Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-07-23


speeches through portfolios. Towards
noon, Elector Thuriot de la Rosiere
gains admittance finds de Launay in
disposed to surrender; nay disposed tor
blowing up the place rather. Thurlot
mounts with him to the battlements;
heaps of paving stones, old iron and MIS-
siles lie piled; cannon all duly leyeled;
in every embrasure cannon. only drawn
back little. But ontwards O, Thuriot,
how the multitude flows on, yelling
through every street tocsin furiously
pealing, all drums beating the generate;
the suburb Saint Antoine rolling hith-
erward wholly, as one man. Such VI
sion, spectral yet real, thou 0 Thuriot,
as from thy mount of vision, behoidest
in this moment, prophetic OF what other
Phantasmagories, and loud gibbering
Spectral Realities which thou yet be-
holdest not, but shalt! "Que voulez-'
vous ?" said the Launay, turning pale
at the sight, with an air of reproacb, al
most of menace. Monsieur" said Thu
riot, rising into the moral-sublime,
"what mean you' Consider if / could
not precipitate both of us from this
beight"A-say O hundred feet, exclusive
of the walled ditch. Whereupon de
Launay fell silent. Thuriot shows him
self from some pinnacle, to comfort the
multitude becoming suspicious, trelnes-
cent; then descends; departs with pro-
test with warning addressed also to the
Ipvalides, on whom, however, it pro-
duces but mixed indistinct impression.
The old heads are none of the clearest
besides, it is said, de Launay has been
profuse of beverages. They think, they
will not fire if not fired on, if they can
help it but must, on the whole, be rnl-
ed considerably bp circumstances.
Wo to thee, de Launay, in such an
hour, if thou canst not, taking some
one firm decision, rule circumstances
Soft speeches will not serve, hard grape
shot is questionable; but lowering be-
! tween the two is unquestionable. Ever
wilder swells the tide of men; their in
finite hum waxing ever louder, into i'm
precautions, perhaps into crackle of stray
musketry, which latter, on walls nine
feet thick, cannot do execution. The
outer drawbridge has been lowered for
Thuriot new depurations Of citizens Git
is the third, and noisest of ally pene-
trates that way into the outer court
soft speeches producing no clearance OF
these, de Lauuay gives fire; puHup his
drawbridge. A slight sputter; which
has kindled the too combustible chaos
made it rearing fire-chaos Bursts
forth insurrection, at sight Of its own
blood, for there were deaths by that sput.
ter, of fire into endless rolling explosion
of musketry, destruction, execration
and overhead, from the fortress, let one
great gun, with its grape shot, 60 boom
ing, to show what we could do. The
Bastile Is besieged!
On, then, all Frenchmen, that have
hearts in your bodies. Roar, with al
your threats, of cartilage and metal, yt
sons Of Liberty; stir systematically
whatsoever of utmost faculty is in you
soul, body, or spirit, for it is the shout
Smite, thou Louis Tourney, cartwright
of the Marais, old soldier of the Regi
ment Dauphine smite at that oute1
drawbridge chain, though the fiery hal
whistles round thee. Never, over have
or felloe, did thy axe strike such
strike. Down with it, man; down will
! It to Orcus; let the whole accursed edi
fee sink thither, and Tyranny be swal
lowed up forever. Mounted, some say
on the roof of the guard room, some OF
bayonets stuck into joints of the wall
Louis Tourney snites, brave Aubil
Bonnemere (also an old SOLDIER sec
ending him; the chain yields, breaks
the huge drawbridge slams down, thun
dering. Glorious; and yet, alas, it j
, but the outworks. The eight grin
: owers, with their Invilades' musketry
, their paving stones and cannon mouths
, still soar aloft intact; ditch yawninI
impossible, stone faced; the inner draw
| bridge with its back towards us; til
Bastile is still to take.
, TO describe this siege Of the Bastilt
thought to be the most important i
history, perhaps transcends the talen
of mortals, Could one but, after int
mite reading, get to understand so muc
as the plan Of the building. But ther
is open Esplanade, at the end of til
Rue Saint Antoine; there are sue
Fore court, Cour avarice, Ccur d
- 4 7 n,,i