Cambon said loftily before the Belgians themelves: The Belgian war costs us hundreds of milons. Their ordinary revenues, and even some xtraordinary taxes, will not answer to our reimursements; and yet we have occasion for them. 'he mortgage of our assignats draws near its nd. What must be done? Sell the church proerty of Brabant. There is a mortgage of two housand millions (eighty millions sterling). How shall we get possession of them? By an nmediate union. Instantly they decreed this nion. Men's minds were not disposed to it. What does it signify? Let us make them vote y means of money. Without delay, therefore, ey secretly order the minister of foreign affairs > dispose of four or five hundred thousand livres 20,0001. sterling) to make the vagabonds of Brussels drunk, and to buy proselytes to the nion in all the states. But even these means, it as said, will obtain but a weak minority in ir favour. What does that signify? Revolutions, id they, are made only by minorities. It is se minority which has made the Revolution of 'rance; it is a minority which has made the -ople triumph.

m.

The Belgick provinces were not sufficient to tisfy the voracious cravings of this financial sysCambon wanted to unite every thing, that e might sell every thing. Thus he forced the nion of Savoy; in the war with Holland, he saw othing but gold to seize on, and assignats to sell t par. Do not let us dissemble, said he one day the committee of general defence, in presence ven of the patriot deputies of Holland, you have o ecclesiastical goods to offer us for our indemity. IT IS A REVOLUTION IN THEIR OUNTERS AND IRON CHESTS, + that Just be made amongst the DUTCH. The word was id, and the bankers Abema and Vanstaphorst nderstood it.

Do you think that that word has not been orth an army to the Stadtholder, that it has not ooled the ardour of the Dutch patriots, that it as not commanded the vigorous defence of Wilamstadt?

Do you believe that the patriots of Amsteram, when they read the preparatory decree

The same thing will happen in Savoy. The persecution of he clergy has soured people's minds. The Commissaries reresent them to us as good Frenchmen. I put them to the roof. Where are the legions? How, thirty thousand Savoyrds-are they not armed to defend, in concert with us, their berty! Brissot.

↑ Portefueille-is the word in the original. It signifies all

which gave France an execution on their goods; do you believe, that those patriots would not have liked better to have remained under the government of the Stadtholder, who took from them no more than a fixed portion of their property, than to pass under that of a revolutionary power, which would make a complete revolution in their bureaus and strong boxes, and reduce them to wretchedness and rags ? Robbery, and anarchy, instead of encouraging, will always stifle revolutions.

But why, they object to me, have not you and your friends chosen to expose these measures in the rostrum of the National Convention? Why have you not opposed yourself to all these fatal projects of union?

There are two answers to make here, one general, one particular.

You complain of the silence of honest men! You quite forget, then, honest men are the objects of your suspicion. Suspicion, if it does not stain the soul of a courageous man, at least arrests his thoughts in their passage to his lips. The suspicions of a good citizen freeze those men, whom the calumny of the wicked could not stop in their progress.

You complain of their silence! You forget, then, that you have often established an insulting equality between them and men covered with crimes, and made up of ignominy.

You forget, then, that you have twenty times. left them covered with opprobrium by your galleries.

You forget, then, that you have not thought yourselves sufficiently powerful to impose silence upon these galleries.

What ought a wise man to do in the midst of these circumstances? He is silent. He waits the moment when the passions give way; he waits till reason shall preside, and till the multitude shall listen to her voice.

What have been the tacticks displayed during all these unions? Cambon, incapable of political calculation, boasting his ignorance in the diplomatick, flattering the ignorant multitude, lending his name and popularity to the anarchists, seconded by their vociferations, denounced incessantly as counter-revolutionists, those intelligent persons who were desirous, at least, of having things discussed. To oppose the acts of union, appeared to Cambon an overt act of treason. The wish so much as to reflect and to deliberate, was in his eyes a great crime. He calumniated our intentions. The voice of every deputy, especially my voice, would infallibly have been stifled. There were spies on the very monosyllables that escaped our lips.****

movable property which may be represented in bonds, notes, bills, stocks, or any sort of publick or private securities. I do not know of a single word in English that answers it: I have therefore substituted that of Iron Chests, as coming nearest to the idea. Translator.

In the original letter, les reduire à la Sansculoterie.