The Press., 1895-11-07
HoNAPARTE,s OPPORTUNITY.
Row He Took Advantage of the Over
 throw of the Constitution.

Row He Took Advantage of the Over
 throw of the Constitution.
 All night long, from the 16 to IF Brumaire, committee of the Ancients was in session, infinitely perfecting their plans. Next morning at the faithful majority, having been summoned &C., Cording to form, convened as the coun- eil, for the doubtful members had ei- ther not been summoned at all or had received notice of later hour. As soon as a quorum was present, Cornet, a we'll known butt for the wits, rose and de- nounced the terrible conspiracy which was menacing them. Regnier then moved that, according to articles 1O2, 1OS and 104 of the constitution, both branches of the legislature should meet next day at noon, and not before, in the palace of St. Cloud; that General Bona parte should be intrusted with the exc cution of their decree, and that to that end he be appointed commander of the Paris garrison, of their own special guard and of the National guard; that he therefore appear and take the oath, and that these resolutions be duly com municated to the directory, to the five hundred, and also to the public by printed proclamation. The motion was carried unanimously.
 During these proceedings all the gen. erals present in Paris except Jourdan and Augereau, who had not been. invit- ed, but including the stanch republican Lefebre, commander of the garrison, had gathered in and before Bonaparte' s house. They had been requested to come in uniform in order to arrange for re- view. It was noticed that BernadOtte, though present, was not ill uniform. He had so far yielded to the blandishments of his brother-in- law as to come, but de- clared that he would obey only what was at that moment the chief authority in the state. Lefebre was in uniform, but having met on the way bodies of troops moving without his orders, and not being initiated, he was naturally startled. But Bonaparte knew his man.
 "Would you, supporter of the re- public, leave it to perish ill the hands of these lawyers?" was his greeting. "See, here is the sword l carried at the Pyramids: I give it to you as mark of my esteem and confidence.
 "Let us throw the lawyers into the river" came the expected answer.
 A few moments later arrived the au- thoritative summons from the Ancients. Bonaparte stepped out on the porch and read their proceedings aloud. By a unit ed impulse the officers flourished their swords i'll response. It was but an in- stant before they were mounted, and with Bonaparte in front the cavalcade, headed bymen either already famous or destined to become so-Macdonald, Se- rurier, Murat, Lannes, Andreossy, Ber- thier and Lefebre-proceeded to the council chamber. It needed but nasty glance, as they passed through the city, to see that precoHcerted orders had al ready been carefully executed. The | troops were all under arms and at thei1 stations in commanding places through out the town. Arrived at the Tuileries, the general and his glittering escort en- tered the chamber.
 "Citizen delegates" he said, "the re. public was falling. You understood the situation; your course has saved it. Woe 1 to them who cause disorder or disturb ance! With the help of General Lefebre of General Berthier and my other breth ren in arms I will arrest them. Let nc man look for precedents in the past Nothing in history is comparable to the end of the eighteenth century, nothing to the present moment. Your wisdom passed this motion; our arms will exc cute it. We desire @ republic founded il true liberty, in civil liberty, in popular representation, We are going to have it. swear ii, in my own name and ill that of my brethren in arms!" ''We swear it!' was the antiphonal response of tht assembled generals. Some one indis creetly suggested that Bonaparte hat sworn, but not tue oath of allegiance tt the constitution required by their pre- vious action, but the president hurriedly declared all further proceedings out O. order, the assembly having adjourned by its own act. Professor W. M Sloane's ''Life of Napoleon" in Century