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of the last decade, in presence of the whole people in the Temple of Truth, heretofore called the Parish Church of this town. In this place there will no longer exist moré than one mode of preaching morality---but one repofitory for the remains of the dead, whofe refurrection has been perpetually preached by fuperftition for the torment of the living."

Boiffet, another commiffioner in the department of Ardéche, fays, "Fanaticifm is deftroyed! The altars of Christianity are replaced by altars more holy."---Julien of Toulouse, a member of the Convention, and a minifter of the Proteftant church for twenty years, publicly, in the midst of that affembly, renounced his functions for ever.― "I declare," faid he, "that I will no longer enter into any other temple than the fanctuary of the laws; that I will acknowledge no other divinity than Liberty, no other worfhip than that of my country, no other Gospel than the Republican Constitution." Dumont, one of the National Commiffioners, announced to the Convention," that, in order to destroy fanaticism, he arrests all priests who celebrate religious ceremonies on Sundays." Even the existence of Chrift, as a real perfon, was difputed by the ingenuity, or rather the effrontery, of modern infidelity; and M. Volney, in his admired work, RUINES de les EMPIRES, fcrupled not to ftyle Chriftianisme'-culte allegorique du Soleil, fous les noms cabaliftiques de Chrif-en ou Yef-us."*

In allufion to the monftrous tranfactions of this portentous period, a moft eloquent and energetic writer has obferved, "that the reign of atheism in France was avowed the reign of terror. In the full madness of their career, in the highest climax of their horrors, they fhut up the temples of God, abolithed his worship, and proclaimed death to be an eternal fleep:-in the very centre of Chriftendom, Revelation

TACITUS gives an account fomewhat different:-" Auctor nominis ejus CHRISTUS qui, Tiberio inperitante, per procuratorem Pontium Pilatum fupplicio affe&us erat. Annal. 15. 44

velation underwent a total eclipfe, while atheism, perforiping on a darkened theatre its strange and fearful tragedy, confounded the firft elements of fociety, blended every age, rank, and fex, in indifcriminate profcription and maffacre, and convulfed all Europe to its centre, that the imperishable memorial of these events might teach the last generations of mankind to confider religion as the pillar of fociety, the parent of social order, and the fafe-guard of nations."

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It is wonderful that, amid the horrors of this dismal period, while the death-dance of democratic revolution" was ftill in rapid movement, amongst the tears of affliction, and the cries of defpair," the mafque, the fong, the theatric fcene, the buffoon laughter, went on as regularly as in the gay hour of feftive peace." The picture which enraptured fpeculatifts had once delighted to draw of the glorious and happy effects of this unparalleled revolution was now enveloped in impenetrable gloom, and the flattering delufions of hope had vanished as the unsubstantial colors of the gilded bow; while the enemies and detractors of the fair form of Freedom, now lying proftrate in the duft, exclaimed, "That out of the tomb of a murdered monarchy had arisen a vast tremendous unformed fpectre, in a guife far more terrific than had ever before appalled the imagination and fubdued the fortitude of man."

The manners of Rebespierre, who in a fhort time acquired an abfolute afcendency in the Convention, were uniformly gloomy and auftere. Laborious, fufpicious, irascible, vindictive, imperious, Barrère termed him "the giant of the revolution. -My aftonished genius," said he, " trembles before his.”

M. Garat, fpeaking of his own interceffion with Robe fpierre in behalf of the imprisoned Girondifts, fays: Je vis à l'inftant qu'il mettoit lui fon orgueil, fon triomphe, et fa grandeur, à écrafer impitoyablement fes cane

VOL. III.

F

Hall's Sermon on Modern Infidelity.

+ Burke's Regicide Peace,'

mis:

mis-Je vis à l'inftant que lui ne trouvoit fa fureté que dans le deftruction de tous ceux qui lui infpiroient des craintes." The figure of this extraordinary man is defcribed as mean and infignificant, his countenance fallow and disgusting; but fuch was his eloquence, that, when he rose to speak, his perfonal defects were in a manner forgotten. His voice, which in common converfation was weak and tremulous, in the Tribune acquited the most commanding tone and animated expreffion; his whole afpect became impofing, and his eyes feemed to flash sparkles of fire. Under the reign of this ferocious tyrant there was under every footstep a mine, in every house a spy, on every bench of juftice an affaflin. From the Var to the Mofelle, from the Pyrénées to the Ardennes, Terror reared her gorgon creft, and the hearts of all were frozen with confternation.

