The Shasta courier., 1863-04-04

be taken with the rest to the guIllotlne, and
the az was to sever his head from the lifeles s
BODY. and all the headless trunks were to lie
inferred together. Some friend of the Cir
ondists Immediately sent to them sumptu-
Eous banquet, their final funeral repast. A
large oaken table was spread. Servants en-
tered with brilliant lamps The richest
viands of meats and wines were brought in.
Vases Of flowers smiled where flowers never
bloomed before and the most costly dishes
appeared, one after another, until the board
was covered with luxury and splendor.
In silence they took their places at .he ta-
BILE. They were all men of brilliant intellect,
and most of them eloquent. A priest, Able
Lambert, who had gained admission, with
his pencil noted down their words, their ac-
| tions, their indications of weakness or of he
roism. The repast was prolonged till the
dawn family entered the grated windows.
When the cloth was removed and the fruits
the wine and the flowers alone remained, the
conversation became animated, with occa-
sional bursts of gaiety. A few of the unbe-
levers in Immortality endeavored thus to
meet their doom. But it was hilarity unnat-
ural and unworthy of the men and their con-
dition. Death is not jest, and he who at
tempts so to regard it does butdishoner him
self
"What shall we be doing at this time to-
morrow" asked Ducos.
''We shall Sleep" responded one. after
the fatigues of the day, to wake no more.
Death is but endless slumber."
| g No. y rejoined Fouchet :. annihilaton is
not our destiny. These bodies perish These
thoughts never die. Tomorrow, in other
worlds, we shall think, fe~l, act. We shall
have solved the problem of the destiny of the
human mind"
All turned to Vergniaud, as by common i'm
pulse. His discourse was long, and has been
described as the most eloquent which was
ever uttered by human lips. /" Death, ~ said
he, in conclusion, (" is the greatest act of life.
1t introduces US to u noble existence. We're
it not so, there would be something greater
than God. 1t would be the just man immola
| ting himself uselessly and hopelessly for his
country. No. Vergniaud is not greater
than God. God will not suffer Vergniaud tc-
morrow to ascend the scaffold, but to justify
and avenge him in future ages"
| As the light of day penetrated the dungeon,
some sought a moments sleep others wrote
last line to friends, while others gathered
in groups for conversation. At 10 o'clock
the gems d'armes entered, with the execution
ers. The long hair was cut frou, their necks
that it might not impede the ak. Gensonne.
| pickep up lock and sent it to his wife, say.
ing:
Tell her that it is the only memorial of
my love which can transmit to her; and
that my last thoughts in death were hers"
| Vergniaud scratched upon his watch few
lines of tender remembrance, and sent it to
the young lady to whom in few days he
was to be married. Five rude carts conduc-
ted them to the scaffold. Each cart contain
| ,per N Il, IL, -
the sad procession passed was thronged with
countless thousands. 1t was one of the most
splendid of October mornings. As the carts
moved, the Girondists sang the Marscilaise
Hymn. At the end of each verse there was
| a moments silence and then the strain was
renewed, loud and sonorous. Arrived at the
scaffold, they all embraced. They then re-
sumed their funeral chant. One after anoth-
er ascended the scaffold, continuing the song
| till his head fell in the basket There was
no weakness. No voice faltered But each
| succeeding moment, as head after head fell,
| the song grew more faint. Nergniaud at last
! stood alone. Long confinement had spread
| deadly pallor over his intellectual features
| He assembled the steps, the chorus having now
| died away into solo of surprising richness.
For moment he gazed upon the headless
bodies of his friends. He then, as he surren
deFed himself to his executioner, commenced
| anew the strain:
| Come, children of your country, come!
The day of glory dawns ON high.
! The AK fell, and his lips were silent in death.
Thus perished the Girondsts The history
of the French Revolution, in all its sublime
annals, has not tragedy more thrilling
| Abbott.
STAND BY THE FLAG.-The following noble
words, conjuring the American people to for
get party strifes and chickering's. and rally
around their country's hag-words written
during the last war with England by Wash
ington Irving-will find a ready echo in eve
ry patriotic heart:
Whatever we may think ofthe expedien-
cy or inexpediency of the present war. we
cannot feel Indifferent to its operations.
Wherever our arms come in competition with
those of the enemy, jealousy for our country s
honor will swallow up every other consider.
ation-our feelings will ever accompany the
flag of our country to battle, rejoicing in its
glory, lamenting over its defeat for there is
no such thing as releasing ourselves from the
consequences of the contest lie who fancies-
be can stand aloof in interest, and by con-
demning the present war can exonerate him
self from the shame of its disasters. is woful.
| ly mistaken. Other nations will not trouble
| themselves about our internal wranglings
and party questions. They will not ask who
among us fought or why we fought, but ho,c
we fought. The disgrace of defeat will not
be confined to the contrivers of the war or the
party in power, or the conductors Of the bat
tie, but will extend to the whole nation and
come home to every individual If the name
of America is to be rendered honorable in the
fight. we shall participate in the honor: if
otherwise, we must inevitably support cur
share Of the ignominy"
COMING OF AcE.-Why youth is said to
| be 8 of age' when 2l years old very few can
tell, except 8 so saith the law" In the ear
ly pariods of English history child was con-
sidered to be of age and a man when he was
able to bear arms and protect himself But
this period varied at different times. debend
ing very much on the character of the arms
in use. At first these were light and easily
handled, and then the time of coming of age
was fixed at II years. After the Teutons
were brought into collision with the we'll
! armed Romans child of this age was of
little use in battle, and the period of coming
of age was fixed at Is years. And when heaF-
Ter armor was introduced, it was further ex-
tended to 21 years. An Anglo Saxon child
became entitled to the possession of his prop
erty at 10 years of age. but he could not deal
with it until he was Is, and this was the age
II. II Al A. Il