Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-10-25
The Execution of Louis the sixteenth.

!
; Louis Blanc's history of the French Rev
olution contains many thrilling scenes {
that terrible event One ofthe most graph
ic is the description of the execution G
Louis the Sixteenth:
The condemned man traversed the inne
court on foot At the entrance of the ex
ternal court green carriage was waiting
with,two gendarmcs holding open the door
Louis entered, his confessor taking sea
by his side, and the soldier mounting j,
front The signal was given, and the cor
tege moves on. 1t was mournful scene
From the prisoner to the place of death wa!
ranged double line of spike guns, borne by
men who in their immcvable silence; seem.
ed like armed statues The weather was
cold and misty A leaden stiffness, only
once broken at the gates of the Temple by a
cry of Mercy! nercyp uttered by the trem-
bling voice of some women reignedover the
entire march. Here and there few shops
were half open; everywhere the shutters were
closed. For. the foot passengers there were
no means of issue; nor was there single
carriage in those streets, except that one
which rolled ON amid universal silence, bear
ing the Unhappy one then called Louis the
Last >, = 80 ar Z: Va
After minutes past ten they reached the
foot Of the scaffold 1t had been erected in
front of the Palace of the Tuilleries, in the
square called after Louis the Fifteenth, and
near Tie statue of the most corrl3rt of kings;
king Who died TRANQUILITY in his bed The
condemned was three minutes describing
from the carriage Upon quitting the tenn
pie he had refused the redingote which Clea-
ry had offered him, and now appeared in a
brown coat, white waistcoatj grey breeches
and white stockings. His hair was not dis
ordered, nor was any change rercebtible in
his eountenance The Able Firmont was
dressed in black. A large open space had
been kept round the scaflold--with cannon
ranged on every side--while beyond, as far
as the eye could reach, stood an pnarmed
multitude gazing. 4 = y
Descending from lis carriage, Louis fixed
his eyes upon the soldiers who surrounded
him, and with menacing voice cried, 81
lence~ The drum ceased TO beat, but at y
signal frcm their officer, the dummies went
on. s,Nha, treason s this = be shouted.
Il am lostn' 1t is evident that up to this
moment he had been elinging to hope. The
executioners now approached to ia Ike eff Il
part of his CLOTHES; lac repnlsed them iietces
ly, and himself removed the collar from his
neck Bnt all the blood in his frame seem
ed to be turned into fire when they sought
to tie his hands. ..Tie my hands, he Shrek
ed 4 Struggle was inevitable-it came
It Is indisputable, says MERCER, that louis
fought with his ozecutioncrs The 8bbe
EdgeWorth stood by, perpleXea. Mortified
speochlcss. ,.s..e ss g.
AT last, as his master seemed to look in
quiringly at him, he said "Sir, in this adj
outrage | only see a last trait of the
resemblance between your reward. At
these words tie indignation of the man gave
away to the humility Of the Christian, and
Louis said tStEe executioners, Il will drain
the cup to tie dregs." They ted his hands,
they cut off his hair. and then leaning on
the arm Of bis confessor, he began, with
slow tread and sunken dcmeanor, to mount
the steps-then very steep-~of the guillo
tine. Upon the last step, however, he SEEM
cd suddenly to rouse, and walked rapidly
across to the other side of the seaffold, when,
by sign commanding silence he exclaim-
ed, Il die innocent Of the crime imputed to
me-" His face WAS now very red and ac-
cording to the narrative Of his eeniessor, his
voice was so loud that it could be heard rs
far as the Pont Tournament Some other
expressions were distinctly heard. =, d par
don. the authors of my death, and / pray
heayeh that the blood you are about to Shed
l. L.,
was about to continue, when his voice was
drowned by the renewed rolling Of the drums,
at a signal which it is affirmed was given by
the comedian, Dugayon, in anticipation of
the orders of Sauterre Silence be SILENT
cried Louis the Sixteenth, losing all self-eon-
troll, and stamping violently with his foot 49,
Richard, ore of tie executiorers, then seiz-
ed a pistol and took aim at the king. 1t
was necessary to drag him along by force.
With difficulty fastened to the fatal plank,
he continued to utter terrible cries, inter-
rupted only by the fail CT the knife.