e your leaders, and who dispose of your counsels,
your treasures, and your armies. (Applause.) It is for you to consider
whether this humiliating part be worthy of a great nation. A thought
flashes across my mind, and with that I will terminate. It appears to
me, that the manes of past generations arise, to conjure you, in the
name of all the evils that slavery has inflicted on them, to preserve
from it future generations, whose destinies are in your hands; fulfil
this prayer, and be for the future a second providence. Associate
yourself with the eternal justice that protects the people. By meriting
the title of benefactors of your country, you will also merit that of
benefactors of the human race."

Loud and prolonged applause succeeded the different emotions that had
been excited by this speech in every heart; for Vergniaud, following the
example of the ancient orators, instead of suffering his eloquence to
grow cold in political combinations, heated it at the flame of his
daring genius. The people comprehends only that which it feels; its sole
orators are those who excite it, and emotion is the conviction of the
populace. Vergniaud felt this, and knew how to communicate it. The
knowledge that they laboured for universal good, and the prospect of the
gratitude of future ages shed a halo--a noble pride around France, and
of sanctity around liberty. It was one of the characteristics of this
orator, that he almost invariably elevated the Revolution to the dignity
of an apostleship, that he extended his humanity to all mankind, and
that he only impassioned and worked upon the people by his virtues; such
words produced an effect over all the empire, against which neither the
king nor his ministers could strive.

XIV.

Moreover, as has been shown, Vergniaud and his party had friends in the
council. M. de Narbonne and the Girondists met and concerted their plans
at Madame de Staeel's, whose _salon_, in which some warlike measure was
always being discussed, was called the camp of the Revolution: the Abbe
Fauchet, the denouncer of M. de Lessart, here imbibed fresh ardour for
the overthrow of this minister. M. de Lessart, by weakening as much as
possible the threats of the court of Vienna and the anger of the
Assembly, sought to gain time for better and wiser resolutions. His
loyal attachment to Louis XVI., and his wise and prudent foresight,
showed him that war would not restore, but shake the throne; and in this
shock of