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MUSES* RETREAT.
s- o
V E USES,
SUPPOSED TO BE WRITTEN BY
ALEXANDER SELKIRK,
During hit falitary aiods at Juan Fernandez.
I am monarch of all 1 survey,
My right there is none to difptite,
From the centre all round to the sea,
I am lord of the fowl and the brute.
Oh solitude! where are the charms
That sages have seen in thy face ?
Better dwell in the miilft of alarms,
Than reign in this horrible place.
1 am out of humanity’s reach,
1 mud linifli my journey alone,
Never hear the sweet rr.ulic of speech,
I Hart at the found of my own.
The beads that roam over the plain,
My form with indifference fee,
They arc so unacquainted with man,
Their tameness is fliocking to me.
Society, friendfliip, and love,
Divinely bellow'd upon man,
O had l the wings of a dove,
How soon would I taftc you again !
Mv sorrows I then might afiuagc,
In the Ways of religion and truth,
Might learn from the wifdoni ot age,
And bt cheer’d by the fellies of youth.
Religion ! what treasure untold,
Rclides in that heav’uly word .
More precious than diver or gold,
Or all that this earth can afford.
But the found of the church-going bell,
Thcfe vallics and rocks never heard,
Ne’er ftgli’d at the found of a knell,
Or fniil and when a sabbath appear and.
Yc winds, that have maetc me your fpoft,
Convey to this desolate fliorc,
Some cordial endearing report
Os a land 1 fliall vilit no more.
Mv friends do they now and then fend
A with or a thought after me ?
O tell me 1 yet have a friend,
Though a friend 1 am never to fee.
How fleet is a glance of the mind !
Compar’d with the speed of its flight,
The tempt 11 itl'elf lags behind,
And the fwift-winged arrows’ of night.
When I think of my own native land,
In a moment 1 seem to be there;
But, alas! recollection at hand
Soon hurries me back to dcipair.
But the fca-fotvl is gone to her nest,
The bead is laid down in his lair,
Iv’n here is a season of rch,
And I to my cabin repair.
There is mercy in every place,
And mercy, encouraging thought 1
Gives even affliction a grace,
And reconciles mail to his lot.
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
September io.
Bequino proposed the adoption of
the invention of citizen Legroes, who
had fabricated arms and legs, by which
those who had 101 l them in the service
of their country may be rendered still
ufeful.-
The proposition was sent to the com
mittee of public inflruftion,
The executive council informed the
convention, that they had appointed
Carteaux, general of the army of Italy,
in the room of Brunet ; and Dabby,
general of the army of the Alps, in the
place of Kellerman. Thcfe appoint
ments were approved of.
September 24.
The minister of war announced, that
the executive council had appointee
general Jourdan to the command o
the army of the North, vacant by the
removal of general Houchard ; genera
T'crrand to the command of the army
of the Ardennes, vacant by the promo
tion of Jourdan ; general Delmas to
the command of the army of the Rhine,
in the room of genera! Landremont,
; unplaced i and general Moreau to the
igbmmatul of the army of the Mozeile,
vacant by the removal of general Scan
bourg.
The minifler Cubmitted these ap
pointments to the approbation of the
national convention
Several members teftified their afton
ifitment, that so many generals Ihould
bedifplaced and replaced, without the
minister giving any reason for so doing.
“ It is necessary,” said Dnroy, “ to
know of what crime Houchard and
Landremont are guilty. I declare,
that when I was commiftioner at the
army of the Rhine, I always saw
Landremont fight like a true republi
can. He has rendered services, and
enjoys the confidence of the army. I
also ask, ifDelmasj whois named to flic
ceed Landremont, is the brave, but in
experienced young man whom I have
seen commander of a battalion of La
Correrc r I demand, that the commit
tee of public welfare give us a report
in this present fitting upon these re
movals and new nominations.”
“ I also desire to * know (said
Geniffieux) why a citizen (Doppet)
has been appointed general ot the army
of the Var ; who, although a patriot
full of spirit, was but a (hurt time fmee
a physician ? Wheie has he acquired
•military knowledge ? Ihe executive
council ought to make known its mo
tives tor thele charges.”
