MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL CONVENTION of FRANCE, (continued from p. 1211.) Monday, Dec. 3. R of the Committee of Twelve, prefented a report on a number of papers lately found in the Thuilleries. The Convention proceeded on the Order of the Day, refpecting the trial of Louis XVI. Bantaroux gave it as his opinion, that the Affembly, without difcuffing any farther metaphyfical queftions, ought at once to decree that the fate of Louis XVI hold be put at iflue; and that, in three days, he fhould be bound to bring forward the mens of his defence. [Here followed fime tumults Charlier demanded a Decree of Accufation againt Lou's the XVIth. After order had been refered, St André faid-" Louis XVI has been already judged on the roth of Auguft, when he caf d thoufands of citizens to be affifinated The Primary Aflemblies have confirmed their judgement. A decree of accufation is no longer neceMary. You wch o pronounce that he is an en my of his country,' Rebripioare rote, and expreffe himfelfar follows:--There is no neceß, frat al; the important que hon difcutin is refolved in there fw words: Louis was dethroned for his cames; Louis eunced the French People as Rebels; he called in, to par them, the ad of his brother tyrants; vid ry and the people declared imfelf be the Rehe!; Louis therefore ca mot he tried; he is already condemned. He afterwards adverted to the trials of Charles the Firit of Eng' ad, and Mary Queen of Scots: the former, he tail, had been cited as a precedent, but foreign precedents, he argued, were ott be adopted by them. Charles the First was tried by Judges at the difpofil of Cromwell; May Queen of Scots was facmiced to the ambition of Elizabeth. here the cafe was widely different. In the condemn tion of Louis, another difficulty will arife. What punishment will you in flict? Death is too cruel, exclaimed one. No, reples another: life would be a burden. For my felt, says Roberfpierre, I with the punishment of death to be abolished, and have tried, though in vain, to effect it; but here (it is with regret I own the fatal truth) is a cruel exception, owing to the nature of his crimes. Louis muft die; rather than 100,000 of his people fhould perish-Louis muft, to fave the country; a King, whofe name alone he plunged his d ftracted country into a war: neither his impr fonment, Her exile, can render his existence indifferent to the public welfare. Decide the fate of Louis, therefore, immediately; his wife, and the other culprits, refer to the Tribunals. Keep his fon in the Temple till peace and tranquillity are reftored to the country. for Louis himself, I move that the National GENT. MAG. January, 1793. As Convention declare him a Traitor to the French Ntion, and criminal towards humanitv. 1 demand, that as fach he may afford a frking example to the world on the very fame spot where on the eth of August fo many generous martyrs fell in the caufe of Liberty; and that fterwards a monument may be erected there, to remind the People of their rights, nd imprefs on their minds a horror for Tyrants, and on that of Tyrants the falutary terror of the juftice of the People." Petion faid-" If you pass a Decree of Accution against Lou's XV. you will take upon you the functions of the Jury of Accufat or, and will thus decide that you do not with to know any thing of the question, which is not the intention of the Aflembly; theribus l, to whom you remit the affair, will not be b'e to judge it, becaufe a Tribunal can only apply existing laws, and the Penal Code Coes not at prefent furnish any on this ful ject." He therefore demanded, that they should previoutly declare, whether Len's XVI. could be judged, and who should be hi judes. Laraid--"You have a fignal vengeance to exercite: prepare an enumeration of the c'fences of Louis XVI. and pronounce in confequence of thefe atiences." After a long dfcuffion, it was demanded that the propofitions of Roberfpierre should be put to the vote. The Aflembly, a ter deaberating, gave preference to the propofition of Petion. Bazive propofed, as an amendment, that it cald be declared, that the King thould be tried by the Convention. This amendment was adopted, and the decree patied as follows: he National Convention decrees, "That Louis XVI. be tried by them." Tifday 4. The Convention ordered, that the plan of a decree thould be printed, relative to the tranflation of their laws into foreign languages, and particularly the debates concerning the late King. By a decree iffued upon the propofition of Thurot, "All the provifions and perfonal property belonging to the Emigrants, which fhall be taken by the French armies, fhall be confifcated to the State." A Deputation from Belgia and Liege de manded, "That the French Nation fhould engage, with the Belgic people, not to form any treaty with Foreign Powers, unless the independence of Belgia fhould be first agknowledged [Loud applaufe}. In fuch cafe. 40,000 Belgians would co-operate with the French, and not lay down their arms till the tyrants had disappeared." The Deputation, then iwore, in the name of their Constituents, to acknowledge no ether system than Liberty and and Equality, and vowed an eternal hatred to all tyrants. They hoped that the