ng of 1802, said then "We are approaching the moment when
systems of politics will become of no effect." If Bonaparte had
really wished it, he might at that period have easily bestowed
twenty years of peace upon Europe, in the state of terror and ruin
to which it was reduced.

The friends of liberty in the tribunate were still endeavouring to
struggle against the constantly increasing power of the first
consul; but they had not then the advantage of being seconded by
public opinion. The greater number of the opposition tribunes were
every way deserving of esteem: but there were three or four persons
who acted along with them, who had been guilty of revolutionary
excesses, and the government took especial care to throw upon all,
the blame which could only attach to a few. It is certain, however,
that men collected in a public assembly generally end in
electrifying themselves with the sparks of mental dignity; and this
tribunate, even such as it was, would, had it been allowed to
continue, have prevented the establishment of tyranny. Already the
majority of votes had nominated, as a candidate for the senate,
Daunou, an honest and enlightened republican, but certainly not a
man to be dreaded. This was sufficient, however, to determine the
first consul to the elimination of the tribunate; which means to
make twenty of the most energetic members of the assembly retire one
by one, on the designation of the senators, and to have them
replaced by twenty others, devoted to the government. The eighty who
remained, were each year to undergo the same operation by fourths. A
lesson was in this manner given them of what they were expected to
do, to retain their places, or in other words, their salary of
fifteen thousand francs; the first consul wishing to preserve some
time longer this mutilated assembly, which might serve for two or
three years more as a popular mask to his tyrannical acts.

Among the proscribed tribunes were several of my friends; but my
opinion was in this instance altogether independent of my
attachments. Perhaps, however, I might feel a greater degree of
irritation at the injustice which fell upon persons with whom I was
connected, and I have no doubt that I allowed myself the expression
of some sarcastic remarks on this hypocritical method of
interpreting the unfortunate constitution, into which they had
endeavoured to prevent the entrance of the smallest spark of
liberty.

There was at that time formed ro