ToassureitselfofdominationintheprovincestheDirectorycausedaso—calledlawofhostagestobepassed，accordingtowhichalistofhostages，responsibleforalloffences，wasdrawnupineachcommune。
Itiseasytounderstandwhathatredsuchasystemprovoked。Attheendof1799fourteendepartmentswereinrevoltandforty—sixwerereadytorise。IftheDirectoryhadlastedthedissolutionofsocietywouldhavebeencomplete。
Forthatmatter，thisdissolutionwasfaradvanced。Finances，administration，everythingwascrumbling。ThereceiptsoftheTreasury，consistingofdepreciatedassignatsfallentoahundredthpartoftheiroriginalvalue，werenegligible。HoldersofGovernmentstockandofficerscouldnolongerobtainpayment。
Franceatthistimegavetravellerstheimpressionofacountryravagedbywarandabandonedbyitsinhabitants。Thebrokenbridgesanddykesandruinedbuildingsmadealltrafficimpossible。Theroads，longdeserted，wereinfestedbybrigands。
Certaindepartmentscouldonlybecrossedatthepriceofbuyingasafe—conductfromtheleadersofthesebands。Industryandcommercewereannihilated。InLyons13，000workshopsandmillsoutof15，000hadbeenforcedtoclose。Lille，Havre，Bordeaux，Lyons，Marseilles，&c。，werelikedeadcities。Povertyandfamineweregeneral。