The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-09-16
The Bastilo.

1t was on the 18th Of July, 1859,
pinety-shree years ago, that the Bas-
tile was captured and destroyed by
the people Of Paris. Had the dull,
leaden-n,intled King. then sitting un-
easily on the French throne, been
able to understand and conform t.
the signs OF the times, or been able to
separate himself fronl the courtiers
who urged him to resist the rising
tide Of popular feeliag, the awful
events that followed the capture Of
the famous prison might have l,een
averted, and France aud the world
spared q chapter Of history the like Of
which was never known before and
has never been known since. hut
Louis XVI. would not, perhaps
could not understand. Even the tax.
ing OF the Bastile was . warning he
failed to interp ct Alright. He and
the assembly were at Versailles en-.
gagged In the game Of demands aud
petitions on one side aud refusals or
lnsincere c0acessi0nA on the other,
which had been protractetl I'LL the
country was weary Of II. 1t was u
time Of painful suspense aud anxiety.
The c0urtiers were en(leavOring to
persuade the irrrsOlute King to let
loose the army on the people. The
assembly were In constant apple.
heusion 0f being arrested and thrown
behind the grim and pitilsss walls Of
the frowning fortress prison which
stood at the gate Of It. Antoine
where ~ many y gallant spirit had
been immurell before. There was NO
adjournment. The sessions were
kept up day and night, Leaf, II the
as:em6ly len the hall, its doors would
Be closed and the body dispersed.
All communicated with Paris had
been cut oil, and the news of what
had been 70 ng on there could not he
brought, though the booming Of can
non heard through the day told
plainly that work, and warm work
too, was going ON. 1t was not till
night that the King aud the Assem-
bly, learned that the people Of Paris
had seized the arms in the arsenal nd
stormo.l and captured the lSastiic.
The king was irritated. lit II . re-
VOLT" said he, resentfully. Nay,
SIRE" replied one Of his most frank
altenllaots, 1T il q revolution" And
70 It was-the beginning OF that
frightful reckoning Will, the execra-
ble misrule, falseh0od and! rotten
Pretence which Tor a hundred years
had been heapiny up wrath against
the day Of wrath till the angry and
menacimg structure was toppIin. Ov-
er the head Of the King and court.
The impulse which brought the ex-
asperated populacc Of Paris against
the Bastile was IN instinct. A. q
French historian remarks: ut was
an act Of faith" There was NO rcas0,,
In it. The walls which connected the
eight lofty towers IT the fortress were
forty feet thicl: ut the bottom aud tel,
feet thick ut the top, aud nearly q
hundred feet high. II was absolute
" safe against the mnsket halls which,
flattened themselves against its black
and ancien. front and the shots frOu,
two light pieces Of cannon which
merely dinted the stones. The gar.
rison Of cighty-two French and forty
Swiss soldiers, had they heen dis
posed, might have helsi it easily
against the assault Of the mob vi In,
| 900 men and women arraye<l round
It on that hot July day. But the in
furated pOpulace were bent on MAX
ing u beginning and they acted more
wisely than they thought when with
one consent they drew up before III.
! embrasures Of tho hated prison foul
(; hundred years old, lit type Of the dis
NAL aud lletestil,lc regime they wer.
determined to overthrow. The sl'iri,
If revolution hal been ut work in tl,t
army aud the French soldiers If til,
garrison symi.atl,ixe,l with the lsropl,
and refused to fire upon them. They
! even went further. After the attack
had lasted for five hours without
making an impression the French
/; soldiers hung white flags in token n
surrender along the top IT the WALL
and opened the gates to the mob
'Properly speaking" says Micl'clet
1.-THE Bastile was not taken. il sur
! rendered. Troubled with u lsui con
science, 1t went mad and lost al
presence Of miud." The lopulace
were moderate in the hour Of tIlei'
triumph. They cut oil the head "
lie l.au"ey, governor az the prison
and stucl, 1t oil a pike. did thu. sam.
! for Flesselles, the trcacl,erOus Mayo
Of the city, and banget, two Swiss
soldiers, who had bcen active In fir
ing on the people, 10 lan'p.ln'st
hut It was y warning which, unllee'l
ell. was to he followed by the cutting
off Of heads enough I" make I
mountain and the shedding Of llM's
enough to form river.
Attempts have l'een make to SHOW
that the Baslile was not the awful
aln,de Of tortut, crime an'l despair
the French people held 1t I" Lc-tha
It was u very respectable AMI proper
" conducted prison. IL. this ~
may, the Frencl, people have nevc
ceased to REGARD ii n the symbol q
the mort une.,viablc nIiSyoveri,
ment Of modern times and to ,vle
brate ito downfall ~ marking thei
delivcrance from q dctested rev;Mc.-
~. Lowi* Republican.
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