_Disaffection begins to arise against Napoleon among the Soldiery--Purpose of setting up Moreau against him--Character of Moreau--Causes of his Estrangement from Buonaparte--Pichegru--The Duke d'Enghien--Georges Cadoudal, Pichegru, and other Royalists, landed in France--Desperate Enterprise of Georges--Defeated--Arrest of Moreau--of Pichegru--and Georges--Captain Wright--Duke d'Enghien seized at Strasburg--Hurried to Paris--Transferred to Vincennes--Tried by a Military Commission--Condemned--and Executed--Universal Horror of France and Europe--Buonaparte's Vindication of his Conduct--His Defence considered--Pichegru found dead in his Prison--Attempt to explain his Death by charging him with Suicide--Captain Wright found with his Throat cut--A similar Attempt made--Georges and other Conspirators Tried--Condemned--and Executed--Royalists Silenced--Moreau sent into Exile._ [Sidenote: DISAFFECTION OF THE SOLDIERY.] While Buonaparte was meditating the regeneration of Europe, by means of conquering, first Britain, and then the northern powers, a course of opposition to his government, and disaffection to his person, was beginning to arise even among the soldiers themselves. The acquisition of the consulate for life was naturally considered as a deathblow to the Republic; and to that name many of the principal officers of the army, who had advanced themselves to promotion by means of the Revolution, still held a grateful attachment. The dissatisfaction of these military men was the more natural, as some of them might see in Buonaparte nothing more than a successful adventurer, who had raised himself high above the heads of his comrades, and now exacted their homage. As soldiers, they quickly passed from murmurs to threats; and at a festive meeting, which was prolonged beyond the limits of sobriety, a colonel of hussars proposed himself as the Brutus to remove this new Cæsar. Being expert at the use of the pistol, he undertook to hit his mark at fifty yards distance, during one of those reviews which were perpetually taking place in presence of the first consul. The affair became known to the police, but was hushed up as much as possible by the address of Fouché, who saw that Buonaparte might be prejudiced by the bare act of making public that such a thing had been agitated, however unthinkingly.[45]