Bonaparte's popularity filled them with anxiety and
fearful misgivings.
But it was necessary to submit to this; the public sentiment
required those festivities in honor of the general of the republic,
and the five directors in the Luxemburg had no longer the power to
guillotine the public sentiment, the true king of Paris, as once
they had guillotined King Louis.
The directors, therefore, inaugurated brilliant festivities; they
received the conqueror of Italy in the Luxemburg with great
demonstrations of solemnity, in which the Parisians took a part. In
the immense court in front of the residence of the directors this
celebration took place. In the midst of the open place a lofty
platform was erected; it was the country's altar, on which the
gigantic statues of Freedom, Equality, and of Peace, were lifted up.
Around this altar was a second platform, with seats for the five
hundred, the deputies, and the authorities; the standards conquered
in the Italian war formed over the seats of the five directors a
sort of canopy: they were, however, to them as the sword of
Damocles, ready to fall upon them at any moment and destroy them.
Pages:
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533