That the result of inquiries instituted by the | provisional municipal cominissaries, together with the proofs annexed, shall be without delay forwarded to all competent tribunals, so that the persons denounced therein be brought to immediate trial. Above all, respecting the persons who collected before the Hôtel de la Commune, pressed the authorities to capitulate, and the women who went to the Camp of Bar to harangue and offer presents to the King of Prussia. The unfortunate women of Verdun, the subjects of the poet Delille's affecting elegy, butchered in consequence of this Report, must have risen before the mind's eye of Cavaignac while he lay on a seemingly tranquil death-bed. Fourteen young girls, whose only crime it was that they had danced at a Prussian ball, went to the guillotine singing psalms with pure, sweet voices, and continued their chant even till the axe fell; yet not one in the cowardly crowd gave an example of resistance, which might, perhaps, have been followed. In twelve months more than four thousand victims suffered, and of these nine hundred were women. And General Cavaignac has said he was proud of his father! We are not willing to lay more stress than is necessary on the king's death without appeal or respite; but how are we to accept the declaration that this terrible vote produced on the mind of him who gave it no other bitterness than that which a feeling man must experience when laid under the cruel necessity of pronouncing for a fellow-creature's death? Concerning the fate of the remaining Bourbons he seems never to have expressed a wish, except that his country might soon be rid of all which could overshadow her liberty. Jean Baptiste Cavaignac was present at the breaking out of the Vendean war, and showed a courage and energy while attempting to rally the Republicans which had nearly caused his capture. He acted also, at Auch, in concert with Dartigoite; and here again his own words must describe his mission : Our colleague, Dartigoite, by his civic predications, had electrified all minds, carried all hearts along with him. I had seconded him with all my might in this philosophical apostolate-all was prepared, the people ripe. The last day of the third decade was fixed for celebrating at Auch the festival of Reason, the total abolition of Fanaticism. The solemn day came; the people in crowds assembled on a shady boulevard, and there, in a fraternal banquet, gave vent to the first transports of its joy. After this Lacedemonian repast its guests made the tour of the town, dragging down and treading under foot all the fanatical images they met with. Returned to the place consecrated to Liberty, they assembled round a pile covered with the title-deeds of feudality. There were conveyed to them in a cart two figures of the Virgin, noted for performing miracles, the chief crosses and crucifixes of the town, and the saints which, till then, received the then finding vent, the pile was lighted, and the incense of superstition. The civic enthusiasm ridiculous idols cast upon it, amid the acclamations of a countless multitude. The Carmagnole lasted all night around this philosophic pile, consuming in one conflagration so many errors. It was shortly after this that a brickbat, flung, it is said, at Dartigoite, served as a pretext for guillotining ten persons. Sent on a mission of surveillance to the department of the Landes, in company with Pinet, he acted with a degree of ferocity which was hideous even for those times. 14 Germinal, an 2 de la République Française, (3d April, 1794, old style.) (Extract from the Moniteur.) A secretary read the following extracts :— Pinet and Cavaigna, Representatives of the People to the Army of the Western Pyrennees, to the National Convention, dated Mont Adour, cidevant St. Sever, 6 Germinal, (26 Mars, 1794, old style.) Citizen Colleagues-We have already advised the Comité de Salut public, by our letter of the 27th Ventose, of a plan for civil war intended to break out in the department of the Landes, and of which, by a lucky chance, the written proof fell into our hands. Now that we have seized the chiefs of the conspiracy, we will give you all the details known of this infamous plot. For a long time a number of evil-intentioned citizens, who had failed to bring supplies, joined also by some deserters from the levée en masse, after refusing their arms to their country, or abandoning | their standard like cowards, had taken refuge in the woods of the district of St. Sever, inhabiting by day these almost inaccessible retreats, received at night in aristocratic houses, where they found their food ready. The greater part were armed; they robbed, pillaged, and assassinated. In the month Vindémiaire, the National Guards of the department of the Landes, Gers, and Upper