the
nation, and towards the king.

The first act of the committee was, to replace in the hands of the
Prince of Essling the command in chief of the national guard, which
had before devolved on the Emperor. The Duke of Otranto was desirous
of taking the post of second in command from General Durosnel, whose
rectitude was embarrassing to him, in order to bestow it on M. T**,
who appeared to him no doubt more tractable. The Duke of Vicenza and
M. Carnot opposed this; and it was left with General Durosnel, to the
satisfaction of the national guard, which had already learned how to
value the excellent character of this officer.

Marshal Soult not choosing to accept the command, and General Rapp
having resigned his, the committee appointed Marshal Grouchy commander
of the army of the North.

General Reille was appointed commander of the 1st, 2d, and 6th corps,
united into one:

General Drouot commander of the guards:

Marshal Jourdan commander of the army of the Rhine.

Orders were given in all quarters, to replace the stores of the army,
remount the cavalry, march out the depots, and oblige the straggling
soldiers, to return to their colours.

In fine, the committee, after having had recourse to every possible
means of supporting the negotiations, by the simultaneous display of
the national forces, appointed MM. de la Fayette, de Pontecoulant, de
la Foret, d'Argenson, Sebastiani, and Benjamin Constant, the last
being added in the character of secretary, to repair to the allied
sovereigns and their generals, to negotiate a suspension of
hostilities, and treat of peace.

The day on which these plenipotentiaries departed, M. S*** came to
congratulate Napoleon. "The allies," answered the Emperor, "are too
deeply interested in imposing the Bourbons on you, to give you my son.
My son will reign over France, but his time is not yet arrived. The
instructions given the deputies, I have been assured, are in favour of
my dynasty: if this be true, other persons should have been chosen to
defend it. La Fayette, Sebastiani, Pontecoulant, and Benjamin
Constant, have conspired against me. They are my enemies: and the
enemies of the father will never be the friends of the son. Besides,
the chambers have not sufficient energy, to display an independent
will: they obey the directions of Fouche. If they had bestowed on me
what they lavish on him, I would have saved France. My presence alone
at the head of the army would have done mor