The Texel fleet was due to sail with 13,544 men for Ireland on 16 July. Hoche was on his way to Paris, Lewines already there, and the detachments from Hoche's army destined for Brest were on the move. But on 18 July news reached Paris of Hoche's troops spilling over the constitutional boundaries of the capital, beyond which troops were debarred. Hoche had been enlisted in a prospective coup against the royalist councils, and was to be the new War Minister in the ministerial purge which would follow. At their inn in The Hague Hoche had spoken to Tone and Lewines of his fears that the royalists were trying to destroy the government and his determination to march his army against Paris rather than let them succeed. He had assumed the role of protector of the republic in good faith and was startled at the dressing-down he received before a full meeting of the Directory, unprotected by Barras who had enlisted his services. Hoche became the scapegoat of the thwarted coup. He was vilified by the press and councils, who demanded his arrest. For a general to whom reputation was everything, such an attack on his patriotism was devastating and Hoche went into immediate and permanent decline.

Lewines had expected to co-operate with Hoche in preparing the forthcoming expedition. Instead Hoche told him they had been betrayed, and warned him to speak to no one. Hoche did urge the Directory to proceed with the Irish plans and was ordered on 26 July to continue his march to Brest. But he considered this a move of his enemies to get rid of him, refused to embark himself and returned abruptly to Germany. In any event the Irish venture had been revealed in the councils and England alerted, and the troops were in no mood for another long march to shifting destinations. No one seemed to know what was happening. Lord Malmesbury, recently arrived at Lille to carry on peace negotiations, thought the Irish expedition a ruse to bring the troops to Paris. But the Marine and War Ministers had issued orders for the expedition in all sincerity, and were dismayed that the public protests of the councils and the press necessitated its abandonment.