The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-05-01
Incident at the Execution of Louis XVI.

lnthat charming book, "The Irish Abroad
and at Home" we find the following
interesting and novel circumstance related
respecting the execution Of the unhappy
Louis XVl.":
81 spoke to the Abbe Kearney more
than once. His replies were brief, and
were accompanied by evidence that the
subject caused him much pain. The fol.
lowing simple narrative is all that could
obtain from him: | arrived, said he, in
the Place de Ia Revolution before the King.
and managed 10 reach the scatfold lust as
the carriage in which he sat, with the
Abbe Edgeworth and Two gendarmes, ap-
poached from the Rue Royale. The scat.
told was SO situated as TO provide for the
royal sufferer paDg TO which less dis,is
guished victims were insensible. 1t stood
between the pedestal, on which had been
erected the statue of Louis XIV, and tie
issue from the garden Of the Tuileries,
called the Point Tournaut. Midway he.
tween these two points hdeous sol dis
ant statue of Liberty raised her Gorgon
head. This situation was chosen in order
10 realize a conception characteristic of the
epoch, and the frantic iends who figured
in II. 1t insured that the unhappy persons.
on being placed on tho baScuie of the
guiIlotine, should, in their descent from
the perpendicular TO the horizontal, when
pushed home TO receive the fatal stroke.
make an obeisance TO the goddess. For
the King this position of The guilotine was
therefore peculiarly painful. The Palace
Of the Tuileries was in full view, and upon
it lis last glance in this world mus! have
rested.
Scarcely had the King descended from
his coach, when Samson, the executioncr.
and his aids, approached him to make his
toilette, rs the preparation Of tn victim
for death was termed He had "A large
head of hair confined by ribbon, as was
tue fashion of the day: Upon this Samson
seized with one hand, brandis!ring u pair
OF huge scissors in the other. The King,
whose hands were yet free, opposed the
attempt of Samson 10 cut off his hair: a
precauton necessary, however, TO insure the
operation of the axe. The executioner's as.
sistants rushed upon him. lie struggle i
with them violently and long. but was at
length overcome and bound His hair was
cut of in mass and thrown upon the
ground. 1t was picked up by an English.
man, who was in front of the scaffold, and
who put it in his pocket, to the scanial OF
the sans cutottes, who like him were in the
front rsuk. AS We never heard more a.
about it, we suppose .he unfortunate 1nq
las was murdered. When the hustle
occasioned by :hs incident was over, the
King assembled the scatfold. Is it not true
said l. that the Abbe Edgeworth uttered
as the King was mounting tie short flight
Of steps leading TO the scaffold, those sub.
lime words OF encouragement: 'ETls dc
SAINT Louis, mOntez au ciei.' No, he re.
Piled; but while the King was struggling
with the executioner and his men, rs
have just described, the Able Edgeworth
recommended resignation to him, adding
(and these words suggested possibly the
phrase ascribed to him): You have only
one sacrifice more 10 make in this life be.
fore YOU enjoy life eternaEsubn4it TO H. q
->.s.s-
All the world in Texas knows Old King
as he is called, sort Of Daniel Lambert oil
man, weighing his $50 lbs, full Of jokes
and hospitality, renowned for his "Seditions'
/ in his new house, and whose only trouble
in the money line is his "costive" gals, as
he terms them. He once owed man a
just debt which he refused to pay, when
due, i'll silver, but he had made his credi
tor a tender Of a bank biI which was re-
iused-suit brought, judgment obtsined
and property levied on. Hear him in his
own "Gocerentiat' language; Nov, Squire
spose YOU owed man jist debt, and was
TO make him a tender Of blank bill, which
he refuses to accept, and he fetches suit and
gifts judgment, and the Sheriff was to lev
cl writ of execration on your truck, wha
would you do in sirh easel" "Don'
know, colonel" said tho squire, ''it woult
depend on circumstances" "Well," replies
old King, "l'll tell you what I'll do il tha
varmint sells my truck d--u me i'll don
make sacrament Of him.