Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-27
UNDER THE TRlCOL0R.
CELEBRATING THE OVERTHROW
or THE DUNGEON or PARIS. y.
- la NASriiLE.'
tiryDm thp Now York llofnlh,)

tFfDm The Now YORK Hnihlh,)
Tho present French Republic ia now
In Tho tenth year Of 'ts existence. NOT
during these years has thoro been any'
thing ltke u grand national holiday
anything TO talo tho plnoo OF tho Fcto
Napoleon, which, during tho Second
Empire, waA nm annual celebration of
great pomp and eolomnity. With bo'
coming prudence tho leaders Of tho pco
ple have carefully avoided anything
iiito u demonstration, refusing. for tho
sake Of u mere empty display, to I'M
poril tho aafety OF tho Republic. II ia
true that tho events of 1870 aud 1871 +,
events out of which grow tho Republic,
loft tho ironcli pooplo but small cause
for glorilicntion. Spite Of this, how.
oyor, IL Ii. impossible not TO admire tho
solfdcnial which ttcy have exercised,
for il Tho record Of tho war against Ger.
many and Of tho uprising Of Tho Com.
muno bo record OF humiliation and
sorrow tho record of France since tho
restoration Of pouco has boon IN tho
laat degree honorable aud praisoworthy.
Nay, moro, 10 has been u record Of un.
parallclod success. SO gseat lias been
this success, NO marked has boon tho
prosperity of tho country during these
last ton years, that tho French govern
ment might, with good reason, have
gratiiled tho national heart long before
this by national holiday and by pub
lio md general demonstrations. u is,
perhaps, on tho whole better as IL IL !;
for now it will not bo possible to say
that France has boon in any undue
haste TO parade her triumph, Nay, more,
there might have been uncertainties
before, but now there il but littlo dan
ger That tho rojoicings will DO over IN
uncompIctod victory, for tho nation III
prosperous, tho people are contented,
tho Republic socms secure.
TINE FOURTEENTH OF july.
A grand national demonstration hay
ing boon agreed upon, thoro wan natu,
rally tho question aa to tho most suit
ablo or most desirable day. There was
tho anniversary of tho prosont Republic
there aro many other days-important
days in tho history of Franco and sa
crod to tho French people, but thort
was ono day which had larger claim
than any Other--n day whose annual
recurrence for over nluety years ha'
awakened tho sentiment of liberty in
many % l'rOnchman's heart and bidder
him 10 of good cheer. That was the
itth Of July--a day forever associated
with tho capture Of tho Bastillo Ivy th'
Paris insurgents, and with tho triumph
of tho popular cause. On that day, il
tho year 1889, In tho midst of tho fevel
and excitement of tho first days of the
revolution, whilo tho king aud the
court were still doeming il possible tt
resist tho rising tide Of popular fur!
and Indignation, and while tho popular
cause was as yot comparatively un
stained, the Bastille, tho visible symbo
of tyranny for hundreds of years to the
citizens Of Paris, foul den whore III
nocence had often suffered, and who's
interior horrors, frightened by imagin
alton, made il the object of bitter an
general dctcstation, was successfully a'
tackled by q body of tho National Guard
it's Governor and his subordinatos wer
put to death. and an impulse was givcI
| to tho Revolution such Us it had not ye
received from any other canso, and sue
| as determined its tendency, its sins a
we'll rs it's successes. It was felt to i
tho birthday Of freedom, aud It has s
been regarded by republican Franc
ever since.
| TllR NAsIliLE EARLY HISTORY.
The Bastille was to Paris for man
centuries what tho Tower was to Lol