war would never be concluded until trauts Thould no longer exist. [Loud applause.] "The Reprefentatives of the people of Hainault and Belgia," continued the Deputies, have refolved to break all the ties which connect thefe two people with the Houfe of Austria; to annul the Belgic States and all the Sovereign Councils established in the Provinces, except thote which emanate from the people. They alfo recommended, that, all me being equal in the eye of te Law, all diftinétions at abolihed, as well as the right of mortmain, and that every man may hunt upon his own grounds from the firit of September to the firit of March. The Presidentenlied as follows: "Citizen Deputies-You poTels immenfe treasures and abbeys. Recollect the mailacres of Mons, and your former tyrants. All peole are free who pollels that metal which forms fabres. The terms Liberty and Equality compofe a bond of union much fonger than the connexion of Auftria. Choofe that free government which you conceive most eligible. The Co venton has declared that it will grant protection and affiftance to all people who afpire to freedom." The Deputies were invite to the fitting, and received the falute of fraternity from the Prefident, in the midst of the mot lively applaufe. The order of the day was the difcuffion relative to fubfiftences; but, after many long deb tes, the Convention decreed, that it fhould give place to the trial of the King. Melinet withed to refume the question relative to inviolability. "Philofophers (fas he), as writers inform us, cenfured the Ength for having tried Churles L. Confider, whether it had not been better, i, inflead of thortening the fceptre, they had deftroyed it. True Republicans would then have written their hiftory, and they would not have been cenfured: Let the word cut off the life of a Tyrant, and hiftory will be just to our fame. The Prefident obferving that the queftion of inviolability had been decided previously, the Affembly filenced the fpeaker. Buzot required, that the Convention should decree, that he who fhould prefume to fpeak of re-establishing Roya'ty, under any form whatever, fhould be punished with death;" and he demanded the affel n minal refpecting this prop fition. On this, all the Members on the left, and part of thofe on the right fide of the Hall, rote with a degree of euthuliafn, and called for the appel nominal. Bollant attempted to oppofe this propofition; but the Convention would not hear him. Another Deputy propofed, that they "fhould pafs fentence on the King before they broke up." [Laud acclamations and extravagant applanfe.] Roubel fupported the motion of Ruzot, and recommended the judgement of the King without adjourning. Merlin was confidered as a Royalift, for having demanded that, in the preparation of the decree, it should be stated, that Royalty fhould not be re established except in the Primary Affemblies. He exculpated himself by faving, that on the roth of August he regretted but one thing, viz. "the infpira4tion which directed Brutus." [Murmurs.] Gaudet, obferving that Merlin's propo fitions tended towards anarchy, and thence to defpouf, demanded the order of the day.-Bazire was fourrdous.-Koberfpierre and Chabot unfuccefully demanded leave to Ipeak. The order of the day upon Merlin ad Buzot's propofitions was adopted; and the Nationa' Convention decreed as follows: "The National Convention decrees, that "who forver withes to establith Rovalty in " France, or whofover endeavors to re"ftore it under any form, or by any means "whatever, thal firer death." [Loud applaufe, ex apt from the left.] The difcution comnienced with the pro"pofition at Philippear, couched in the following terms: "The Convention decrces, that it will con"time ntti till it shall have paffed the de"fin tive tentace upon Louis XVI." Petion propofed the hour of no u to proceed every day upon thi business. Opelin deroonded that the fubftences and the law relpecting Emigrants fho ild be procended upon without interm..lion. Gamton believed that France would never have bread till the fate of all the Bourbon family was deciled upon Robeffione, after many difficulties, obtained bearing. He dem in led that it fould be decreed, as a fundamental principle, that no nation could be governed by a King.The Prefident called him to the queition before them, Whether the fitting fhould be deciced peranatent -Roberfpierre then pretcelee: It is perhaps neceifary to state the queftion in cifferent terms, and the principal point is to judge Louis XVI. before we depart. It is alo material to know whether Louis XVI. was not fentenced in confequence of the infurrection of the Icth of Auguft, and, if fo, whether he ought not to be inftantly punished. Buzet oppofed every motion which tended to prevent the King from being heard, becufe it was necellary to know the accomplices. Petion's propofition was then adopted as follows: The National Convention decrees: "That "the Affembly fhall be occupied every day "exclufively, and without interruption, with "the fentence of the King, and whatever "relates to the Bourbon family, from twelve o'clock in the morning till fix in the even "ing, until the bufinefs fhall be finally de "" termine." Dec. 4 Thurict. Every day emiffaries are fent