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Elections of year V。 … Character and sentiments of the elected。 …
The new majority in the Corps Legislatif。 … Its principles and
program。 … Danger and anxiety of the Jacobin minority。 … Indecision；
division； scruples and weakness of the moderate party。 … Decision；
want of scruples； force and modes of procedure of the Jacobin faction。
… The 18th of Fructidor。 …
〃It was a long time；〃 writes a small trader of Evreux； 〃since so many
people were seen at the elections。＇46＇。 。 。 。 The eight electors
for the town obtained at the first ballot the absolute majority of
suffrages。 。 。 。 Everybody went to the polls so as to prevent the
nomination of any elector among the terrorists； who had declared that
their reign was going to return。〃 … In the environs of Blois； a rural
proprietor； the most circumspect and most peaceable of men； notes in
his journal＇47＇that 〃 now is the time to take a personal interest。 。
。 。 Every sound…thinking man has promised not to refuse any office
tendered to him so as to keep out the Jacobins。 。 。 。 。 It is
reasonably hoped that the largest number of the electors will not be
terrorists and that the majority of the Legislative Corps being all
right； the minority of the furious； who have only one more year of
office； will give way （in 1798） to men of probity not steeped in
crime。 。 。 。 In the country； the Jacobins have tried in vain：
people of means who employed a portion of the voters； obtained their
suffrages； every proprietor wishing to have order。 。 。 。 The
Moderates have agreed to vote for no matter what candidate； provided
he is not a Jacobin。 。 。 。 Out of two hundred and thirty electors
for the department； one hundred and fifty are honest and upright
people。 。 。 。 。 They adhered to the last Constitution as to their
sole palladium； only a very few of them dreaming of re…establishing
the ancient régime。〃 Their object is plain enough； they are for the
Constitution against the Revolution； for limited power against
discretionary power； for property against robbery； for upright men
against thieves。 … 〃Would you prevent； say the administrative
authorities of Aube；＇48＇ a return to the disastrous laws of the
maximum； of monopolies； to the resurrection of paper…money？ 。 。 。
Would you； as the price of a blameless life； be once more humiliated；
robbed； imprisoned； tortured by the vilest； most repulsive and most
shameless of tyrants？ You have only one recourse： do not fail to go to
your primary assemblies and remain there。〃 The electors； warned by
their late personal and bloody souvenirs； rush to the polls in crowds
and vote according to their consciences； although the government
through the oaths it imposes； its official candidatures； its special
commissioners； its intimidation and its money； bears down with all its
weight on the resolutions they have taken。 Although the Jacobins at
Nevers； Macon and elsewhere； have forcibly expelled officers legally
elected from their bureaux； and stained the hall with their blood；＇49＇
〃out of 84 departments 66 elected a plurality of electors from among
the anti…republicans； eight being neither good nor bad； while only ten
remained loyal to the Jacobins。〃＇50＇ … Appointed by such electors； we
can divine what the new Third will be。 〃Of the 250 Conventionalists
excluded by the draw scarcely five or six have been re…elected； there
are but eight departments in which the Jacobins have had any success。
〃…Immediately after the arrival of the new representatives； the roll
of the Legislative Corps having been checked off； it is found that
〃the Government has 70 out of 250 votes among the Ancients； and 200
out of 500 among the Council of the Young；〃 and soon less than 200 in
this Council；＇51＇ 130 at the most； who will certainly be excluded at
the coming renewal of the chambers in elections which are becoming
more and more anti…Jacobin。 One year more； as the rulers themselves
admit； and not one Conventionalist； not one pure Jacobin； will sit in
the Legislative Corps。 Consequently； according to the
revolutionaries； the counter…revolution will have taken place in the
year VI。
This means that the Revolution is to end in the year VI。； and that the
pacific reign of law will be substituted for the brutal reign of
force。 In fact； the great majority of the representatives and almost
the entire French nation have no other end in view： they wish to rid