Duhsim—“ In this difeuffion you
confiJer men, and not things. Y>u
are placed between the dangers of
treachery, and those of ignorance. It
is true, you might be betrayed ; but
(our soldiers might be left to be cut in
rieces for want of skill. You ought
to avoid both. You ihould endeavour
to have generals who are patriots, and
men of abilities. I demand, that
whenever the minister propoles these
k.nd of changes, he (hall be obliged
to present a lift in two columns, upon
one of which (hall be the name of the
candidate, and upon the other, his a£ls ;
of civifm, his proofs of service, his
orrner lit nation, his age, and the place
of his birth ”
Saint Andre.—“ Houchard is the
approver ot Cutline’s fy.Lm ; let it be
known, that it these men had not l>. > n
displaced, the northern frontier would
have been irrecoverably loft. Remem
ber, that the army of the Mozeile,
while it was marching to the relief of
Mayence, went only at the tate ol one
league a day, and returned at the rate
of eight or nine leagues. Why ihould
there be this difference, if the generals
had not a regular fy Item of trealon r In
terrogate the soldiers of tlte army ol the
Mozeile, and it will be seen, that
Houchard is detested. With what
pride did he receive the representatives
of the people, who wilhed to bring him
back to the paths of patriotism ? Saint
Andre then dej/wunced Barthelemi,
chief of the etat-major of the northern
army.
After fome debate, the assembly de
creed —that whenever mintliers shall
nominate orcafhicr officers, they shall
give in their reasons lor lo doing. The
committee of public welfare (hail make
a report to-morrow on all these points,
and the causes of these charges and
promotions.
The minister of war announced, that
he had appointed d’Aubigny as second
in command in the army of the North.
Bourbon, Billaud, and others said, that
this d’Aubigny was a notorious cheat;
and they wished to denounce the minis
ter for recommending such a lellow.
Ordered, that a report be made, whether
this d’Aubigny is the fame man who
Hole 10,000 livres from the Thuilleries
on the rofti of August 1
The commitlioners of the conven
tion deputed to the department ot
Lower Seine, transmitted their several
deliberations with refpedl to provisions.
Thry have fuppliedfome markets, and
have difperfedthecounter-revolutionifts
at Rouen, which city is quiet. Several
adminiltrators of the department of
[’Eure have been re-organized, and arc
composed of true fans culottes.
Chateaneuf Randon wrote from
Saint Just, near Lyons, under date of
I the 19th, that the people in a body had
purged the mountains and defiles of the
Mufcadins of Lyons ; 300 of them
were seized with their horses, effects
and money. He tranfmiied copies of
•two summonses which he had sent, but
without effect, to the Lyonefe.
September 25.
“ For several days,” exclaimed
Goupilleau, “ no news has been trans
rnitted to us relative to the war of La
Vendee. I require to know why a
victorious army, which had advanced
fix league, was ordered to retreat ? I
wish the committee of public fafety to
inform us of the situation of affairs in
La Vendee.” Decreed.
A member wilhed Duhem to give
fome account of a letter which he had
received from the North. Ihe con
vention immediately palled a decree,
ordering him to read it.
Duhem immediately mounted the
tribune. “ The letter I have received,”
he exclaimed, “ is by no means con
solatory ; but a free people have no
need of consolation. We have con
quered royalty and federaliim ;we
have ltill to subdue the cowardly and
intriguing. The following is the let
ter which I have received from the
North, from my colleague Bentabole :
“ Arras, September 22.
“ I fend you a letter written from
Arras to the convention ; support it
with firmnefs ; our situation is terrible,
Without immediate and considerable
abidance, we can undertake nothing
against the enemy more powerful than
ourselves. The army of the. North
muff be considered as the advanceti
guard of the whole republic ; fend us
reinforcements; we are in want of
provisions ; the fwortl muff cut asunder
the reins of the power of the adminis
trators of the departments.”
The following is the letter ; it is da
ted the 22J ot September.
“ The army of the North ought to
be the point of re-union for the forces
of the republic.
“ The subsequent is a rapid review
of our obstacles, and the rneafures it
will be neceffajy to take. The defeats
at Cambray and Qoefnoy counteract
the success at Dunkirk, and force us
to return to the fuccour of Cambray.
Our disgraces proceed from the inef
fectual refiitance made by the strong
puts. It will be necessary to fend
away several inhabitants corrupted by
the gold of the Englilh minister
“ The army wants a reinforcement
of 40,000 men from the Moselle and
the Rhine. The enemy luve more
than 50,000 men.
“ Fhe contingents derived from the
decree ordering all citizens to hold
themselves inreadinefs,areof no service,
on account of their want ot arms. The
oid squadrons are incomplete, and a de
cree ought tobe paffedfor incorporating
the new levies with the old squadrons.
*■ General officers are wanting, and
we complain of injustice and partiality
in the appointment of them. The
brother of our colleague Duquefnoy is
g :neral of the division, whilll colonel
Kukmont, of the 13th regiment of
chaffeurs, who poffeifes abilities and
adivity, cannot obtain a brevet for the
rank of brigadier general.
