The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1895-05-18

exhibited at this time a scene of distressing
confusion. He adds: "The Directory gave
up guillotining; it only transported. 1t
ceased to force people to take assignats
upon pain Of death; but it paid nobody.
Our soldiers, without arms and without
bread, were beaten instead of being victo-
rious."
The ambition of Napoleon found in this
situation n fitting opportunity. The Di-
rectors We're Sieyes, Barras, Ducos, Mou-
Inns and Gohicr. The legislative branch of
the government consisted of q Senate, or
Council of Ancients, and u Council of Five
Hundred. The latter constituted the pop.
ular branch. OF this body Lucicn Bona
partc, brother of the General, was presi-
dent. Hardly had Napoleon arrived in the
capital when a conspiracy was formed by
him with Sieycs, Lucien, and others of rev.
dictionary disposition, to do away by a
coup with the too democratic system, and
to replace it with n stronger and more cen
tralized order. The Council of Ancients
was to be brought around by the influence
of Sieyes. To Lucien Bonaparte the more
difficult task was assigned of controlling
and revolutionizing the Assembly. AS for
Napoleon, Sieyes procured for him the
command of the military forces of Paris;
and by another decree the sittings of the
two Legislative councils were transferred to
St. Cloud.
The 18th Brumaire of the Year VIII,
corresponding to the 9th of November,
1898, was fixed as the day for the revolu-
ton. To Napoleon the crisis was an epoch
of fate. The conspiracy embraced the res.
ignation of Sieyes, Barras and Ducos,
which-coming suddenly on the appointed
,ari, J,1-, 80, tl> : D---
parte then put out his hand as commander
of the troops. Too late the Republicans of
the Council of Five Hundred felt the earth
quake swelling under their feet. Napoleon
appeared at the bar of the Assembly, and
attempted a rambling and incohcrent JUS
LITIGATION for what was going on. A mo-
ton was made to outlaw him; but the sol
diers rushed in; and the refractory men,
bers We're seized or expelled. A few who
were in with the revolution remained, and
to the number of fifty voted a decree max
ing Sicyes, Bonaparte and Ducos provi-
sional Consuls, thus comforting on them
the supreme executive power of the State.
BY nightfall the business was accomplish
ed, and tho man of Ajaccio slept in the
Palace of the Tuileries. He had said to
Bourrienne, IN that morning, "We shall
sleep tonight in the Tuilcries-or in
prison"
The new order was immediately made
organic. There could be no question when
Three Consuls were appointed and Bona
parto one of the number, which of the
three would be First Consul. He would
be that himself; the other two might be
the ciphers which should make his unit
100. The new system was defined as the
Professionally Consulate; but this form
was only transitional. The manager of
the coup wen rapidly forward to make, it
permanent. The Constitution of the Year
III. gave place quickly to the Constitution
of the Year VIII, which provided for an
executive government, under the nam of
the CONSULATE. Nominally the Con-
sulate was to be an executive committee
of three, but really al executive of one
with two associates. The three men chosen
were Napoleon Bonaparte, Jean Jacques
Cambaceres and Charles Francois Lebrun.
On Christmas day, 1899, Napoleon was
made FIRST CONSUL; and that significd
the beginning of n new order, destined to
endure for sixteen and a-half years, and
to end at Waterloo,
This era in Bonaparte's life marks the
beginning of the union in him of great
military and great political power. Hence
forth he was destined, to the end of his
career, to be the State of France. To his
will all things now became rapidly sub
servient His ascendency was henceforth
the most striking example of merely per-
sonal power that the world has witnessed
since the days of Julius Caesar. OF a GER
tainty, History, begotten by Reason in
the womb of Eternity, is not mdde-never
was made-by any man. But the lines of
Observation-Disclosures were morede1ectedand
determined in their course and connections
by the will of Napoleon than by any other
one man for the last eighteen centuries.
The rapid ascendency of this extraordi-
nary parsonage was strongly aided by the
recent calamities which had befallen
Is not madc-never was mdde-by any
man. But the lines of historical causa-
ton We're moro DETECTED and determined
In their course and connections by the
will of Napoleon than by any other one
man for the last eighteen centuries.
While Napoleon was in Syria, the
Austrians and Russians in coalition had
returned to the battle in Italy, and had
driven the French out of the country.
On the 18th and goth of June, General
Macdonald had been defeated at Cassano
and on the Trebbia b. Field. Marshal
Alexander Suwaroff. On the 10Th of
August, Joubert lost the battle of Novi
and was killed on the very spot where
NAPOLEON had assumed command in