The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-04-27
Fete Days in Paris.

Fete Days in Paris.
The Radicals are very anxious to have
a national fete day, but there will be
some difficulty in selecting one. 1t is
related that when Lady Morgan visited
Paris in 1899 she said to Lafayette, "Ah,
Marquis, how can the French find their
way among all the dates with which
they spangle their Conversations" Which
of these dates shall now be chosen to re-
place the 18th of August, or st. Napo-
leona st. Patrick's Day, in honor of
Patrice de MacMahon, is perhaps out of
the question just now.
Since the taking of the Bastile on the
18th of July, 1889, no fewer than twenty
seven famous dates have been added to
the republican calendar. Among the
most celebrated of these may be men
toned the 10th of August, when the
Tuileries was taken by storm; the 21st
of January, when Louis XVI. was gull
lotined; the 31st of May, which wit
messed the fall of the Girondists; the 21st
of September, or LIST Vendemiaire, proc
lamation of the Republic; the 9th
Thermidor, which saw the end of the
Reign of Terror and the fall of Robes
pierre; the 18th Vendemiaire, which be-
held the appearance of Bonaparte on the
scene of action. when he treated the fac
tons to Whit of grapeshot on the steps
of st. Roch; the 18th Brumaire, when he
assumed the chief power after first driv-
ing out the Chambers.
After the Empire and the Restoration,
xx,.<h l1sr 1ota <ho fbro0 dave IF
July which saw the downfall of Charles
X, and next the Gath of February which
witnessed the expulsion of his successor
Louis Philippe, and the birth of another
Republic. The Republic of 1S48 has its
dates, such as the 18th of May, when
the Constituent Assembly was invaded
by the clubs; the 9Th of March, when
universal suffrage was born; the three
days of June, when Cavaignac smote the
Socialists hip and thigh; the 10th of
December, when Louis Napoleon was
elected President; the 18th of June, when
there was revolt and Ledru Rollin es-
capped by a skylight.
Then came the terrible I'd of Deem
Der, which slew the Republic-the Re-
public which only came to life again on
the 4th of September, 1870, and was
driven from Paris by the Commune on
the 18th of March, 1871. There are sew
eral other dates in the third Republic
not to be forgotten. Under Louis Phil
ippe the Cabinets formed by NJ. Theirs
were usually spoken Of as those of the
18th of October and the LIST of March
now we constantly hear of the Gath OF
May, the day upon which he was re-
placed by Marshal MacMahon; the 2Sth
of January means the capitulation OF
Paris, the 9Th of February the truce OF
Bordeaux, the Goth of November the
Septennate, and the Constitution of Feb.
ruary the present Constitution.
The first Republic established all kinds
of fetes-those of "the abolition Of
ORDERS" that Of "the oath to the nation,
of Regeneration" of "animals the friends
of man" &C. These were recommended
by the Bishop of Autun, afterwards bet
ter known as NJ. de Talleyrand. Wher
Napoleon was in Egypt he issued the fol
lowing order of the day from hi
headquarters at Cairo, dated 1st Vende
miaire, year VII: "Soldiers, we celebrat,
the first day of the seventh year of thu
Republic, sc. And afterwards, wher
First Consul, he wrote: 1.-TWO grea
epochs exist in the Revolution, the 14tl
of July and the 1st Vendemisire, foun
dations of the Republic completed by thu
10th Of August. These days are imper
ishable; they have been hailed by French
men with unanimous transports; the
Consuls propose that these dates alon.
shall be celebrated in the name of tn,
Republic. Pal Mall Gasette's Pari'
Correspondence.