Pyrenees, met together in numbers to hunt them out. This measure had a certain success; but there still remained many of the brigands, and their numbers swelled daily in an alarming manner. We addressed the most severe orders to the municipalities. We ordered the arrest of all the relatives of those who, subject to the requisition, had either failed to obey or abandoned their posts. But during this same time, the evil-intentioned, the ci-devant nobles, the ci-devant seigneurs, (sic,) the priests, and all the Royalists, prepared in secret for another Vendée. The conspiracy extended all along the frontiers, and enveloped the entire department of the Landes. In the first instance it was merely manifested partially. A considerable immigration of inhabitants of the Basque country first announced its existence. We arrested several guilty persons; we formed an extraordinary commission to try them; and we surrounded the district, which, sold to the Spaniard, had sent to Caro a deputation, offering to surrender to his master. At the same time we were informed that Royalism was loudly proclaimed at Dax. One of us went thither; and, in consequence of measures of vigor taken by him, repressed the audacity of the numerous aristocrats of that part of the country. We could not, consequently, doubt the existence of an important conspiracy; and we were on its traces when, visiting the divisions of the army, an officer of the fourth battalion of the Landes presented us with the following letters. The letters, which we do not transcribe, are signed "Prouères Dumartin;" a few lines addressed to an ensign of grenadiers, in the fourth battalion of the Landes, incloses a long epistle to Abbé Juncarot at the emigrant camp, on the mountain of the Rune, in Spain. It mentions the hopes of the party from the co-operation of Spain, and speaks of several persons by name, and is thus commented on by the Report, of which we copy only a portion. It is signed by Pinet and Cavaignac, the general's father We assured ourselves of the patriotism of the officer who placed these letters in our hands, and which, we presume, came into his possession in consequence of some analogy between his name and that of the person to whom they are addressed. We issued orders for the arrest of the latter. As soon as we had read their contents we sent forward a company of gendarmerie, to secure the four chiefs designated, as well as all their families. The next morning we left for St. Sever, at the head of a squadron of dragoons. We had also at St. Sever and Tarras, the dépôt of the 18th Regiment of dragoons, eight hundred men had we needed them; and two squadrons of the 12th Regiment of huzzars could have come up with us in the course of a morning. Terror had forestalled our arrival. The conspirators were taken prisoners. Our first act was to command the disarming of the entire department of the Landes. The next day, we ourselves, along with the whole cavalry force, visited the various communes inhabited by the known leaders of the conspiracy. We employed three days in this military expedition, and during them we secured nearly eighty ci-devant nobles and seigneurs. We shall continue our arrests until the last of these irreconcileable enemies of liberty be secured. We believe that the extending the measure to the entire Republic would be a means of stifling the germ of the civil war with which we are unceas ingly menaced. The extraordinary commission which we created at Bayonne followed us closely. A guillotine had been brought and set up by it on the Place St. Sever. Eight of the leaders have already given their heads in expiation. The zeal and patriotism of this tribunal, so formidable to the guilty, give the assurance, that those of all who are implicated will fall in succession beneath the sword of the nation. Vendée is destroyed-they seek to raise up another. Conquerors ourselves along our frontiers, they strive to vanquish us in the interior, and by fanaticizing the people, to urge again one faction of it against another. The throne is overturned; they gather up its ruins, and call proscribed royalty from its ashes. Fanaticism is expiring; priests are held in horror; they would restore its altars, and sacrifice more human victims. All known to be aristocrats are pursued, arrested, and their property confiscated; their accomquences of this measure, commanded by the public plices conceal themselves to escape the consesafety, and, above all, to serve more efficaciously the system of counter-revolution now so long pursued by factions, succeeding and crossing one another by turns, affect more ardor, more energy, than the real supporters of the Revolution, while they deprive her of the public confidence by usurping it themselves. But the projects of these will fail, as did those