FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   595   596   597   598   599   600   601   602   603   604   605   606   607   608   609   610   611   612   613   614   615   616   617   618   619  
620   621   622   623   624   625   626   627   628   629   630   631   632   633   634   635   636   637   638   639   640   641   642   643   644   >>   >|  
ost justice, if one of us must fall a sacrifice, if there be yet time, save him, restore him to the tears of his wife; I have no tie like him, I can meet death unappalled;--too young to have tasted the pleasures of the world, I cannot regret their loss."--"No, no," exclaimed his brother, "you are still in the outset of your career; it is I who ought to fall." At eight in the morning the members of the Tribunal withdrew to the council-chamber. Since the commencement of the proceedings the crowd, far from diminishing, seemed each day to increase; this morning it was immense, and, though the sentence was not expected to be pronounced till a late hour, no one quitted the Court for fear of not being able to find a place when the Tribunal should resume its sitting. Sentence of death was passed upon Georges Caudoudal, Bouvet de Lozier, Rusillon, Rochelle, Armand de Polignac, Charles d'Hozier, De Riviere, Louis Ducorps, Picot, Lajolais, Roger, Coster St. Victor, Deville, Gaillard, Joyaub, Burban; Lemercier, Jean Cadudol, Lelan, and Merille; while Lies de Polignac, Leridant, General Moreau,--[General Moreau's sentence was remitted, and he was allowed to go to America.]--Rolland, and Hisay were only condemned to two years' imprisonment. This decree was heard with consternation by the assembly, and soon spread throughout Paris. I may well affirm it to have been a day of public mourning; even though it was Sunday every place of amusement was nearly deserted. To the horror inspired by a sentence of death passed so wantonly, and of which the greater number of the victims belonged to the most distinguished class of society, was joined the ridicule inspired by the condemnation of Moreau; of the absurdity of which no one seemed more sensible than Bonaparte himself, and respecting which he expressed himself in the most pointed terms. I am persuaded that every one who narrowly watched the proceedings of this celebrated trial must have been convinced that all means were resorted to in order that Moreau, once accused, should not appear entirely free from guilt. Bonaparte is reported to have said, "Gentlemen, I have no control over your proceedings; it is your duty strictly to examine the evidence before presenting a report to me. But when it has once the sanction of your signatures, woe to you if an innocent man be condemned." This remark is in strict conformity with his usual language, and bears a striking similarity to the conversat
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   595   596   597   598   599   600   601   602   603   604   605   606   607   608   609   610   611   612   613   614   615   616   617   618   619  
620   621   622   623   624   625   626   627   628   629   630   631   632   633   634   635   636   637   638   639   640   641   642   643   644   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Moreau

 

sentence

 

proceedings

 

morning

 

Tribunal

 

condemned

 
General
 
Polignac
 

inspired

 

Bonaparte


passed

 
deserted
 

horror

 

strict

 
amusement
 

mourning

 

Sunday

 
conformity
 

remark

 

greater


number

 

innocent

 

victims

 
public
 

wantonly

 
distinguished
 

belonged

 

affirm

 

similarity

 

striking


decree

 

imprisonment

 

conversat

 

consternation

 

spread

 

language

 

assembly

 

watched

 

Gentlemen

 

celebrated


control
 

narrowly

 

examine

 

strictly

 

convinced

 

accused

 

reported

 

resorted

 

persuaded

 

evidence