hout support
from the rabble, but an object of loathing and contempt to them and
their half-starved leaders. Hence their only chance for power was in
some new rearrangement under which they would not be so prominent in
affairs. The royalists at the same time saw in the provisions of the
new charter a means to accomplish their own ends; and relying upon the
attitude of the capital, in which mob and burghers alike were angry,
determined simultaneously to strike a blow for mastery, and to
supplant the Jacobins. Evidence of their activity appeared both in
military and political circles. Throughout the summer of 1795 there
was an unaccountable languor in the army. It was believed that
Pichegru had purposely palsied his own and Jourdan's abilities, and
the needless armistice he made with Austria went far to confirm the
idea. It was afterward proved that several members of the Convention
had been in communication with royalists. Among their agents was a
personage of some importance--a certain Aubry--who, having returned
after the events of Thermidor, never disavowed his real sentiments as
a royalist; and being later made chairman of the army committee, was
in that position when Buonaparte's career was temporarily checked by
degradation from the artillery to the infantry. For this absurd reason
he was long but unjustly thought also to have caused the original
transfer to the west.

The Convention was aware of all that was taking place, but was also
helpless to correct the trouble. Having abolished the powerful and
terrible Committee of Safety, which had conducted its operations with
such success as attends remorseless vigor, it was found necessary on
August ninth to reconstruct something similar to meet the new crisis.
At the same time the spirit of the hour was propitiated by forming
sixteen other committees to control the action of the central one.
Such a dispersion of executive power was a virtual paralysis of
action, but it was to be only temporary, they would soon centralize
their strength in an efficient way. The constitution was adopted only
a fortnight later, on August twenty-second. Immediately the sections
of Paris began to display irritation at the limitations set to their
choice of new representatives. They had many sympathizers in the
provinces, and the extreme reactionaries from the Revolution were
jubilant. Fortunately for France, Carnot was temporarily retained to
control the department of war. He was not remov