of the factions who preceded them. Every day sees some one of their guilty heads roll on the scaffold; and the brave citizens, armed for the We repeat to you, citizen colleagues, it is high time to command the arrest of all ci-devant nobles, all ci-devant seigneurs, all fanatical priests; they are the Republic's natural enemies; and whilst there remains on the land of Liberty one of these, he will plot against her. You see them heading every conspiracy; these are the villains who caused the unhappy war of La Vendée; these are they who would now revive her disasters here. Republicans and royalist conspiratars are in presence; to strike and crush these last are they to wait for the first blow? Citizen colleagues, we submit to you these reflections, dictated by experience of our first misfortunes, and by our desire of seeing Liberty at length delivered from all her foes. Salut et Fraternité. CAVAIGNAC et PINET, aîné. In the same number of the Moniteur whence we extract the above, we find two condemnations to death reported by the revolutionary criminal tribunal; one of a cidevant monk, aged sixty-four, convicted of having been the author or accomplice of manœuvres tending to shake the fidelity to the nation of various volunteers about to join the French armies; the other, a ci-devant chevalier of St. Louis, an old officer of dragoons in the French service. This man, a general and count in the palatinate, proprietor in the district of Nogent sur Seine, where he quietly farmed his own land at the time of his trial, was condemned to die for speaking words derogatory to the dignity of the National Convention, and others tending to the re-establishment of Royalty. Bayonne, 28 Germinal, Second year of the Republic. Citizen Colleagues,-We are just returned to Bayonne with the heartfelt satisfaction of having completely quelled the conspiracy about to break out in the department of the Landes. Our letter, dated the 6th of this month, gave you every detail of the frightful plot hatching by villains in order to give birth to a second Vendée, and yield our frontier to the Spaniard. Since our letter we have visited the whole department, and found everywhere the happiest effect from our presence; everywhere the sight of the representatives of the people revives the public spirits, gives energy to the friends of the Republic; everywhere it annihilated and their guilty heads for a moment. crushed aristocracy and royalism, daring to lift The severe measures adopted by us have saved this unhappy department, and spared to the Republic the precious blood of very many patriots. The priest and noble were, as you have seen, souls and guides of this horrible plot; the guiltiest heads have rolled upon the scaffold, the less culpable are in irons; the earth of freedom was here, even more than elsewhere, sullied by the presence of a refractory clergy; those men, who brave the law and fear the scaffold in order to light the flames of civil war, to carry death and devastation among us, sullied, we say, several cantons of this department. Seven or eight such wretches have It is as if nothing should be wanting to complete the atrocity of this page, the 783d of the Moniteur, of the second year of the Republic, that the lines immediately followanswered for their infamous intentions with their ing the above, contain a critique on such a lives; and we have the satisfaction of announcing piece given at the theatre of Frydeau as to you that the inhabitants of the department, might have been represented in the golden enlightened by the danger they have just incurred, age. Here we have introduced to us an in-hunt them out themselves; deprive in all haste of experienced shepherdess, seduced just before their ornaments the temples of imposture, hypocrisy, the Revolution by a young noble, but whom and lies, in order to transform them into temples the progress of the Revolution happily restores of reason; that the church plate is accumulating to peace. Her lover had found her under the in all the districts, the single district of Dax an amount of eight disguise of a commissionaire at the corner of hundred marks; and that, to conclude, there contributing already to a street in Chambery, where she blackens his remains in the entire department of the Landes boots and sings a ditty, making herself not a single priest in the performance of his funcknown. He marries her, of course, and the tions; and, better still, they are not regretted. The extraordinary commission, by which we You have been informed of the horrid attempt made against our brave and worthy friend Dartigoite, at the tribune of the popular society of Auch; you know that a guilty hand had alinost robbed the Republic of one of its worthiest champions at the moment when, addressing the people, he thundered against