supporters, and, taking up his ever-ready pen, he wrote two
impassioned papers whose respective tenors it is not easy to
reconcile: one an appeal to the Convention in Paoli's behalf, the
other a demand addressed to the municipality of Ajaccio that the
people should renew their oath of allegiance to France. The
explanation is somewhat recondite, perhaps, but not discreditable.
Salicetti, as chairman of a committee of the convention on Corsican
affairs, had conferred with Paoli on April thirteenth. The result was
so satisfactory that on the sixteenth the latter was urged to attend a
second meeting at Bastia in the interest of Corsican reconciliation
and internal peace. Meantime Lucien's performance at Marseilles had
fired the train which led to the Convention's action against Paoli,
and on the seventeenth the order for his arrest reached Salicetti, who
was of course charged with its execution. For this he was not
prepared, nor was Buonaparte. The essential of Corsican annexation to
France was order. The Corsican folk flocked to protect Paoli in
Corte, and the local government declared for him. There was inchoate
rebellion and within a few days the districts of Calvi and Bastia were
squarely arrayed with Salicetti against Bonifacio and Ajaccio, which
supported Paoli and Pozzo di Borgo. The Buonapartes were convinced
that the decree of the Convention was precipitate, and pleaded for its
recall. At the same time they saw no hope for peace in Corsica, except
through incorporation with France. But compromise proved impossible.
There was a truce when Paoli on April twenty-sixth wrote to the
Convention regretting that he could not obey their summons on account
of infirmities, and declaring his loyalty to France. In consequence
the Convention withdrew its decree and sent a new commission of which
Salicetti was not a member. This was in May, on the eve of the
Girondin overthrow. The measures of reconciliation proved unavailing,
because the Jacobins of Marseilles, learning that Paoli was Girondist
in sentiment, stopped the commission, and forbade their proceeding to
Corsica.

Meantime Captain Buonaparte's French regiment had already been some
five months in active service. If his passion had been only for
military glory, that was to be found nowhere so certainly as in its
ranks, where he should have been. But his passion for political renown
was clearly far stronger. Where could it be so easily gratified as in
Corsica under the