from Paris to the Departments, to circulate Lhels, inciting the people to demand the restoration of Royalty. Measures muit be incantly takent fuppi cf-thefe intrigues. Prefier -An anonymous letter was fent to me, which requested a Stadtholder, with a guard of 10 oco meu The Convention decreed, that the Ministry should publifh as fpeedily as poffible thofe decrees which enact the punishment of death on any person who fhall propofe to re-eltablifh Royalty, or export corn. Official dispatches were read, from Lieu, tenant-General Valence, announcing the capture of the castles of Namur, one of which, the fort of Vitalle, was taken by affault, after the rout of a corps of 5000 Auftrians, entrenched in the woods of Afth. The garrifon were all made prifoners of war. Dec. 5. A long debate enfued, respecting the difficulties, obstacles, and frauds, which exifted in Paris with regard to corn. Many perfons on their way to Paris with corn had been stopped by perfons unknown, and obliged to return. The Convention decreed, that the emillaries who prevented the free circulation of corn in France 1hould, if difcovered, be put to death. The Convention afterwards refumed the queftion touching the mode in which the King is to be tried, when they decreed as follows:-A commiffion extraordinary is to be formed, on whofe report the Convention, on Monday the roth of December, are to decree the digeftion of the act exhibiting the charges which have been proved against Louis; and on Tuefday that of ftating the interrogations which are to be put to him. The next day he is to be brought to the bar, to hear the laft act read, and to answer the questions which the Prefident may put to him. A copy of the charges and the queftions will be given to him, and two days allowed him to prepare his defence; at the expiration of which time, final judgement will be patted on him by nominal appeal, every Member giving his verdict. Dec 6. The Aflembly deliberated on the Trial of the King: after a variety of propofitions, the following were alternately decreed: 1. That the Commitlion of 24, and the Committee of Legiflation and General Safety, fhall each name three Members, who hail be re-united to the Committee of Twelve. 2. That thefe 21 Members shall prefent on Monday next a declaration (aéte énoncatif) of the crimes with which Louis Capet is charged, and fhall arrange in due order the feveral parts of the evidence. 3. That they fhall also present a series of queftions to be propofed to Louis Capet. 4. That, in the fitting of Monday, the Convention will difcufs the Declaration and the Aleftion to be proposed. 5. That, on the following morning, Lou's Capet fhall be brought to the bar of the Convention, to hear the Declaration read, and te anfwer the questions to be propofed to him only through the organ of the Presidest. 6. That a copy of the declaration nd of the feries of questions thall be delivered to Louis Capet; and that the Prefident thall adjourn the proceedings for two days, to hear his definitive aniwer. 7. That, on the day after his fecond appearance at the bar, the National Convention thall pronounce on the fate of Luis Capet, by the appel nomimal, each Member as his name is called appearing fuccellively in the Tribune. 8. The National Convention charges the Executive Council, on its refponsibility, to take all meatures necelfry for the public fecurity during the trial of Louis Capet. Dec. 7. A Deputation of the Section of the huiller es waited on the Council-General of the Commons of Paris, with the fullowing demands, among others, relative to the guard of the King: 1. that two Members of the Council. General thould remain, during the nights, in the chamber of the ci-de ant King, intlead of one, which had hitherto been the rule. 2. That, as the ci-devant King had the cuf tom of thaving himself, that liberty fhould now be taken from him; and that, like other prifoners, his beard thould be cut with fciflors. The reafon given for the first of these demands was, that the King himfelf being a very powerful man, and his Valet de Chambre being remarkably fo, a fingle Commiffary might eafily be overcome and murdered by them. With regard to the fecond demand, it was founded on the poffibility of the King cutting his own throat, to raile the compaîtion of the people in favour of his fon the Dauphin. The refult of the deliberations of the Council-General was the following arret: 1. Every kind of cutting-inftrument, and all arms offenfive or defenfive, and every thing of which other prifoners, fuppofed criminal, are deprived, thall be taken away from the prifoners of the Temple. 2. Thote who ferve them, or come near them, shall be subject to the fame privation. 3. All eatables fhall be first toited by the perfons appointed for the fervice of the prifoners, fuch as the cooks, confectioners, &c. 4. Every thing entering the Tower fhall be fcrupulously examined by the Commiffaries of the Temple. 5. The arret, which orders that the Commillaries of the Temple thall every day give a written account to the Council of what pafles in that prifon, fhall be strictly executed. 