The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-04-04
The BaStiIe.

A French journal announces that the wild.
w OF M. Santerre, who distinguished him
'elf when the Btstile wus taken, is now
live IN Paris. Moreover, that she possesses
the key Of that execrsble prison fortress
This will be news, in this country, where
the veritable key, there is every reason to
believe, has long been a sort of National
heir, loom, having been presented to Wash
n9ton BY Lafayette. This widow Santerre
nay have retained one of the BastiIe KEYS,
but the key Of the principal portal wss un
d'ubtediy sent to this country, where it msy
be seen hanging up in one of the rooms OF
Mount Vernon.
10 Mr. Benson Lossing's "Mount Vernon
and it's Associations" an engraving of the
seyis given, with a statement of it's pres
en'aton to and reception by Washington.
We take the facts from this volume. In
1890, the seat Of the Federal Government
was removed from New York to Phil del
Pha, and Congress adjourned on the l2th
Of August. Eighteen days later. President
Washington and his family lett New York
and returned to Mount Vernon. Just before
Congress adjourned. Mr.. LOSING says
Washington received q curious present,
which he carried with hmto Mount Vernon
1t was the key OF the BastiIe. that old state.
prison OF France which had become strong
arm Of despptism." o. the 18th o. January,
1889. the PArisiAns formed them selves into
q National Guard, and chose lafayette as
their commander. Mkt day they assembled
en- masse before the Bastile, which was
supposed TO be impregnabe, made a breach
in the walls, seized and killed the Governor
and other officers, "and' the great Iron XIV
Of the Bastile was carried to the Hotel de
Vile, or town hall. The National Assembly
confirming what the people had done, unan.
imously elected Lafayette comm nder in.
chief Of the National Guard of France, q
corps Of more than four million OF armed
citizens"
The key Of the Bostile was placed in the
hands Of lafayette, and in March following
he SET it to Thomas Pline. then in London
to be forwarded as a present to Washington,
together with drawing, in pencil.(a copy o
which Mr.. L'ssing gives in his book,) re-
presenting the destruction OF the prison -
! This also remains at Mount Vernon. La
fayette forwarded letter with these gifts
j in which he soid:
"Give me leave, my dear General, to prC
sent you with picture OF the BastiIe, jus
as it looked a few days after ordered its
: demolition, wih The main key Of the Jortres
Of despotiSm." Thomas Paine retained th
two gifts Tor considerable time, probabI
awaiting safe opportunity of sending them
to Washington, and allowed no drawing Il
be made OF the key, though it was oftel
requested, correctly thinking that there wa
a propriety that il first should be presented
; But, he added, "Mr. West wishes Mr.. Trun
, bull to make painting of the presen
tation" to Washington. The letter iron
lafayette was duly acknowledged by Wash
, ington. Mr. LOSING adds, what every per
son may see at this day and for II futur,
t time, now that Mt. Vernon has becom,
r National property-"The Key Of the BastiIe
p and toe drawing representing the demoIitio
Of the fortress, are a, Mount Vernon. The
former is preserved in gI lass case, md the lat
$ ter hangs nearit. in the same relative positio
; in which they were originally ploced, in th
t great passage OF the mansion" There can
not be the shadow of a doubt that wha
lafayette presented to Washington wa
y To use his own words) "the main key Q
g the fortress of despotiom."
When the Bsstie was demolished, i
r 1889, Antoine joseph Santerre was thirty
seven years old, and his kindness to his ow
f! workmen, as well as his having given aw
nearly $50 900 Of meat and rice to the poo
J Of the Faubourgh st. Antoine, in fnmin
time, made him very popular in that district
9 where his brewry stood. No m,n behave
e more ga aluntIy at the storming OF the BastiIt
and it was he who saved the Bibliothequ
y du Roi Zone of the finest public libraries il
: Europe) from being destroyed by the mot
From his stature, he was called the Ala
e OF the Partisan mob, and he exercised hi
II immense personal strength to snme pur
It pose in June, 1892, when he wss comman
d der OF the National Guard, by thrusting tn
populace out Of the Queens chamber. anC
J. for that time. protecting Marie Antoine t
d aud her children from further outrage
D He had courage and some good nature, bu
d having failed, as General, in command d
e the army sent to La Vendee. was cast int
prison. and narrowly escaped being execu
d ted by Robespierre. He survived the casu
Is alties Of the Revolution, and died very oh
It scu'ely. in 1909. aged 81.
o No one. to our knowledge, has thought
worth while to write Santerre's biograph,
! and therefore we cannot say whether he wa
> married before or after the taking Of tn
d Bastile. That event happened seventy. = on
8 years ago, and suppose that Madame San
= terre was only twenty Eve at the time, st
now may count ninety six years. 1t is prot
;, able that she is much younger.
9 Al all events, though Widow Santerr
d may possess one OF the keys OF the Basti
e there is the most direct evidence, as state
n in LOSING "Mount Vernon and it's Assoc