The opposite sentiments form the strong points of the other party. On the side of the triumvirs nobody knows twinges of conscience， neither Barras， a condottiere open to the highest bidder， and who understands the value of blows， nor Reubell， a sort of bull， who， becoming excited， sees red， nor Merlin de Douai， the terrible legist， lay inquisitor and executioner in private.[67] As usual with the Jacobins， these men have unsheathed the sword and brandished it. In contempt of the constitution， they provoked discussions in the army and let the Legislative Corps see that， if it did not yield， it would be put out at the point of the bayonet. They let loose against it， " as in the good old times，"[68] their executive riff-raff， and line the avenues and tribunes with "their bandits of both sexes." They collect together their gangs of roughs， five or six thousand terrorists from Paris and the departments， and two thousand officers awaiting orders or on half-pay. In default of Hoche， whose unconstitutional approach was reported and then prevented， they have Augereau， arrived expressly from Italy， and who states publicly， "I am sent for to kill the royalists." It is impossible to find a more narrow-minded and greater military bully； Reubell， himself， on seeing him， could not help but exclaim： What a sturdy brigand！" - On the 18th of Fructidor this official swordsman， with eight or ten thousand troops， surrounds and invades the Tuileries. The representatives are arrested in their committee-rooms or domiciles， or pursued， tracked and hunted down， while the rest of their opponents， notables， officers， heads of bureaux， journalists， former ministers and directors， Barthélémy and Carnot， are treated in the same way. Barbé-Marbois， on demanding by virtue of what law they were arrested，[69] is told， "by the law of the saber，" while Sotin， Minister of the Police， adds with a smile， "You may be sure that after what I have taken on myself， it matters little whether one is more or less compromised." - Thus purged， the two Councils complete themselves their purgation； they cancel， in forty-nine departments， the election of their colleagues； through this decree and transportation， through forced and voluntary resignations， two hundred and fourteen representatives are withdrawn from the Legislative Corps， while one hundred and eighty others， through fear or disgust， cease to attend its meetings.[70] Nothing remains of the two Councils， except， as in the English Parliament under Cromwell， a "rump，" which rump does business under drawn swords. In the Council of the Ancients， which， on the 18th of Fructidor， discussed at midnight[71] the decree of transportation， "groups of grenadiers， with a haggard look， in brusque language， with threatening gestures" and fixed bayonets， surround the amphitheatre， and， mingled with the soldiers and civil cut-throats， shout out their orders. Such are the supporters of the slanderous tale cooked up by the Directory. The voters need such arguments to make themselves believe in the grand conspiracy which it denounces， to associate Barthélemy， Carnot， Siméon， Barbé-Marbois， Boissy d'Anglas， Mathieu Dumas， Pastoret， Tronson du Coudray as accomplices with a knot of subordinate intriguers， contemptible "monkeys" (marmosets)， dolts or spies， whose papers have been in the hands of the police for six months， and whom it forces to speak under lock and key.[72] All are enveloped in the same net， all are confounded together under the same title， all are condemned en masse without evidence or formality. "Proofs！" exclaims an orator， "none are necessary against the royalist faction. I have my own convictions."[73] - "Formalities ！" exclaims another， "the enemies of the country cannot invoke formalities which they would have despised had they triumphed." - "The people are there，" says a third， pointing to a dozen ill-looking men who are present； "the whole people ought to prevail against a few individuals！" - "Hurry up！" shouts a soldier， who wants the discussion ended， "patriots， march， double-quick！" - The debate， nevertheless， drags along， and the Government， growing impatient， is obliged to intervene with a message： "The people，" says the message， "want to know what has become of the Republic， what you have done with it. . . . . The conspirators have agents， even among yourselves." The message is understood， and the representatives now understand that if they do not transport， they themselves will be deported. Therefore， "about fourteen or fifteen stand up for the decree， while seven are against it； the rest remain motionless：" it is thus that the decree to save the Constitution is freely and legally passed. Four years before this a similar decree had passed to expel the Girondists， in just the same manner， with the exception that， at that time， the Mountain made use of the populace， while now the army is employed； but save the difference in the figurants， the performance is simply a repetition of the same drama that was played on the 2nd of June， and is now again played on the 18th of Fructidor.[74]
VI. The Directory.
Dictatorship of the Directory. - Its new prerogatives. - Purge of the Legislative Corps.- Purification of the administrative and judicial authorities. - Military commissions in the provinces. -Suppression of newspapers. - The right of voting reserved to Jacobins alone. - Despotism of the Directory. - Revival of Terror. -Transportation substituted for the guillotine. - Treatment of the deported on the way， in Guyana， and on the islands of Rhé and Oléron.
- Restoration of Jacobin feudalism.
This is the way in which the government of 1793 is brought back to life：
The concentration of all public powers in the hands of an oligarchy， a dictatorship exercised by about a hundred men grouped around five or six leaders.