themselves of the social and civil régime to which they have been
subject since the 10th of August； 1792； and which； relaxed after
Thermidor 9； but renewed by the 13th of Vendémiaire； has lasted up to
the present time； through the enforcement of its most odious laws and
the maintenance of its most disreputable agents。 This is all。 … Not
twenty avowed or decided royalists could be found in the two
Councils。＇52＇ There are scarcely more than five or six … Imbert…
Colomès； Pichegru； Willot； Delarne … who may be in correspondence with
Louis XVIII。 and disposed to raise the royal flag。 For the other
five hundred； the restoration of the legitimate King； or the
establishment of any royalty whatever； is only in the background； they
regard it only at a distance； as a possible accompaniment and remote
consequence of their present undertaking。 In any event； they would
accept only 〃the mitigated monarchy；〃＇53＇ that which the Liberals of
1788 hoped for； that which Mounier demanded after the days of October
5 and 6； that advocated by Barnave after the return from Varennes；
that which Malouet； Gouverneur Morris； Mallet…Dupan and all good
observers and wise councillors of France； always recommended。 None of
them propose to proclaim divine right and return to aristocratic
feudalism； each proposes to abrogate revolutionary right and destroy
Jacobin feudalism。 The principle condemned by them is that which
sustains the theory of anarchy and despotism；
* the application of the Contrat Social；＇54＇
* a dictatorship established by coups détat； carried on arbitrarily
and supported by terror；
* the systematic and dogmatic persistence of assaults on persons；
property and consciences；
* the usurpation of a vicious； fanatical minority which has devastated
France for five years and； under the pretext of everywhere setting up
the rights of man； purposely maintaining a war to propagate its system
abroad。
That which they are really averse to is the Directory and its clique；
Barras with his court of gorged contractors and kept women； Reubell
with his family of extortioners； stamp of a parvenu and ways of a
tavern keeper； La Révellière…Lepaux with his hunchback vanity；
philosophic pretensions； sectarian intolerance and silly airs of a
pedantic dupe。 What they demand in the tribune；＇55＇ is the
purification of the administration； the suppression of jobbery； an end
to persecution and； according as they are more or less excited or
circumspect； they demand legal sentences or simply the removal of
Jacobins in office； the immediate and entire suppression or partial
and careful reform of the laws against priests and worship； against
émigrés and the nobles。＇56＇ Nobody has any idea of innovation with
respect to the distribution of public powers； or to the way of
appointing central or local authorities。 〃 I swear on my honor；〃
writes Mathieu Dumas； 〃that it has always been my intention to
maintain the Republican Constitution； persuaded as I am that； with a
temperate and equitable administration； it might give repose to
France； make liberty known and cherished； and repair in time the evils
of the Revolution。 I swear that no proposals； direct or indirect；
have ever been made to me to serve； either by my actions； speech or
silence； or cause to prevail in any near or remote manner； any other
interest than that of the Republic and the Constitution。〃 〃Among
the deputies；〃 says Camille Jordan； 〃several might prefer royalty； but
they did not conspire； regarding the Constitution as a deposit
entrusted to their honor 。 。 They kept their most cherished plans
subordinate to the national will； they comprehended that royalty could
not be re…established without blows and through the development of
this bill。〃 〃 Between ourselves；〃 says again Barbé…Marbois； 〃there
were disagreements as to the way of getting along with the Directory；
but none at all as to the maintenance of the Constitution。〃＇57＇
Almost up to the last moment they confined themselves strictly to
their legal rights； and when； towards the end； they were disposed to
set these aside； it was simply to defend themselves against the
uplifted saber above their heads。＇58＇ It is incontestable that their
leaders are 〃the most estimable and the ablest men in the
Republic；〃＇59＇ the only representatives of free suffrage； mature
opinions and long experience； the only ones at least in whose hands
the Republic； restored to order and justice； would have any chance of
becoming via