III.

Scarcely was the report terminated than Guadet, who presided that day at the Assembly, mounted the tribune, and began to comment on the report of his friend and colleague.  Guadet, born at Saint Emelion, near Bordeaux, already celebrated as an advocate before the age at which men have generally made themselves a reputation, impatiently expected by the political tribunes, had at last arrived at the Legislative Assembly.  A disciple of Brissot, less profound, but equally courageous and more eloquent than his master, he was intimately connected with Gensonne, Vergniaud, to whom he was bound by being of the same age, the same passions, and the same country; endowed with an undaunted and energetic mind and winning powers of oratory, equally fitted to resist the movement of a popular assembly, or to precipitate them to a termination; all these natural advantages were heightened by one of those southern casts of face and feature that serve so well to illustrate the working of the mind within.

“A congress has just been spoken of,” said he; “what, then, is this conspiracy formed against us?  How long shall we suffer ourselves to be fatigued by these manoeuvres—­to be outraged by these hopes?  Have those who have planned them, well weighed this?  The bare idea of the possibility of a capitulation of liberty might hurry into crime those malcontents who cherish the hope; and these are the crimes we should crush in the bud.  Let us teach these princes that the nation is resolved to preserve its constitution pure and unchanged, or to perish with it.  In one word, let us mark out the place for these traitors, and let that place be the scaffold.  I propose that the decree pass at this instant; That the nation regards as infamous, as traitors to their country, and as guilty of leze-majeste, every agent of the executive power, every Frenchman (several voices, ‘every legislator’) who shall take part, directly or indirectly, at this congress, whose object is to obtain modifications in the constitution, or a mediation between France and the rebels.”

At these words the Assembly rose as if by common consent.  Every hand was raised in the attitude of men ready to take a solemn oath; the tribunes and the chamber confounded their applause, and the decree was passed.

M. de Lessart, whom the gesture and the allusion of Guadet seemed to have already designated as the victim to the suspicions of the people, could not remain silent under the weight of these terrible allusions.  “Mention has been made,” said he, “of the political agents of the executive power:  I declare that I know nothing which can authorise us to suspect their fidelity.  For my own part, I will repeat the declaration of my colleagues in the ministry, and adopt it for my own—­the constitution or death.”

Whilst Gensonne and Guadet aroused the Assembly by this preconcerted scene, Vergniaud aroused the crowd by the copy of an address to the French people, which had been spread abroad for the last few days amongst the masses.  The Girondists remembered the effect produced two years previously by the proposed address to the king to dismiss the troops.