Chapter III (1)

1792.
_Sept_. 20. First sitting of the third legislature, which takes
the title of National Convention. It consists of
745 members.
21. Decreed, that royalty is abolished, and that the
kingdom of France is a republic.
The battle of Grand-Pré gained by General
Dumouricr.
22. Danton resigns the ministry in order to take a
place in the convention.
23. The old Marshal Luckner is ordered to the bar of
the convention.
27. Mons. Cazotte, an author much esteemed, and who
with difficulty escaped from the assassins of the
2d of September, is conducted to the guillotine at
80 years of age.
29. The Austrians begin to bombard Lisle (sic).
Spires taken by the army of Gen. Custine.
_Oct_. 2. The Duke of Brunswick, commanding the Prussians,
begins his retreat from France, and raises the
siege of Thionville.
4. The title of Citizen is substituted for those of
Monsieur and Madame by a decree.
7. The Austrians raise the siege of Lisle.
8. Massacre at Cambray.
9. The soldiers of General Dumourier massacre their
prisoners.
10. Servan quits the ministry.
Garat is appointed minister of justice.
13. Verdun evacuated by the Prussians.
14. A civic festival in honour of the conquest of
Savoy.
18. Nine emigrants guillotined in the Place-de-Greve.
22. The French retake Longwy.
23. Mayence taken by General Custine.
24. Great accusations of Roland to the convention.
25. The French territory evacuated by the Austrians and
Prussians.
26. Frankfort on the Main taken by the French.
31. A great number of returned emigrants denounced to
the commune of Paris.
_Nov_. 2. All work at the camp near Paris is stopped.
3. The house of the deputy Marat is invested,
and the people demand his head.
4. Robespierre endeavours to acquit himself of the
charges brought against him by the deputy Louvet.
6. Report in the assembly of disturbances in the
department of Mayence and Loire.
Three hundred millions of assignats issued with new
emblems.
A discourse upon Atheism pronounced by Dupont, and
applauded by the convention.
The Princess de Rohan-Rochefort is sent to prison
for having written to the ex-minister Bertrand.
7. The battle of Gemappe--the Austrians are defeated
by superior numbers, and an immense artillery.
Dumourier after his victory takes Mons.
A revolt announced at Guadaloupe.
10. Decreed, that all emigrants who shall return
to France shall suffer death, whether men, women,
or children, not excepting those who had never
borne arms.
12. Ghent taken by the French.
14. Brussels taken by the French.
19. General Montesquieu emigrates.
23. De la Coste, ex-minister, and Du Fresne de St.
Leon, committed to the prison of the Abbaye.
24. Insurrection at Chartres and the neighbourhood, on
account of bread.
25. The King asks of the convention some Latin books,
that he may instruct his son himself.
26. Address from Finisterre to the convention,
denouncing the deputies Marat, Robespierre, Danton,
Chabot, Barire, and Merlin. Buzot supports the
accusation.
27. Kersaint proposes to the convention to make a
descent upon England with one hundred thousand men,
and to sign an immortal treaty upon the Tower of
London, which shall fix the destiny of nations, and
confirm liberty for ever to the world.
The Belgians protest against a decree which
trenches on their sovereignty.
30. Decree, charging the municipalities to keep
registers of baptisms, marriages and buryings.
_Dec_. 1. Pethion quits the mayoralty to become a member of
the convention.
Chambon is elected his successor.
Manuel gives up the place of procureur de la
commune for a seat in the convention; Chaumette
succeeds him.
3. Decreed that Louis Capet shall be brought to trial,
and that the convention shall be his judges.
4. Decreed, that whoever shall propose the restoration
of royalty shall suffer death.
8. The royal family is forbid the use of knives,
scissars,(sic) or razors; the King not to be
shaved, but his beard clipped with scissars.
9. The bust of Mirabeau torn from the Pantheon, and
dragged by the populace to the Place-de-Greve.
The minister of justice reads to the convention 150
addresses from the communes of Normandy in favour
of the King.
Philip Egalité renounces all eventual succession to
the crown of France, to assume the title of French
citizen.
18. The King is interrogated at the bar of the
convention.
Barrere is president.
He demands for his advocates Target and Tronchet,
the former refuses to defend him; but Mons. de
Malesherbes, making a voluntary offer of being his
defender, is accepted with Tronchet, and Monsieur
de Seze is added to them.
The mayor of Paris, the procureur de la commune, le
secretaire Greffier, and thirty municipal officers
on horseback, escorted the King's carriage when he
was going to the bar of the convention to be
interrogated, and to hear the act of his accusation
read. The president said, "Louis,--The French
"people accuse you of having committed a multitude
"of crimes in order to establish tyranny upon the
"ruins of liberty." The King having answered with
great precision and coolness, "Louis," said the
president, "a copy shall be given to you of your
accusations. The convention permits you to retire,
and will acquaint you with the result of its
deliberations."
14. The charge d'affaires of Spain writes an earnest
letter in favour of the King, from his master. The
convention treats it with neglect.
16. The French make themselves masters of
Aix-la-Chapelle.
The King is brought a second time to the bar of the
convention. Monsieur de Seze makes an able speech
in his defence at the bar. The King then speaks to
the convention: "My counsel has laid before you my
"justification and defence, I have nothing to add
"but this, that, in addressing you perhaps for the
"last time, I declare that my conscience reproaches
"me with no crime towards my country, and that my
"advocates have spoken nothing but the truth."
27. Generals Luckner and Rochambeau made marshals of
France.
1793
_January_. Roland publishes a letter to oppose the calumnies
against him.
The loyal subjects of Brabant send an address to
the emperor.
Mont Blanc declared to be an 84th department, of
which Chamberry is the capital; this new department
contains 364,652 souls.
General Dumourier writes some severe truths to the
convention, and offers to give in his resignation,
disclaiming all pretensions to a dictatorship.
The convention rejects the King's appeal to the
people.
Prince Charles of Hesse-Philipstadt dies of wounds
he received at Frankfort.
The alien bill passed in England; in consequence of
which, persons suspected may be sent out of the
kingdom by the executive power.
The Prussians and Hessians drive the French from
Hocheim.
The King of Prussia publishes a declaration, that
his army enters Poland only because that country
was infested with French democratic madness.
Remarkable address of the department of Finisterre
against Marat and Robespierre.
La Fayette is conveyed to Magdebourg.
The Empress of Russia assigns lands in the Crimea
to French emigrants, and causes to be paid to the
Prince of Condé, at Frankfort, 200,000 rupees for
the expences of journey.
Dumourier goes to Paris while the convention is
debating about the King. The jacobins insult him.
His army is said to be 120,000 strong.
General Custine celebrates at Mayence the festival
of liberty, by burning the archiepiscopal
ornaments.
17. The convention terminates its deliberations
18. concerning the King. He is condemned to
19. death. All endeavours to delay the execution of
the sentence are rejected.
Of the members of the convention, 366 vote for
death absolutely; 23 for death, but leaving it
hereafter to be discussed, when the execution
should take place; 8 for death, and a certain delay
or respite; 2 for death at the peace; 319 for
detention; and 2 for detention in irons.
Pelletier, one who voted for the King's death, is
assassinated at a tavern.
20. Louis hears with calmness the reading of his
sentence of death. Allowed only two hours to take
a final leave of his wife, his children, and his
sister, who are frantic with grief.