The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-12-24
July IA.

July "A occupies much the same
place in the heart Of a Frenchman
that July does in the heart Of an
American. On that memorable day
the Bastile fell, and its fall was the
rise of liberty. 1t is no pyrotechni-
cal extravaganza to say that on the
ruins of that old prison was erected
the temple of liberty for France and,
largely, for the world. That was in
1889. La Bastile was the political
prison OF France. Behind its thick
and almost inpenetrable walls, as
well as in its dark and putrid dun
geons had been buried many secret
state, many victims of oppressive roy.
atty and despotism. That it were
looked upon as one of the most objec-
tionable monuments to the true lovers
of liberty and independent thoughts
is not to be wondered at.
Speaking of the fall of Bas-
tile and the French Decartion of
Rights "a companion-piece to the
Declaration of INDEPENDENCE, Lay.
fayette said: "May this great monu-
ment raised to Liberty serve as q les
son to the oppressor and an example
TO the oppressed" That prayer,
worthy of the grand friend of Amer
lea in her hour of sorest need, has
been more abundantly realized than
could have been anticipated then.
1t is profoundly interesting to note
the vicissitudes through which Lib.
erty has passed in reaching its present
high and secure position in France.
The good accomplished when Laiay-
cite wrote as above, was soon to be
subverted, and the cause of justice
put to shame by the horrors of the
Reign of Terror. Had it not been for
that outbreak Of frenzy, it is proba-
bic that the first Republic would
have been as stable as the American
Republic.
Ii the leaders of the masses had not
given free sway to all their baser pas
sions and prosecuted numerically their
work of vengeance with blood drip.
ping hands; if they had shown more
conservatism and governed without
aid OF the guillotinc; in q word, if
there had been no RobespieTe there
would have been no Napoleon. The
cruelties of the former made possible
the despotism OF the latter. The
blood OF the guillotine was the seed
of the wars which devastated Europe
under he who died at ST. Helena. -
For more than half century France
had little occasion to celebrate the
l4th OF July, and Tor greater part of
that time such q celebration was look
ed upon by the Government as a spe-
cies OF treason. But now France is q
Republic, with no reason TO apprc-
bend restoration Of either the Bour-
bons, the Orlcanists, or the Bonapart-
lists. The French Republic is hardly
less secure than the American Rcpub-
lie. The amnesty Of the Communists
of the siege OF Paris pcriod bespeaks
the confluence Of the Government
itself, and the future is morally GER
tain to justify that confidence.
There could be 10 grander sight
than this, Of great nation foremost,
really, III all Europe, establishing the
principles Of republicanisn in the
midst Of intrenched despotism. France
is land Of liberty and law, not OF
law at the expense Of liberty.
This Republic may he called a
growth OF the wilderness, but the
French Republic had to contend
against the most disheartenng obsta-
clcs. 1t was like trying TO raise corn
in u city to develop repuolicanism in
old France. 1t took less than a decade
to reach the degree of security in
growth here which required nearly O
century there. Mr.. Paine charged
Mr.. Burke, and not without reason,
with plying the plumasc but forget
ting the dying bird SO much more
did he sorrow for Marie Antoinettc
than for the oppressed people; ald
the world has become accustomed tC
think more OF the horrors of the
French Revolution than OF its bencti-
ccncc. But the glory Of the latter
vastly outshines the lurid flames d
the former.