New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-17

than an honest Republican should have taken
namely, a large sum Of money-for pretending
ignorance and letting things take their course
His own record of the sttings Of the Directorate
show not merely that 1t declined steadily In
authority but that he, like others. attributed
this decline to the lack of agreement among the
Directors. While the armies Of France were
victorious the Government was characterized
only by It's delays and indecisior. AS NJ. Duruy
points out, the whole current Of events swept the
Nation toward dictatorship II General Hoche
had lived, he might have made himself sole
ruler To his death Is perhaps due the fact that
he is almost the only man. with the exception OF
Lafayette, upon whom Barras bestows unquali-
fed praise. When the Presidency was. tendered
In a semi-public way by Taleyrand rouche ana
others to Barras he refused 1t with the sugges-
ton that some plebeian. an honest man with the
good Of his country at heart, should be CHOSEN 10
the place. In the light of such incidents ne was
naturally accused of triiing and ndecision. But
as time went on graver charges were made
against him. In particular 1t was ahegeo Una.
he ATTEMPTED TO forestall the movements OF
Bonaparte by bringing back the monarchy ne
insisted that all his acts were known to his COL
leagues in the Directorate, and he inciudeu III
his memoirs a simple recital" Of what happened
His own reme rkable good fortune IN passing
through three great political crises without los
ing his head. and indeed. without any diminutloh
q, bis popularity. Impressed the minds OF men.
For that reason as the Nation approached
dav by dav a new crisis in which the Repuphc
must meet on uncertain terms the advances OF
military tyranny. he was as he said Tine OBJECT
Of attempts and seductions Of every KIND. Even
Louis XVIII whom he calls the fre'ehuei'
looked on him from afaT as the heao vi wv
Directorate. Among the agents empioyeu os
exiled ROYALTY was Fauche-Borel. at one TIME a
bookseller in Switzerland. but now living heai
Hamburg He was man who, according to
Barras had failed in all legitimate business Elk
pelled everywhere he ran hither and thther'
presenting himself to the princes on the strength
OF the prosecutions he pretended he had suf1ered
on their behalf" He recommended hmseH 10
the princes by claiming intimacy with Repuph-
can leaders and they not only gave MN money
but allowed him to represent them on various
missions He acted in this way not only for
Louis XVIII. but also for the Prince de Cohue
and even for the English Government. Such Is
1,arras.s testimony but he adds that Fauche-
Bore and other agents OF the expelled monarchy
carefully kept the money trusted to them. and
only succeeded in keeping up their character
as i,itriguers by the invention OF new stories
for misleading those who were duped by them.
Fauche- Borers method Of approaching Barras
was 10 intimate that he had important reveal
lions 10 make "of interest both to France and the
Directorate" Barras submitted the letter al
once to his colleagues. and it was agreed by all
that the offer must not be neglected. Iaiiey-
rand thel- Minister of Foreign Affairs. was o.
the same opinion. and II was by him that the
first effort was made to confer with the Royals
intriguer But the latter refused to speak eX-
cept to person sent by Barras himself Barras.
in the presence of The other Directors. ard with
their consent, wrote letter empowering new
agent 70 act IN the matter. In this way Fauch"-
Borel was prevailed upon to disclose in writing
a plan for recalling Louis XVIII to France. The
genulneness OF his mission was shown at the
same time by letters-patent from the King. APP
pointing "Viscomte de Barras" special commits
sary to proclaim the monarchy. These papers
were also laid before the Directorate. They un-
folded "in lieu OF an attempt to save the Republic
a plan to destroy 1t by the most Infamous OF all
corruptions" The Directorate had the plot In
vestigated by Fouche, but kept 1t secret