the evil-intentioned. Filled with horror and indignation, and anxious to avenge the national representation thus outraged, we issued at once a decree, commanding the extraordinary commission to transport itself thither instantly. Ten villains have laid their heads on the scaffold; and the principal author of Dartigoite's attempted assassination, with his last breath, repeated the infamous name of Louis XVII.! The monsters! they shall perish, every one, and the land of liberty shall soon be purged of the slaves who long for kings. We have discovered in our army a brother of that Hébert the impostor who sold stoves and impudently blew counter-revolution through their pipes. We have secured him, and will keep him here till your will In the first place, the feeling of the countrypeople is good throughout the greater part of the departmeut; they detest priests, fanatics, and nobles; love the Republic; cherish the defenders of their country, for which they make, and with joy, the greatest sacrifices. The towns of J. J. Rousseau (the Saint Esprit, old style,) and of Mont de Marson, must be particularly designated; the best principles reign there,-love of country, Republicanism, warm all hearts; and the firstnamed of these two towns has so much the more merit in its opinions, that it forms in a manner one and the same city with Bayonne; where there reigns, and will long reign, with the exception of the few patriots belonging to popular societies, the most inveterate aristocracy, the love of kings and Spaniards, the hatred of liberty and equality. The town of Dax also seems, since our salutary visit made there some time since, anxious to atone for its delinquencies. Patriotism has regained its vigor; the evil-intentioned are struck dumb and impotent, or are fettered; and the Sans-culottes develop an energy of which the commune did not seem, a short time since, susceptible. Salut et Fraternité. (Signed) CAVAIGNAC and PINET the elder Séance du 6 Floréal. Pinet et Cavaignac à la Convention Nationale. Bayonne, le 30 Germinal, l'an 2 de la République une et indivisible, (19 April, 1794, old style.) Citizen Colleagues,-Our last to you is of the 28th of this same month, wherein we informed you of the happy success of our measures taken in the department of the Landes to stifle, outwit, and crush a plot formed there by our everlasting enemies, the priests and nobles. Everything around us, citizen colleagues, takes the happiest aspect; all is being organized, difficulties and obstacles are smoothed, and we dare to assure you that the machine will roll on to the army of the western Pyrenees. P.S. As proofs against Hébert's brother may exist at the Revolutionary Tribunal, we determine on sending him to Paris. Salut et Fraternité. PINET and CAVAIGNAC. Read at the sitting of the 9th Florcal, year 2, (28th of April, 1783.) In September, 1794, after an absence of a year, Jean Baptiste Cavaignac was restored to his legislative labors in the National Convention. According to the note in Michaud's Biographie Universelle, if Boissy d'Anglas defended him when he was denounced by the inhabitants of Bayonne after the fall of Robespierre, it is not to be supposed that he was, therefore, necessarily innocent; but he had contributed to the overthrow of Robespierre, and belonging thus to the strongest party at the time, the Convention was willing to absolve him of many crimes. There exists a strange coincidence between the functions of Jean Baptiste Cavaignac and his son the general, during two days of insurrection under two French Republics, separated by fifty-five years. On the 13th of Vindémiaire, year 4, when the sections of Paris rose against the Convention, Barras, who commanded the troops, had Cavaignac for his adjutant; while Napoleon Bonaparte, at that time général de brigade, was intrusted with all military dispositions which might become necessary. Having borne an active part in the repression of the popular movement, Jean Baptiste, like his son in June, came to announce to the Assembly the success obtained by his comrades and himself, and the restoration of order. It was aptly remarked in the National Assembly a few days since, that "Our Republics have leaned as yet on a musket or a paving-stone." At least a sure road to military distinction under a Republican form of government appears to be over the bodies of the sovereign people. If the 13th Vindémiaire caused Napoleon's promotion to the rank of general of division, now, in June, 1848, Generals Lamoricière and Cavaignac have won a fame, the acquisition of which would have cost a price far heavier had the foe continued to be merely the wild Arab. If Louis Philippe was monarch of the barricades, are not these their marshals? On the 13th Vindémiaire the sections of Paris, displeased with the