Historical Epochs of the French Revolution Part 11

Decreed, that sixty-two millions of a.s.signats shall be at the disposition of the war-minister 29. every month. And that 95,000 cavalry be raised for the next spring.

30. Upwards of three thousand peasants, prisoners from La Vendee, are guillotined or shot at Nantes.

31 Perigord Tayleyrand, bishop of Autun, ordered to leave England.

_Feb_. 1. Mons. La Borde, the former court banker, and father of La Borde de Merville, an ex-const.i.tuent, is forced to purchase his liberty with a large sum of money.

The opera of "Toute la Grece" is in great vogue--the story of it is, that Philip, seeing all Greece rising in a ma.s.s, begs for peace; Greece refuses to make peace with a King.

Report to the convention, that excellent soap is made of potatoes.

4. Slavery abolished in all the colonies.

Pichegru appointed commander of the army of the North in the room of Jourdan.

The treasurer Cambon states to the convention that last year 4,885,764 livres were coined of copper and bell-metal.

A deputation of blacks appears at the bar to be received as brethren.

Decreed, that every officer and soldier, of whatever rank, shall have an equal quant.i.ty of provisions, a man having but one stomach.

7. The 48 sections of Paris appear at the bar to protest against any suspension of arms.

All mints for coining money suppressed, except that of Paris.

The commune of Chamberry sends to the convention twelve thousand marks [Footnote: Eight ounces each.] of silver, together with the sword of Prince Eugene, five feet long.

Manifesto of the Germanic body to justify the war with France.

The Prince of Talmond and fourteen priests guillotined.

One of the two brothers, of La Vendee, from whom the Chouans took their name, is killed by the republicans.

A b.l.o.o.d.y quarrel between the republican and revolutionary soldiers of the French army.

The Vendeans obtain advantages at Cholet.

The Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Luynes, and Mons de Montmorency, an ex-const.i.tuent, imprisoned.

A work is published under the sanction of the convention, proving that the national domains, that is, the estates of the king (sic), the n.o.bles, the clergy, and the emigrants, are worth twenty milliards of livres.

Deputies from the county of Mot Belliard demand its union with France.

The old name of Ma.r.s.eilles is restored; it had been forfeited by a decree, and was called "Sans-nom."

18. The Abbe Maury is promoted to the dignity of cardinal.

Troops sent from Paris to La Vendee receive orders to travel fourteen leagues a day.

20. Thomas Payne claims protection of the club of Cordeliers, who return for answer the vote he gave on the King's trial.

Mons. du Chaffault, lieut.-general of marines, an officer of great services and high estimation, is ma.s.sacred in Poitou at the age of eighty-five years.

The convention, on the motion of Barrere, decree a political lent, in order to leave the more animal food for the sick and aged.

A pet.i.tion from Burgundy demands the death of young Capet.

Death of Cardinal de Lomenie du Brienne, one of the earliest promoters of the revolution.

St. Just makes a motion, the object of which is, to excite the people to murder and vengeance, for 1200 years of crimes which had been committed against them.

Motion by Danton for an agrarian law.

26. Report upon La Vendee. It consists of sixteen departments of forty square leagues, between the Loire and the sea, from Painboeuf to Saumur.

The sister of Mirabeau is reduced to solicit alms of the convention.

_March_. Several sections of Paris complain to the convention of a scarcity of provisions.

Decreed, that all the property of priests, either banished or imprisoned, be confiscated for the use of the state.

Danton makes a flaming republican speech to the convention.

All horses of the plough put in requisition.

The number of prisoners in Paris amount to 6100.

9. The minister of justice proposes to inst.i.tute a committee of insurrection, to overturn all the monarchies of Europe.

The sale of the property of emigrants amounted in the year 1793 only to twenty millions of livres, not half the real value of the estates of one emigrant alone, the Duke de Montmorency.

The number of victims destroyed by the guillotine or grape-shot at Lyons, to this date, amounted to somewhat more than five thousand.

Populus, an ex-const.i.tuent, guillotined at Lyons.

The clubs of the jacobins and cordeliers form an alliance.

At Nevers seventy-four priests, who refuse to take the oath, are guillotined. At Dijon fourteen n.o.bles suffer the same fate, because they used the t.i.tles of Count and Baron.

The merchants of Bourdeaux are all arrested on the same day, and condemned to the guillotine; but are permitted to redeem their lives by paying one hundred millions of livres, to which they are forced to submit.

14. Robespierre invents a conspiracy, or pretended treason, in order to secure his authority.

The wife of Momoro, who had played the part of first G.o.ddess of reason, guillotined.