6. The fervants fhall no longer fleep in the Tower. Dec. 8. Two letters were read from the Commiftioners fent to Dumourier's army. In the first they acquainted the Convention with their arrival at Liege; and that, in confequence of an occurrence which they deemed of the utmost confèquerce, they had difpatched a counter extraordinary. The occurrence alluded to was this: in their way to the army they found the roads thronged with volunteers, who were returning to Paris. In confequ nce of a report having been circulated amongst the troops, that the Convention had iffuet a decrce, declaring the country to be out of danger, the voluntcers, conceiving themfelves tree from their promifes and oatus, were returning home to their families.. Should this opinion gain ground, they add, it will have a dreadful efect in the armies; and therefore request fome means to be pointed out to them to prevent it. The remainder of this letter, and the purport of the fecond, were to give an account of the money in the military chefts of Mons and Bruffels, and the fituation of the troops. With regard to the money, they only found 10,400 livres in cafh, and 5,000 in affignats, As to the foldiers, they are in a very bad condition. The fick in hofpitals, they fay, were moftly 'on the floor, without either mattraffes or coverlets; and the foldiers on duty had moft of them no breeches, or waistcoats; and what they called coats confifted of a thin patched garment: they had not even a cloak, in cafe of rain, to cover their fulls. The cause of these misfortunes they had not yet traced. Dec. 10. The fitting commenced with a deputation from the Fauxbourg St Antoine, ftating that the infurrections in the Department of Eure and Loire aimed at demanding a King. The Deputati ns were admitted to the honours of the fitting. This was followed by a tedious harangue from M. Lindet, in the name of the Committee of 21, wherein he re-capitulated all the crimes alleged against Louis XVI. from the commencement of the Revolution. Dec. 11. The reading of the act of accufation against the King by Barbaroux was followed by a long difcufion, wherein every /deputy teftified luns eagerness to have a kick at the unfortunate Monarch. At length the King ppeared at the bar, preceded by the Comman er in Chief, Santerre, efcorted by the Mayor, and the Mu cipal Officers. After he was feater, the inftrument of accufation and the interrogatories were read by M. Malle Louis. There then exifted no law to pre vent me. Prefident. You ordered an army to march against the Citizens of Paris, and many of them were flaughtered in the Thuilleries. Louis. I had then a right to order the troops to march, but I had no intention of thedding blood. Prefident. Louis, you on the zoth of June, 1789, violated the Sovereignty of the people, by fufpending the proceedings of their reprefentatives, and expelling them by force from the place of their fitting Youalfo endeavoured, on the 23d, to dictate laws to the nat on. You furrounded the deputies with guards, and prefented two 1oyal declarations, fubverfive to liberty; and you commanded the reprefentatives to difperfe. Prefident. You have long evaded the enforcement of the decrees of the 11th of August, concerning the abolition of perfonal fer vitude, the feudal government, and the tithes. You refufed for a long time to acknowledge the Declaration of the Rights of Man," augmented your guard, and fuffered, in moments of midnight revelry, the national cockade to be trampled under foot. The white cockade was replaced, and the nation blafphemed; and it was not till after the defeat of your guards that you changed your language, and reneved your perfidious promifes. Iquis. I made fuch obfervations as I thought well founded upon the two frst decrees; with respect to the cockade, that tranfaction did not take place in my prefence. Prefident At the Federation on the 14th of July, you took an oath which you have broken; and endeavoured to corrupt the public by the talents of Mirabeau. Louis. I do not now recollect what paffed at that time; but all this was anterior to my acceptance of the Constitution. Prefident. You have appropriated millions to bribe Paris and the Provinces; you even endeavoured to make popularity an eng ne to fubjugate the people. You long meditated on a project of flight. A plan was delivered to you on the 23d of Februry, pointing out the means, which you commented upon in marginal notes. Louis. I never experienced greater plea Yure than in bestowing to thofe who were neceffitous; and what I then did had no reference to any meditated defign. Prefident A number of the Nobility and foldiery were difper fed through the Thuil eries, to favour that flight: nd you attempted on the 18th Ap.il to leave Paris and go to St Cload. Louis. This charge is abfurd. [Here the Prefident went over all the circumstances refpecting the flight to Varennes, and exhibited a memorandum of the 230 January, with a marginal note in the King's hand writing] Lous. I know nothing of this memorandum; with refect to what relates to my journey to Varennes, I mutt refer to what 1 faid to the Commiflioners of the National Convention at that period. Prefident. The blood of the Citizens was fed on the 19th of July in the Champ de Mars, in confequence of a criminal coalition between you and de la Fayette, to which Mirabeau