SIEYES, sn'yas', EMMANUEL JOSEPH, Count (1748-1336). A French revolutionary leader and publicist, generally known as the Abbe Sieyez. He was born at Frejus, and was edu cated at Paris with a view to entering the Church. He was made a canon in Brittany (1775) and was later transferred to the Ca thedral of Chartres. He soon became diocesan chancellor and vicar-general. He had liberal opinions on all social and political matters, and in 1789 he issued his famous pamphlet entitled: Qu'est-ce que le ticrs-etat? This work, which claimed political recognition for the people, ob tained an immense popularity and procured his election as Deputy to the States-General from Paris. Mainly through his urgency and influ ence, the representatives of the people took the decisive step of constituting themselves into an independent body, on June 16, 1789, and became the National Assembly. In this body Sieyes figured as one of the most prominent leaders. In 1790 he was elected President of the National Assembly. By this time, however, bolder and fiercer spirits had passed him in the race for power and popularity, and in the Convention of 1792 he refrained from any active participation in the debates, and on the occasion of the King's trial lie recorded a silent vote for death with out appeal to the people. While Robespierre and his party were in power, he retired from Paris. On the fall of Robespierre lie returned to the Convention and resumed his active interest in affairs, becoming a member of the Council of Five Hundred. He was engaged chiefly in the Department of Foreign Affairs, and he went in 1798 as Ambassador to Berlin to secure the neutrality of Prussia. He became a
ber of the Directory in 1799, and among other measures he succeeded in closing the celebrated Jacobin Club. Perceiving that a dictator was needed in France, he became anxious to secure the cooperation of sonic powerful military leader, and on the return of Bonaparte from Egypt he entered into a league with him, the re sult of which was the Revolution of the 18th Brumaire (November 9, 1799) and the institution of the provisional Consulate, Sieres, Napoleon, and Roger Ducos being the first three consuls. Sieyes and Napoleon differed irreconcilably as to the distribution of power, but the former had to give way, and finally retired from the Gov ernment. As a reward for his services he re ceived on his retirement a sum of 600,000 francs, the estate of Crosne, and a seat in the Senate. The title of Count of the Empire was conferred upon him. Banished at the second Restoration as a regicide, he went to Brussels, and did not return to France till after the Revolution of 1830. when he was elected a member of the Academy. He died in Paris. His Reconnais sance et ca-position des droits dc ct du. eitoyen (Paris, 1789) undoubtedly led up to the famous Declaration of the Rights of Nan. His famous constitution is found explained in Boulay, "Th6orie constitutionelle de Sieyks," from the me'inoircs inddits of Sieyhs (Paris. 1836). Con sult also Mignet, Etude Sieyes 1836).