CONDORCET.

183

This alliance with foreign governments and the com-plicity of the court with the emigrants, roused a spiritin France , at first noble and heroic, till, led away bybase and sanguinary men, grandeur of purpose mergedinto ferocity, and heioism became a thirst of bloodsuch as mankind had never displayed before towardsmen of the same colour and language as themselves, andcan be compared only to the conduct of the Spaniardsin the newly discovered world.

But’ the first burst of generous indignation againstthe traitors who carried arms against their country, and| the crowned foes who denounced the actual governmentI of France as rebellious, to be punished by the devas ■

' tation and subjection of the nation, found an echo inevery patriotic heart not misled by enthusiasm forftyalty. On the 27th of December Vergniaud pro-posed an address to the French people, which was1 greatly applauded though not adopted. Two daysafter Condorcet presented his declaration, which wasreceived with triumphant and unanimous acclamations., This declaration is dignified and firm, and shows the\ just as well as generous spirit which animated the greater1 portion of the assembly, till the panic engendered byi tbr advance of the armies threw the power into thehands of the ferocious minority. “ At the momentwhen, for the first time since the acquirement of liberty,”— thus ran his manifesto, — “ the French people mayfind themselves reduced to exercise the terrible rightof war, her representatives owe to Europe and toall humanity a declaration of the motives that haveguided the resolutions of France , and an exposition ofthe principles that will rule their conduct. The French nation renounces the entering on any war with a viewof making conquests, and will never employ her forceagainst the liberty of any country. Such is the sacred, vow by which we have allied our welfare to the welfare‘ of every other nation, and to which we will be faithful.,; i France will take up arms with regret but with ardour,i. to insure her own safety, her internal tranquillity ; and