head of the Republic, it was easy to perceive how he tortured his
ingenuity to fasten apparent guilt on the laurels of Moreau. The good
sense of the public discerned proofs of his innocence in the very
circumstances brought forward against him. I shall never forget the
effect produced--so contrary to what was anticipated by the prosecutors--
by the reading of a letter addressed by Moreau from his prison in the
Temple to the First Consul, when the judges appointed to interrogate him
sought to make his past conduct the subject of accusation, on account of
M. de Klinglin's papers having fallen into his hands. He was reproached
with having too long delayed transmitting these documents to the
Directory; and it was curious to see the Emperor Napoleon become the
avenger of pretended offences committed against the Directory which he
had overthrown.

In the letter here alluded to Moreau said to Bonaparte, then First
Consul--

"In the short campaign of the year V. (from the 20th to the 23d of
March 1797) we took the papers belonging to the staff of the enemy's
army, and a number of documents were brought to me which General
Desaix, then wounded, amused himself by perusing. It appeared from
this correspondence that General Pichegru had maintained
communications with the French Princes. This discovery was very
painful, and particularly to me, and we agreed to say nothing of the
matter. Pichegru, as a member of the Legislative Body, could do but
little to injure the public cause, since peace was established. I
nevertheless took every precaution for protecting the army against
the ill effects of a system of espionage . . . . The events of
the 18th Fructidor occasioned so much anxiety that two officers, who
knew of the existence of the correspondence, prevailed on me to