contrivances of making the electoral
bodies in the departments choose, not their actual representatives, but
only the persons from among whom these were to be chosen by the
conservative senate, and of preventing the legislative senate from
debating for themselves on the measures destined to pass into law,
appear to have been devised for the purpose of reducing to a mere
nullity the forms of a representative government.[32] However, the
consuls announced their manufacture to the people in these
terms:--"Citizens, the Constitution is grounded on the true principles
of a representative government, on the sacred rights of property, of
equality, and of liberty. The powers which it institutes will be
vigorous and permanent: such they should be to secure the rights of the
citizens and the interests of the state. Citizens! the Revolution is
fixed on the principles from which it originated: IT IS ENDED." And in
effect, books being opened throughout France, the names of the citizens
who inscribed their acceptance of this new constitution amounted to four
millions, while but a few votes to the contrary were registered--an
irrefragable proof that the national mind was disposed to think no
sacrifice too dear, so tranquillity could be obtained.

The circumstance, perhaps, which occasioned most surprise on the
promulgation of the new constitution, was the non-appearance of the name
of Sieyes in the list of permanent consuls. It is probable that the Abbe
made up his mind to retire, so soon as he found that Buonaparte was
capable not only of mutilating his ideal republican scheme, but of
fulfiling in his own person all the functions of a civil ruler of
France. Howbeit the ingenious metaphysician did not disdain to accept of
a large estate (part of the royal domain of Versailles!) and a large
pension besides, by way of "public recompense"--when he withdrew to a
situation of comparative obscurity, as President of the Conservative
Senate.

One of Buonaparte's first acts was to remove the seat of government from
the Luxembourg to the old Palace of the Tuileries, "which," he
significantly said to his colleagues, "is a good military position." It
was on the 19th of February, 1800, that the Chief Consul took possession
of the usual residence of the French kings. Those splendid halls were
re-opened with much ceremony, and immediately afterwards Napoleon held a
great review in the Place du Carousel. This was the first public act of
the Chief C