In a fortnight after, the Mountain party gained the as cendency over the Girondists. They framed a new con stitution, but it was never put in practice. They also esta blished, or at least gave more vigour to the revolutionary tribunal, the object of which was to try crimes against the state in the most summary and arbitrary manner.
The allies, in the mean time, did not derive so much ad vantage from the distracted state of France as might have been expected ; for, however the French might be divided among themselves, they seemed resolved that no foreign power should interfere in their quarrels, or trespass with impunity on their national independence. Valenciennes held out till the 27th of July, and Mentz nearly as long. The possession of these places seemed to open a direct and easy road into the heart of France. But success pro duced its usual consequences ; the allies could not agree in their future plans, and on this account divided their for ces. Unsuccessful attempts were made on Dunkirk, Cam bray, and Bouchain. Prince Cobourg was repeatedly at tacked by the French under Jourdan : The French sol diers, animated by the presence of commissioners from the Convention, stimulated by spirituous liquors, which were supplied them by crowds of women who attended the army for this purpose, and to carry off the wounded, and sup ported by a formidable and well-served train of artillery, were irresistible. The Austrians retired, and maritime Flanders was again invaded, and partly conquered by the French.
At this very period, when they were victorious on their frontiers against their enemies, a civil war raged in differ ent parts of France. Lyons, Marseilles, and Toulon, still opposed the authority of the Mountain party, and of course of the Convention, who were completely subservient to the views and interests of this party. On the 8th of August, Lyons was attacked by the conventional troops, and though soon reduced almost to ruins, it did not surrender till the 8th of October, when its walls and public buildings were razed to the ground, and an immense number of its citizens destroyed, by firing grape shot among them ; the usual mode of execution by the guillotine being too slow and easy a death for gie voracious cruelty of the conquerors. Mar seilles, terrified at the fate of Lyons, submitted ; and Tou lon put itself into the power of Lord Hood, who, however, was soon obliged to evacuate it.
This civil war was between two parties, each of whom was friendly to the revolution ; but the civil war in La Vend& was of a different character. In this district of France. the Bourbons had numerous and powerful friends.
Divided from the rest of France in some degree by its situ. ation, and much more by the difference of the manners, language, and habits of the people, La Vendee had not participated in the change of opinions which had produced the revolution. Into it, as a secure retreat, many of the
priests, who had refused to take the civic oath had fled, and as the inhabitants were superstitious, the priests did not fail to call in the aid of religion to the cause of the Bourbons. At first the insurgents of La Vendee were ra pidly successful ; they besieged Nantes, and even threat ened Paris ; but after a tedious war, in which the most dreadful cruelties were committed on both sides, they were reduced to apparent and temporary submission.
The grand conflict between the allies and the French, in the months of October, November, and December, of this year, was on the Rhine. As the latter did not deem themselves sufficiently numerous to oppose their enemies, they had erected very strohg fortifications at \Veissem burg, on the Lamer. On the 13th of October, general Wurmser made an attack upon them with all his force, and, notwithstanding their strength, he succeeded with little dif ficulty in driving the French from their lines ; from thence they retreated to Hagenau; hence also they were driven ; and they were subsequently defeated on the 25th and 27th. The design of the allies to conquer at least parts of France for themselves, was now manifested ; for \Vurmser refus ed to accept the surrender of Strasburg, unless to his Im perial Majesty. As the defeats which the French had suf fered were ascribed to treachery, or to a want of enthusi asm, commissioners were sent by the Convention to the army, who, by the severity of their measures, as well as by the doctrines that they preached to the common soldiers, succeeded in rendering them victorious. This effect, however, must also be ascribed, in part, to the nume rous reinforcements, which the measures adopted by the convention supplied to all the French armies, the nature of will be afterwards explained. General Wurmser soon experienced the difference in the ardour and efforts of the army opposed to him, after the arrival of the commis sioners; for, by the middle of November, his advance and success were at an end—the French became the assailants. Not only the Austrians, but also the Prussians, were de feated in all quarters ; they could not withstand the im mense numerical superiority, aided as it was by the mad dening enthusiasm of the French, even in their strongly fortified redoubts at Hagenau, Rheishoffen, \Vrotte, &c. ; from almost all of these they were driven at the point of the bayonet. Generals Hoche and Pichegru directed these wonderful achievements of the French. The campaign terminated in this quarter by the reduction of Spires and Fort Louis.