aflented. You have endeavoured, by by libellous pamphlets and journals, to pervert the public opinion, to depreciate affignats, and to fupport the cause of the emigrants. Louis. What paffed on the 19th of July cannot in any degree affect-me. Of the reft I am entirely ignorant. Prefident. You concealed the particulars of the coalition of Pilnitz, till the very moment when they were known to all Europe. Louis. I communicated this as foon as I knew it: and, moreover, every thing relative to the tranfaction applies to the Minifters. Prefident. You have encouraged the Counter- Revolutious of Ailes, by fending three Civil Commillioners, who were employed in defending the Rebels. Louis. The inftruction of the Commiffioners will prove what they were charged to perform: and I knew of none of the articles when they were prefented to me by the Ministers. Prefident. You protracted for the space of a month the enforcement of the decree for the re-union of the Contat; and, during that interval, this country was wafted by civil war, and the Commifiioners fent thither by you effected its deftruction. Louis. I do not recollect what obftacle retarded the execution of the decree. The latter part of this interrogatory relates to the perfons fent, and those who fent them. Prefident. You did not exert yourself to crush the germs of Counter-Revolution at Nimes, Montauban, Mendes, &c. till the confpiracy of Sallant broke out. Louis. I iffued all the orders which the Minifters advited. Prefident. You kept in pay your former gardes de corps at Coblentz, and tranfmitted feveral fums of money to Bouille, Choifeul, Beauprès Polignac, and others. Luis As foon as I knew that my gardes de corps allembled on the other fide the Rhine, I ftopped their pay. Of the rest, I have no recollection. Prefident. Your brothers, enemies of the country, rallied the Emigrants, raifed regiments, negovated loans, and formed alliances, in your name; which you did not difavow till the moment when you could not marr their projects. All thefe circumftances are proved by a note in their own handwriting. Louis. I difavowed all the tranfactions of my brothers, following the line chalked out by the Confitution as foon as it was defined to me. I know nothing of the note. Prefident. The army of the line, which ought to have been rufed to the war eftabi ihment, confified only of 10,000 men at the clufe of December 1791 You neglected to provide for the external fafety of the country. Your agent, Narbonne, demanded a levy of 50,000 men; but he did not recruit beyond 20,000, vec aning that every thing was ready. You refufed to fanction a de cree for the encampment of 20,000 men near Paris. Louis. 1 iffued all neceffary orders to the Minifters for putting the troops upon the war eftablishment; the estimates were laid before the Allembly in December. If the Minifters were guilty of deception, that ought not to be imputed to me. Prefident. You fent officers to command, with intent to diforganize the army, and to defert their regiments, and to be devoted to your brother Lecpold of Auftria. Louis. There is not one word of truth in this article of accufation. Prefident. It is proved, by a letter from Choileul, that you had commiffioned your diplomatic agents to promote the coalition of foreign potentates; particularly to cement the peace between Turkey and Auftria; that the latter might be enabled to fend a greater number of troops against France. Louis. M. de Choifeuil has not fpoken the truth. This was never the cafe. Prefident. It was not until July 10, when 50,000 Pruflians had commenced their march against France, that you gave the legislative corps official information of this act of hostility. Louis. I did not know it myself till that period. All correfpondence paffed through the Minifters. Prefident. You confided the charge of the War-Department to d'Abancourt, Calonne's nephew; and fo fuccefful was your confpiracy, that Longwi and Verdun were furrendered upon the first approach of the enemy. Louis. I did not know that d Abancourt was M. de Calonne's nephew. It was not 1 that d:finantled thefe places, nor have I any knowledge that they w.re difmantled. Prefident. You have deftroyed our Marine by favouring the emigration of its officers, when the Legiflative Corp proved to you, on the 8th of March, that Bertrand granted paliports every day. You replied, that you were very well fatisfied with his services. Louis. I did all I could to retain the officers. As for Bertrand, fince the National Allembly did not exhibit any fpecific accufation against him, I did dot think it was my duty to fuperfede him. Profident. You have encouraged Defpotic Government in the Colonies, where your agents have univerfally fomented the Counter-Revolution there, effected at the very time when it was on the point of being accomplained in France. Louis. If there were any of my agents in the Colome, they have not spoken the truth. I know nothing of the businets. Prefident You have avowed yourself the Protector of Fanatics who distorted the interior of the State, that you might recover your former power. Lou's. I knew nothing about this plot. Prefident. You fufpended the execution of the Decree of the sgth, relative to the Factious Priefts. |