The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1873-06-11
SKETCHES OF FRENCH REVOLUTIONS

Many causes combined to effect the
overthrow of the monarchy in France
in the latter quarter Of the last centu. .
ry. The excesses of the Crown, the
grinding tyranny Of the mobiles, the
spread of inidel principles, the
exsapls of America, and the
awakening consciousness that "the di-
vine right Of kings" was a gross i'm.
position-all impelled to the great
denouement of the 10th Of August,
1892, when the palace of the Tuileries
was entered by the pepulaco of Paris,
! and the reign of Louis XVI and bis
beautiful consort, Marie Autoinette,
ended forever. The beginning of the
first revolution might be said to date
from the action of the King in the
granting MAY, 1880 M. Necker's
proposition of doubls vote to the
third estate (ths Commons), so as to
balance the votes of the Othor two
houses, composed Of the clergy and
nobility. What was called Nation
al Assembly sprung from this cause,
and by the constitution which they
formed they changed the old French
monarchy into a representative repub-
lie. They suppressed feudal jurisdic-
tious, msnorial dues and fees, the titles
of nobility, the tithes, converts. and
corporations of trade; they confscat.
ed the property of the Church, and up.
rooted things generally. The King
endeavored in vain TO stop this head
long career by the use of his veto, but
the revolution was rushing at full
spec 1, and outbreaks occurred in the
provinces, while every day the parti-
sans of the King we're growing fewer
and weaker. In June, 1892, an insur-
rection took place in Paris, followed
by another in August, and the palace
of the Tuileries was entered and all
its inmates massacred. The King was
deposed he and his family sent pris-
oners to the temple, tried by the Ma
tional Convention, and executed on
the 2lst of January, 1893. Marie
Antoinette followed him to the scaf-
fold in October of the same year.
The second revolution changed the
form of the government Of France
from that of q republic (Which took
on boislerous life after the monarchy
governed by Directory to Consul
ship of three. sf whom Napoleon Bo-
naparte was first. The fall of the Di-
rectorial government in 1900, though
ever so irregularly brought about, was
certainly not a subject of regret to a
great majority of the French people,
who had neither respect for it nor any
confidence in it. The profigacy and
dishonesty Of that government was no.
lorieus. Napoleon was now proni-
nently on the scene, and his power
from year to year grew more and more
absolute, until finally, in 1904, a mo-
tion was made in the Tribunate to be-
stow upon him the title of Emperor of
the French, with the hereditary sue
cession in his family. The prcpcsi-
tion was submitted to the votes of the
people, but before they were collected
Napoleon assumed the title Of Empe-
rer at St. Cloud, on the 18th of May,
1904.
The third revolution was marked by
colossal wars on the part of Napoleon.
He s9uandered the blood anu treasure
of France ON scale of unprecedented
extravagancc. The liberty and equal
ity so ostentatiously established by the
Republic disappeared, and however
much of the glory of war the empire
reaped, it succeeded effectually in
emasculating the moral and physical
manhood of the nation.
The fourth revolution came with the
defeat Of Napoleon before Paris, in
the spring of 1914, and his retirement
to Elba. This gave a show to the
Bourbon patty to welcome Louis
XVIII. to the throne of his ancestors.
Louis came, but his stay was rendered
brief. He was sincere in his profes-
sions, but he was surrounded by dis
appointed euigrants and old royalists,
whose imprudence injured him in the
public estimation, while against him
he had formidable Bonapartist body.
A conspiracy was hatched against
Louis. Bonaparte returned from Elba,
and Louis, forsaken by all, retired to
Ghent.
The fifth revolution was the return
of Napoleon, and his entry into Paris
on the Both of March, 1915. The re-
turn was accompanied by the acclama-
tiOn of the military and the lower
classes, but the great body of the citi-
zens looked on silent and astoundsd.
He was recalled by party, but not
by the nation. A few months after
Waterloo followed, aud that put an
end to the career Of the great Napo-
leon.
The sixth revolution followed Wa
terloO, for that battle opened the way
for Louis XVIII. to return TO Paris
BY this time he appeared as an insult
ed and BETRAYED monarch. Those off