“ We are in general in want of
winter clothing : on the conclusion of
.he campaign every thing depends ; we
have to fear that this demand may not
be attended to, which would be the
greatest of misfortunes. We are defi
cient in cavalry, and the vacancies in
the squadrons are not filled up.”
Brizen, one of the commilfioners to
the army of the North, in a written
speech, added lome important fads to
this letter. He announced that, only
a league from Douay, a body of the
enemy had plundered the villages with
out one sortie being made trom the
garrison, or one movement from the
French camp ; that the villages in the
ci devant provinces of Hainault, Flan
ders, Crambrefis, and Picardy, are en
tirely exposed to the ravages of the
enemy, who daily come over to the
gates of Sf. Quintin.
Brez concluded with desiring that
the mod vigorous measures ihould be
taken for the defence of the North.
He then combated the defen five fyftetn,
which he considered as contrary to the
French national c’ araCler. A French
man cannot remain encamped ; he re
quires fome foe to attack, fume pi,ft
to carry, fame objedl to obtair. He
proposed that a general report < n the
situation of the Northern fronti-r lha.i
be made, and that every thing shall he
fold to the people, that they may be
rendered capable of every thing
Briez was added to the committee
of public fafety, and his speech was
ordered to be printed.
Ofiober 2.
The representatives of the people with
the army of the Alps, informed the con
vention, that the army before Lyons had
attacked and carried an advantage’ u
poft.the defence of which had colt the
Lvcmefe a great many men.
The Lyonefe, laid the commiftion
ers, (fill continue a vigorous defence ;
they make daily failies, and fvc al
persons are executed each d3y, for cx
prefling a wilh to surrender the city to
the republic. All hose who have de
manded the protection of the cum
miftiuners have received it.
The report relative to Briffot, and the
arrefled deputies
This report, which had been so long
and anxiously expe&ed, was preffnted
by Amar.
The convention observed the moft
p-oiound lilelice outing the readirg of
the report. After Amar had concluded,
.he following decree was proposed.
1. That the convention Ihould ac
ctife Briffot, Vergneaux, Genfunne,
Guadet. Duperret, Can a, Svllery, Fati
chet, D tftcet, Fonfrede, Due >s, Ga
mon, M lievant, Gardier, Valazne,
Vatadi, Vallee, Duprat, Mainvielle, de
la Haje, B noet,Ch tmbon.Condorcer,
Lacaze, Liddon, Fermont, Mazuier,
Savary, Lehardi, Hardi, Borl an,
Rouyer, Antibout, Lafource, Lefterp,
Beauvais, Ifnard, Duval,(LowerSeine)
Deverite, Benon, Nod, Coutlard,
Andre, (of Corsica) Grangen me,
Vegee, and Philip Egalite, of having
conspired against the unity and iudivali
bility of the republic.
2 ‘They shall imras'iiu.!,! k.
by the revolutionary tribunal.
3. The present decree is trot to pro
duce any alteration in the acctffa ion
against Buzot, Louvet and Petion, who
are accuLa of being traitors to th ir
country.
Those who signed the protests of
the 6th and 19th of June last, and who
are not mentioned in the firft article of
the decree, lhall immediately be put
in a Hate of arrest, and their eff ds
sealed up. The committee of gene al
fafety lhall prepare a separate report
relative to them.
Fonfrede, one of the arrested de
puties, requested permission to (late
fjme particulars relative to a faCl con
tained in the report.
He defired to defer his statement
till he Ihould be tried by the revolution
ary tribunal.
“ Ducos and I,” exclaimed he,
“ have been a cufed of having written
letters to Bourdeaux.”
Albite, interrupting him, “ Os hav
ing malfacred the patriots at Mai feilles,
of having produced the surrender ci
Toulon, the rebellion of Lvons, the
defection of La Vendee, of all ih fe
crimes you are accused. Attempt not
to speak here ; the tribunal is the pro
per place.”
The convention passed the decree of
accusation.
[As soon asit was known by the peo
ple, who waited in great crowds on the
outside of the Thuilleries, that the con
vention had passed th ? decree of accusa
tion, exclamations ot v vela republic
proceeded from every perffn.J
Billaud Varennes. The conven
tion has just performed a signal ad of
justice. But why this de ay with re
fpetd to that woman who has occrffi ‘ti
ed the shedding of Io much b o J>
Need I mention the name of the wo
man to whom I allude ? Need I lay
that (he is the widow of Louis C ! pet
I move that her trial before the revolu
tionary tribunal begin this week.”
The motion was agreed to.