Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1896-02-28
soNApAnrs,s OPPORTUNITY.
Row He Took Advantage Of the Over
throw Of the Constitution.

Now Ne Took Advantage OF the Over.
throw Of the Constitution.
All night long, from the 10 to II
Brumaire, Il committee Of the Ancients
was in session, infinitely perfecting their
plans, Next morning ut the faithful
majority, having been summoned ac-
cording to form, convened as the coun-
Gil. for the doubtful members had eli.
ther not been summoned ut All or had
received notice Of a later. hour. As soon
rs quorum was present, Cornet, we'll
known butt for the Wits, rose and do
nounced the terrible conspiracy which
was mcnacing them. Regnier then
moved that, according to articles l0a,
l03 and i0I 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, aud also to the public by
printed proclamation. The motion was
carried unanimously.
During these proceedings all the gen.
erals present in Paris except Jourdan
aud 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. 1t was noticed that Bernadotte,
though present, was not in uniform. He
had SO far yielded to the Establishments
of his brother-in-law MS to come, hut de-
clared that be would obey only what
was Mt 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, a supporter Of the re.
public, leave it to perish in the hands
Of these lawyers?' was his greeting.
"See, here is the sword carried at the
Pyramids l give it to you as a mark of
my esteem and confidence "
Let MS throw the lawyers into the
river, came the expected answer.
A few moments later arrived the au-
thoritative summons from the Ancients
Bonaparte stepped ont ON the porch and
read their proceedings aloud. Byaunit-
ed impulse the officers fiourished their
swords in response. It was but an in.
stant before they were mounted. and
with Bonapate in front the cavalcade,
headed by nSon either already famous or
destined to become So Macdonald, Sc.
rurier, Murat, Lannes, Andreossy, Ber-
thier and Lefebre-proccede to the
council chamber. 1t needed but hasty
glance, as they passed through the city,
to see that preconcerted orders had al
ready been carefully executed. The
troops were all under arms and at their
stations in commanding places through
out the town. Arrived at the Iuileries,
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
to them who cause disorder or disturb
ance! With the help Of General Lefchre,
of General Berthicr and my other breth-
ren in arms l will arrest them. Let no
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
cuteit We desire n republic founded in
true liberty, in civil liberty. in popular
representation. We are going TO have it,
swear it in my own name and in that
of my brethren in arms! !" I'VE swear
it y was the antiphonal response Of the
assembled generals. Some one indis-
creetly suggested that Bonaparte had
sworn, but not the oath of allegiance to
the constitution required by their pre-
vious action, but the president hurriedly
declared all further proceedings out Of
order, the assembly having adjourned
by its own act. Professor w. NJ.
Sloane's Life Of Napoleon in Century.
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