Napoleon Bonaparte 479 The Council assembled at St. Cloud. Republican troops guaranteed their safety from without, but assassins created terror within. Many deputies in the Council of Five Hun- dred, armed with stilettos and pistols, spread the menace of death around them. The plans which ought to have been developed were with- held. The majority of the Council was disorganized, the boldest orators were disconcerted, and the futility of sub- mitting any salutary proposition was quite evident. I proceeded, filled with indignation and chagrin, to the Council of the Elders. I besought them to carry their noble designs into execution. I directed their attention to the evils of the nation, which were their motives for conceiving those designs. They concurred in giving me new proofs of their unanimous good will. I presented myself before the Council of the Five Hun- dred alone, unarmed, my head uncovered, just as the Elders had received and applauded me. My object was to restore to the majority the expression of its will and to secure to it its power. The stilettos which had menaced the deputies were instantly raised against their deliverer. Twenty assassins rushed upon me and aimed at my breast. The grenadiers of the Legislative Body, whom I had left at the door of the hall, ran forward and placed themselves between me and the assassins. One of these brave grenadiers [Thome'] had his clothes pierced by a stiletto. 1 They bore me out. At the same moment cries of " Outlaw him ! " were raised against the defender of the law. It was the horrid cry of assassins against the power destined to repress them. They crowded around the president [Lucien Bonaparte] uttering threats. With arms in their hands, they commanded him to declare me outlawed. I was informed of this. I ordered him to be rescued from their fury, and six grenadiers of the legislative body brought him out. Immediately afterwards 1 Thome had a small part of his coat torn by a deputy who took him by the collar. This constituted, according to Bourrienne, the whole of the attempted assassination of the 19th Brumaire. General Bonaparte favorably received by the Council of the Elders Bonaparte claims that he was murderously assailed in the Council of the Five Hundred.