Such has long been the vast fuperiority of the naval power of England, that, in every war waged for more than a century paft, maritime conquefts feem regarded by the English nation almost as a matter of course.

This ex

pectation was not difappointed in the prefent war, conducted even by thofe weak and incapable minifters who fo unneceffarily and unjuftifiably plunged the country into it. The valuable island of Tobago was taken, by a British squadron under admiral Laforey, about the beginning of April. From an early period of the French revolution the WeftIndia iflands belonging to France, and particularly St. Domingo, had been agitated and convulfed by the revolutionary fpirit, and by premature and injudicious attempts to confer the rights of free citizens in that part of the globe upon the "gens de couleur," who conftitute a large proportion of the inhabitants. In confequence of the violence of the internal commotions in that extenfive ifland, which had become a fcene of dreadful defolation and bloodshed, the fettlements of Fort Jérémie and Cape Nicola-Mole were furren dered

Mémoires de Garat, p. 57.

furrendered to the English about the latter end of the fummer. The islands of Miquelon and St. Pierre, in the Gulf of St. Laurence, were given up at the first summons. Early intelligence of the war being alfo tranfmitted to the Eaft Indies, Pondicherri, Mahé, and the other French fettlements on the coafts of Coromandel and Malabar were captured, with little refiftance, by the troops of the India Company, under the conduct of general Stewart.

It is remarkable, that although the chief complaint against the French government, on the part of the Englith miniftry, was founded on its invafion of the rights of neutral powers, thofe very minifters had no fooner engaged in the war, than, with unblufhing effrontery, they adopted the most violent meafures to compel the powers ftill remaining neutral to fraternife with England, Mr. Drake, the British envoy at Genoa, peremptorily infifted upon an immediate and unqualified declaration of hoftility on the part of that republic against France. But the Genocfe government, with equal spirit and dignity, replied, “That if the republic were to be forced from her neutrality, fhe never would take part with thofe who had threatened her with fuch unprovoked injuftice."-Lord Hervey, envoy at Florence, took upon him, no doubt in conformity with his inftructions, to infift upon the difmiffion of M. de la Flotte, the French ambassador, in twenty-four hours; and with this demand the grand-duke, who had demonftrated a moft decided inclination for peace, knowing the ftrict connexion fubfifting between the king of Great Britain and his brother the emperor, was compelled to comply; and war was declared by him against France on the 10th of October..

A very memorable declaration was, towards the clofe of the year (October 29), published by the court of London, profeffing to ftate to the world in general, and to the people of France in particular, the fentiments and views of the king of Great Britain in the prefent crills of affairs. The

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language of the declaration is fpecious and infidious, bearing the ftamp of talents far fuperior to thofe employed in the correspondence with M. Chauvelin. "His majesty," it is faid, " by no means difputes the right of France to reform its laws. It never would have been his with to employ the influence of external force with respect to the particular form of government to be established in an independent country. Neither has he now that wish, except in fo far as fuch interference is become effential to the fecurity and repose of other powers. Under thefe circumftances he demands from France, and he demands with justice, the termination of a system of anarchy which has no force but for the purposes of mischief. The king demands that fome legitimate and ftable government should be eftablished, founded on the acknowledged principles of univerfal juftice, and capable of maintaining with other powers the accustomed relations of union and peace. It is for thefe objects that he calls upon the people of France to join the standard of an hereditary monarchy, not for the purpose of deciding, in this moment of diforder, calamity, and public danger, on all the modifications of which this form of government may hereafter be susceptible, but in order to unite themselves once more under the empire of law, of morality, and religion.”

Under this plaufible but ambiguous language, fo different from that which emanated a few months before from the wisdom and justice of the prince of Cobourg, the court of London, while the feemed to promise extremely fair, left herself, in fact, at full liberty to act as fhe pleased, conformably to the fuggestion of her interest or her capriceprompted only by the varying impulse of the " existing circumstances." The king of England did not even pledge himself not to concur in the partition or difmemberment of the restored monarchy when the season of general tranquillity arrived. The Declaration only fays: The king. would propofe none other but equitable and moderate con

ditions ;

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