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of Marshal Marmont, Duke of Ragusa-an officer who possessed the confidence of the king, and well merited that of both the army and the country. Colonel Fabvier accompanied him as chief of his staff. The result of his mission, was the almost immediate restoration of tranquillity; and, although the importance of this result would have amply justified the publication of an account of the measures by which it was brought about, it seems that our author has been still further called upon to describe them by the recent revival of the calumnies against the people of Lyons, with the addition of others equally gross against Marmont, under the sanction of a respectable authority in the French Legislature. He observes, that the Marshal is precluded, by his situation, from addressing the publick upon this subject. We may add, that neither he, nor the questions discussed, have lost any thing by the task devolving upon Colonel Fabvier, who tells his story in plain and distinct language, and with an air of honesty calculated to make a deep impression on every reader. moi, qui, dans cette mission, ai rempli près de lui les fonctions de chef d'état major, je crois faire une chose utile et honorable en cédant au désir que j'éprouve de repousser une attaque injuste. Je cède d'ailleurs au besoin, mille fois plus pressant encore pour un Français ami de son pays, d'empêcher que l'opinion ne s'égare sur les véritables causes de l'horrible tragédie qui a terrifié et ensanglanté une contrée toute entière; de dire à la France que cette population respectable et digne d'un si grand intérêt, que ces anciens militaires dénoncés à la justice nationale, n'ont mérité d'être signalés que par la résignation avec laquelle ils ont supporté les persécutions dont on les a accablés; que, si quelques-uns se sont laissé prendre aux piéges qui leur étaient tendus, l'immense majorité n'a pas cessé d'être patriote, amie de l'ordre et de la paix; je cède enfin à l'esper ance que le tableau de ce qui s'est fait, en démasquant les artisans de nos malheurs, pourra les faire renoncer désormais à leurs coupables projets, ou empêcher du moins qu'ils ne trouvent encore une fois des dupes ou des victimes.

In order rightly to comprehend this history, it is necessary to recollect, that the disturbed district had been much divided by party. Buonaparte having always been extremely popular at Lyons, as soon as the restoration of the Bourbons brought back to office the Royalist, or rather Ultra-Royalist functionaries whom his return in 1815 had displaced, they found themselves engaged in administering the powers of a very unpo pular government; and probably contracted no little dislike, in their turn, for the people over whom they were set. Part

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ly from a sincere desire to gratify this feeling, and partly from that love of activity and vigour which always distinguishes local magistrates, they never ceased to court all occasions of exerting their authority, and to represent their department as in a state of disaffection bordering upon actual rebellion. A very unimportant riot which happened on the 8th of June at Lyons, had been magnified by these calm observers into a horrible conspiracy, deeply planned, and powerfully armed with resources for overthrowing the government, and delivering up the country to massacre and pillage. The English reader will at once recognise the language of our own secret committees in the following passage, descriptive of the fabulous accounts transmitted by some of the most silly and hot-brained of mankind, the Ultra Royalist Functionaries, to the French ministry. Numerous bodies' (they said) were organized in every direction; arms were distributed to them; considerable sums of money were provided and set apart for their pay; they had bold and enterprising leaders; and this was only one of the ramifications of an immense plan' (we believe Lord Sidmouth's word was vast) which embraced not merely the neighbouring departments, but the whole of France. Here the Gallican reporters, we must confess, go a step beyond our own in the wildness of their imaginations, or the acumen of their sense for seeing plots, and tracing their mutual connexions. It seems, they add, that these movements are combined with the conspiracy at Lisbon, and the revolution in the Brazils!' (p. 5.) In vain did the facts of the case bear irrefragable testimony to the utter falsehood of all these fables. No armed bodies of men were seen; twenty Gensdarmes and a few chasseurs, had sufficed to keep all quiet, and to restore tranquillity wherever it was interrupted for a moment; no movement had taken place; no member of the pretended directing committee been found; a few wretched peasants only had been seized in their villages, disposed to turbulence, but without chiefs, concert, or any determinate object. All this was unable to check the career of the magistrates and their creatures. Whoever chuses to say a plot exists, may persist in his assertion in spite of all negative evidence: For he has only to repeat that it is a plot, and of course a secret one; and thougfr it has not yet been discovered, it is indubitably on the very point of explosion. Accordingly, with a single exception (a magistrate of tried and unquestioned loyalty), the whole of the constituted authorities maintained their statement, by daily adding new details of disaffection and conspiracy. Nor was their zeal for the public peace only shown in propagating perpetual stories of its being broken; they scoured the country in all directions