All strangers are banished from Paris.

The Vendeans are beat on the left bank of the Loire by General Cordelier.

The convention states the expences of 1793 to be at the rate of four hundred millions of livres a month.

15. Hebert and his partizans (sic) are arrested. The jacobins betray the cordeliers.

17. Herault de Sech.e.l.les guillotined.

21. The Emperor forbids his subjects to make any payments in France.

24. The island of Martinico submits wholly to the English.

A secret is laid before the convention of removing the impression of ink from paper, and of rendering it as new.

Wives of emigrants forbid to marry foreigners.

Eight thousand men sent to La Vendee.

The revolutionary army is disbanded.

Means discovered to expel foul air, by burning common salt moistened with oil of vitriol.

30. The brother of Abbe (now Cardinal) Maury guillotined at Avignon.

31. Jourdan appointed commander in chief of the army of the Moselle.

Barrere exclaims against atheism and irreligious principles.

_April_ 5. Danton, Camille des Moulins, Fabre d'Eglantine, De l'Aulnay, Chabot, La Croix, Philippeau, Bazire, and Julien, all voters for the King's death, delivered to the revolutionary tribunal, and guillotined.

Danton, when asked his name and quality, replied, "a being now that in a few hours will be a non-ent.i.ty."

Camille des Moulins, being required to tell his age, replied, "the same as the sans-culottes Jesus, "34 years."

Westerman, who stiled (sic) himself the conqueror of royalists, the Abbe d'Espagnac, and many others, are guillotined.

7. Formal entry of the Emperor into Brussels.

Decreed, that the executive council be suppressed, as incompatible with republican government.

Chambon states the expence, extraordinary and revolutionary, 1,600,000,000 livres.

A deputation at the bar of the a.s.sembly demands, that death be the order of the day.

The prisoners in Paris amount to 6763.

Dumas, a deputy, pretends to point out a method of knowing a counter-revolutionist by his physiognomy.

St. Lucia taken by the English.

9. Gobet, intruding bishop of Paris, guillotined.

The honours of the pantheon voted to Rousseau.

12. The city of Oneglia taken by the French.

St. Just, in the convention, asks the question "What is a King compared with a French citizen?"

14. The allies repulse the French on the Lys.

The daughter of Sultan Achmet III. who had fled into France, and found refuge there during 64 years, obtains alms of the convention, viz. 6oo livres, (about 25l. sterling.) 18. Laborde, a wealthy banker who had several times redeemed his life by large sums of money, is guillotined.

The princ.i.p.al members of the parliaments of Paris, and of Toulouse, are guillotined.

20. The woods of Vitre and Rennes burned to dislodge the royalists.

21. Gen. Beaulieu beats the French at Arlon.

22. Guadaloupe taken by the English.

The old Mons. de Malsherbes, one of the generous defenders of Louis XVI. guillotined.

24. The allies beat the French near Cambray.

26. The Duke of York takes 35 pieces of cannon, and a French general; he kills 5000 men, and makes 3000 prisoners.

To facilitate the sale of the lands of emigrants, they are divided into lots of three hundred livres each, and twenty years credit given.

28. The French seize Courtray the day of the annual fair, and get a great booty.

29. General Clairfait gains a considerable advantage, killing 3000 men, and taking several cannon.

30. Landrecy surrenders to the Emperor with a garrison of 6ooo men.

In this month were executed, besides those mentioned already, Monsieur d'Espremenil, Chaumette, procureur of the commune of Paris, Gen.

Arthur Dillon, Hebert and Simon, deputies, Gen.

Roncin, Momoro, Anarcharsis Cloots, a deputy, Du Buisson, Goutte, an intruding bishop, Gen. Beisser, the Marquis of Chateau Briant, the d.u.c.h.esses of Chatelet and Grammont, the Viscountess de Pont-Ville, Thouret and Chapellier, two very active revolutionists.

Kosciusko puts himself at the head of a revolution in Poland.

_May_ 1. In the prisons of Paris 22,000 persons are confined, and in all the departments of France 653,000.

The Duke de Biron, upon sentence of death being pa.s.sed upon him by the revolutionary tribunal, cried out, "I deserve it, for having betrayed my "King and served his enemies."

The Count du l'Aigle, being also condemned, said to the people, "It is not my head, it is bread and "your King that you ought to demand."

Decreed, that all royal houses shall be kept for the use and enjoyment of the people.

10. Robespierre obtains decrees to admit the existence of a Supreme Being, and of the immortality of the soul; and for the establishment of decadary festivals.