article of the new constitution which prohibited their naming afresh two thirds of the former members to the new corps législatif, rose in arms, avowedly to restore the constitution of 1793. On the other hand, detachments of regular troops and artillery occupied various quarters of Paris, and surrounded the Convention. At five o'clock in the afternoon the first shot was fired, and the battle lasted till night. commenced. The general-in-chief has just informed the committees that everywhere the rebels are repulsed, everywhere the Republic triumphs. At a quarter after six. . Some citizens, placed in the tribunes, began to applaud Merlin's report. Hold your tongues!' exclaimed all the members; 'hold your tongues!' and silence was restored. Legendre. I see in the tribunes, by the side of several unarmed citizens, a defender of the coun try. I invite him to return to his post. The Soldier. If I am here it is because my horse has been taken from me. A Citizen. Representatives, the citizens you see are devoted to the Republic, but they have not arms for her defence. will find arms. Murmurs interrupt him. This explanation is carried no further, and silence being restored, a single report of cannon is heard in the distance. The President. The National Convention will hear, no doubt with interest, that the assistance the most immediately necessary has been carried to the wounded by our colleagues themselves. The Baron de Staël, the Swedish ambassador, takes his accustomed place at this moment. He is armed, wearing a sabre, as do the representatives themselves, and the greater part of the citiAnother person accompanies him. At seven o'clock the firing has altogether ceased. Tridi, 13 Vindémiaire, an 4 de la République une Cavaignac, one of the representatives who et indivisible, (5 Oct., 1795, old style.) We give a closing extract from the Moni eur: (Extract from the Moniteur.) Suite de la séance permanente du 13 au soir. A moment after Merlin de Douai ascended the tribune. The President. Citizen colleagues, I think it right to remind you that, whatever be the report you are about to hear, it will be your duty to forbear applause. zens. marched along with the Republicans, enters at this moment and ascends the tribune. Cavaignac. Citizens, I think it my duty to inform the National Convention of the advantage obtained by the soldiers, defending the Republic in one of the most important posts. It is at the corner of the Rue de la Convention, ci-devant Dauphin, and which, as you are aware, faces the Church of St. Roch, that the combat commenced Merlin de Douai commenced speaking, but the by a Royalist aggression. The Republican solextreme fatigue of his voice prevented our hear-diers, attacked there by a considerable mass of ing his first words. We give below all we conld gather:- Merlin de Douai. I come to announce to you the success of the defenders of the Republic against the rebels. It is not without sorrow that I speak of it, since it has cost French blood; but at least the friends of their country cannot reproach themselves with commencing the battle. The general-in-chief, Barras, had received, on the part of your committees, the positive order to forbear attack; to hold himself on the defensive, even, as far as possible, to avoid provocation. The combat began by a piece of infamous treason. Several rebels, one bearer of a flag, advanced towards the committee for general safety [section of police ?]; arrived there, some among them laying aside their arms and quitting their drapeau, embraced a captain of grenadiers of the National Convention, shouting Vive la Republique! Vive la Convention! At the very same moment several shots were fired by the rebels who had remained behind these, and several of the military were wounded. It was thus the attack the rebels, returned the fire steadily, and with energy. Supported by two pieces of cannon admirably served, we drove back the enemy even into the church, where they shut themselves in. We had then the greatest trouble in repressing the ardor of our soldiers, anxious to force them in their last refuge; but as we did not know the strength of the force opposed to ours, and might have fallen into some ambuscade, we arrested the march of our men here. Throughout this action, citizens, the Republicans have signalized their valor once more. General Berruyer had a horse killed under him; four other general officers, of whom I recognized Vachot and the Adjutant-general Mutele, behaved with remarkable gallantry. The names of the others will be made known to you. At this present moment our men are still in pursuit of the rebels, and a cannon-shot is now and then fired merely to give them chase. Nothing stirs, nothing will stir. I answer to you for your safety. We have no motive for lingering over the |