conceal from him
what foliows--it is stain on the stuff
Oi which my character is made. That
Napoleon Buonaparte should be sensi-
bly, affected at the destruction ola hui
man BENG, and constrained to keep his
bed from the consequences of this i'm
preston, is a fact scarcely to be beliey-
} ed, though true, and which | cannot a
VOW without blusbing with contempt for
myself. Yes, | experienced feeling,
which, however admirable in another,
was disgraceiul to one who had dIsa-
vowed all the weakness of the human
heart. The night preceding the 2lst
oil January l bad not closed my eyes |;
yet was unable to account to myself
: Tor the cause OF my unusual agitation.
, rose early, and eagerly ran wherever
T the crowd was assembling. wonder
ed at, orrather desp.sed, the passive im-
becility OF 40, 800 national guards, Of
Whom nine tenths were ontv mechani-