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to arrest suspected persons; the cours prevûtales united their efforts, and multiplied executions without mercy; an inflamed soldiery was let loose, upon the inhabitants of the country, treating each place like a town taken by storm; terror everywhere prevailed to the uttermost degree;-and there was at last reason to apprehend a real revolt, from the effects of such exasperating treatment upon the spirit of a peaceful but gallant people.

At this juncture, Marshal Marmont arrived in Lyons; and his first difficulty arose from the clouds of misrepresentation through which he was obliged to view every thing. For the statements of all persons in office, except one, agreed, with a marvellous uniformity, in painting the situation of the districts as next to rebellious; and they detailed a multitude of particular facts, scarcely possible to resist, in support of their accounts; -openly accusing of sinister views the only one of their number who differed from them, and offering apparently conclusive proofs of the charge. For a moment there seemed no possibility of doubting at least the general truth of their representations; and a minister at a distance, who only received such uniform accounts, and could not see with his own eyes, (or a secret committee who obtained information from the minister), would hardly have been justified in questioning their accuracy. But as soon as the Marshal went out of the circle of the constituted authorities, conversed with the most respectable individuals of all classes, examined himself every proceeding, espe cially of the Prevotal Courts, and saw plainly all that had been done by some and suffered by others, the facts appeared in their true colours; and the causes of the miserable state into which Lyons was plunged could no longer be concealed from his view. Let the English reader ponder well the following passage, in which the chief of those causes is described; and if it brings. unpleasant reflexions to his mind-if, instead of renewing his indignation at the arts practised last year, it should smite him with a consciousness that he suffered himself to be deluded by the fabrications of our plot-mongers, and under that influence to join in wounding the liberties of his country, let him atone for his error by firmly resolving in fature always to watch the ministers with redoubled jealousy when they set themselves about accusing the people of disaffection.

"La ville de Lyon et les communes qui l'entourent avaient vu renaître pour elles le régime de 1793. Comme alors, les hommes qui avaient le pouvoir proclamaient que la terreur seule pouvait le faire respecter, et n'agissaient que trop bien en conséquence de ce principe; comme alors, la haine avait pris la place de la justice, et tous les moyens paraissaient légitimes pour écraser ceux qu'on regardais

comme des ennemis. Dans ces derniers temps, on ne frappait les victimes qu'après les avoir trompées, et la violence n'était que le dernier terme des combinaisons les plus révoltantes.

Une foule d'agens parcouraient la ville et les campagnes, s'introduisaient dans les cabarets et jusque dans les maisons particulières, y prenaient le rôle d'un mécontent, exhalaient les plaintes les plus vives contre l'autorité, annonçaient des changemens, des revolutions; et s'ils arrachaient un signe d'approbation à de malheureux citoyens pressés par la misère, ou tourmentés par mille vexations, ils s'empressaient d'aller les dénoncer et recueillir le prix de leurs infâmes stratagèmes.

'Les procédures de la cour prévôtale ont attesté l'emploi de ces moyens odieux, mais l'excès même avec lequel on s'y livrait les a bientôt rendus publics: chacune des autorités ayant ses moyens de police à part, à chaque instant ces vils instrumens se rencontraient sans se connaître, s'attaquaient avec une égale ardeur, et bientôt le moins diligent, dénoncé par l'autre, expiait un moment sous les verroux son infamie. Il fallait alors décliner sa mission: l'autorité intervenait pour réclamer son agent; le prisonnier disparaissait, et allait ailleurs chercher une nouvelle proie, ou préparer un nouveau scandale.

