Ourapprehensionswerenotwithoutfoundation.IntheCounciloftheFiveHundredagitationwasatitsheight.Themostseriousalarmmarkeditsdeliberations.IthadbeendeterminedtoannouncetotheDirectorytheinstallationoftheCouncils，andtoinquireoftheCounciloftheAncientstheirreasonsforresolvinguponanextraordinaryconvocation.
ButtheDirectorynolongerexisted.SieyesandRogerDucoshadjoinedBonaparte’sparty.GohierandMoulinswereprisonersintheLuxembourg，andinthecustodyofGeneralMoreau;andattheverymomentwhentheCounciloftheFiveHundredhaddrawnupamessagetotheDirectory，theCounciloftheAncientstransmittedtothemthefollowingletter，receivedfromBarras.Thisletter;whichwasaddressedtotheCounciloftheAncients，wasimmediatelyreadbyLucienBonaparte，whowasPresidentoftheCounciloftheFiveHundred.
CITIZENPRESIDENT——Havingenteredintopublicaffairssolelyfrommyloveofliberty，IconsentedtosharethefirstmagistracyoftheStateonlythatImightbeabletodefenditindanger;toprotectagainsttheirenemiesthepatriotscompromisedinitscause;andtoensuretothedefendersof，theircountrythatattentiontotheirinterestswhichnoonewasmorecalculatedtofeelthanacitizen，longthewitnessoftheirheroicvirtues，andalwayssensibletotheirwants.
TheglorywhichaccompaniesthereturnoftheillustriouswarriortowhomIhadthehonourofopeningthepathofglory，thestrikingmarksofconfidencegivenhimbythelegislativebody，andthedecreeoftheNationalConvention，convincemethat，towhateverposthemayhenceforthbecalled，thedangerstolibertywillbeaverted，andtheinterestsofthearmyensured.
Icheerfullyreturntotherankofaprivatecitizen：happy，aftersomanystorms，toresign，unimpaired，andevenmoregloriousthanever，thedestinyoftheRepublic，whichhasbeen，inpart，committedtomycare.