A l'aide de ces nombreux délateurs, les prisons regorgeaient de victimes entassées avec un tel désordre, que la lecture seule des registres d'écrou prouvait à quel point était porté le mépris des lois et de l'humanité: indépendamment de celles que la procédure ordinaire plaçait sous la main de la cour prévôtale, on voyait encore dans les caves de l'hôtel de ville, des centaines de malheureux, victimes de vaines terreurs ou de funestes conseils; et là, ces malheureux, privés de tous soins comme de tout secours, attendaient pendant des mois entiers la faveur d'être interrogés; et tel, qui ne l'a été qu'au bout de quatre-vingt-deux jours, a fini par être acquitté : l'arbitraire était porté dans toutes les parties de l'administration. Les autorités municipales prenaient des arrêtés contraires aux lois, et condamnaient à l'emprisonnement pour des faits qu'aucune loi ne considère comme des délits. p. 8-10.

Thus far the cases of our own Home Department and that of France are nearly parallel; but the local magistracy of Lyons, it must be confessed, carried their vigour a little further than our most active dealers in plot dared, with the rigours of par liamentary inquiry awaiting them.

Des colonnes mobiles parcouraient les campagnes, imposaient arbitrairement telle commune à leur fournir, non pas seulement des vivres qui ne leur étaient pas dus, mais des effets d'habillement.

Des détachemens chargés de protéger de cruelles exécutions ont ajouté à l'horreur de ce spectacle, en insultant, en maltraitant les femmes et les enfans que la terreur n'avaient pas fait fuir de leur domicile, l'épouse qu'on venait de rendre veuve, la mère dont on venait de frapper l'enfant.

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Et lorsqu'un cri d'indignation générale a forcé de livrer les cou

pables à la sévérité des lois, elles n'ont pu les atteindre, et c'est la terreur même qu'ils avaient répandue qui a assuré leur impunité.

• Ce n'était pas seulement au milieu des campagnes que les lois, et l'humanité plus respectable encore, étaient foulées aux pieds par des hommes indignes de porter l'habit de soldat; au milieu même de la ville de Lyon, sous les yeux de leurs chefs, ils prodiguaient l'insulte et l'outrage.

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⚫ Pendant notre séjour dans cette ville, un soldat, placé en sentinelle près d'une prison, lâche son coup de fusil, à bout portant, sur un malheureux qui, à travers les barreaux de sa fenêtre, leur reprochait les attentats de Saint-Genis-Laval. Au bruit de l'explosion, la garde accourt, et, sans attendre l'ordre de son chef, fait feu sur les infortunés qui s'empressaient autour de leur camarade mourant. Deux sont blessés à ses côtés: l'officier du poste, traduit devant un conseil de guerre avec les soldats, a invoqué pour leur défense l'usage suivi jusqu'alors. Jusqu'à présent, disait-il, on a tiré dans les prisons presque journellement. Et cette horrible justification, qui n'eût dû servir qu'à livrer à la justice d'autres coupables, a suffi pour sauver ceux-ci. En vain les nombreuses irrégularités de ce jugement ont été dénoncées au conseil de révision: on n'en a retiré que la triste certitude que, dans l'état où se trouvaient les choses à Lyon, ce n'était plus la justice impartiale, mais l'aveugle et féroce esprit de parti qui départissait les peines et les absolutions, et nous verrons bientôt si les arrêts de la cour prévôtale étaient faits pour affaiblir cette conviction.' p. 11, 12.

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Such proceedings, we thank heaven, have not yet had any parallel in this country: But let not the interested advocates, or the easy dupes of our false alarms, congratulate themselves too surely upon the lesser degree of persecution which was practised in England upon a late occasion. All was done that the purposes of the deception required;-a clamour was raised; the constitution was suspended; many persons shut up for months in dungeons; some cruelly ironed and carried about the country in that state for selling a supposed libel; and, after all, an act of indemnity passed to screen the agents of the mischief, of whatever rank, from all legal inquiry. As yet, indeed, we have seen no military execution lay waste the country; no domiciliary visits torment its peaceful inhabitants; no new courts of justice supersede the law of the land. But if the violent encroachments already made had not been manfully resisted in Parliament; and if the country at the late elections had not loudly pronounced its disapprobation of them, who shall say that the next danger in which the ministers found themselves of losing their places, would not have been met by those more violent measures? Nay, are the advocates of last year's proVOL, XXX. No. 59. M

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