The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-07-07

Ninety Jour years ago to'uay, Oh JUNG
20, 1880, G35 National Deputies, driven
from Paris, met together at Versailles, in
the tennis court, and took an cath not TO
separate until they should have given q
constitution 10 France As the black
marble slab that commentaries this event
tersely says, they kept their word 1t Is
in ,his famous hall that NJ. Jules Ferry
has opened to- day a museum of the Rev'
luton with all the solcmni,y due 10 such
an event. Many have been the change
that this old room has been witness o.
| Built in 1856, it was used simply for The
game of tennis by Louis XIV. and ms sue
cessors, until the arrival OF the expelled
Deputies Of the Tiers Etat invested il with
deeper and more tragic Interest. Here
was taken the DATA which plunged France
into the reign Of terror and Europe into
devastating wars Exactly year after
this momentous scene Soctete du Ser"tent
du ieu de Paume was formed. On the wall
facirg the entrance, this ASSOCIATION
placed brass plate set IN stones taken
from the very walls of the Bastile, and In
scrlbed with the exact words OF the Socl-
ETY., nus: ave swear never TO separate,
and to assemble where ever and when ever
needlul until the constitution Of the king
dom he established and assured upon SOLID
! t,a
plate was added with this motto: They
had sworn It-They have fulfilled their
oath" and a commission Was given to the
painter, David for a picture representing
the ceremony of the VOW. Only the sketch
was finished, however, and II is this day in
the museum Of the Louvre, but a repro
duction in crayons, the work of NJ. Olivier
Merson, is hung upon the walls OF the very
room it portrays. Afterwards, in 1903, the
Sale was the studio Of the artist, Gros, and
under the Restoration fell 10 be merely the
cos.ume.room of the Palace Theatcr. Dur
ing the Monarchy OF July it again be.
came studio, this time by Horace Vcrnct,
who painted Ia It two of his finest battle
pieces, and in 40 the members Of the
Peace Congress dined in It, among them
being Richard Golden. In the Second
Empire futile effort was made to convert
It to its original use, and, finally, the third
Republic has turned il into an exhibition
room. Its walls once black, are now a
faded gray, and are covered with tablets
and inscriptions, Thus, over the brass
plate already mentioned, has been built
stone portico, supported BY two marble
column, and surmounted by gilt clock
and the rays Of a rising sun, symbolical OF
the dawn Of the Revolution. In front OF
this Is n large statue OF Badly, surrounded
by bus,s Of twenty Of the principal actors
in this hlstC rlc scene, among them Mira
beau, Sieyes, Vo!ney, Trouchet ana Bois.y
d. Anglais. On the wall, facing the en-.
trance, are also panied the names of the
subscribers to the oath, while on the wall
to the left /. hung the copy Of Divid's PIC
,ule opposite 20 several Inscriptions.
In this ,ime-honored room are LAID out,
in ten large glass cases, the relics OF the
great Revolution, Of which il was the birth
place Naturally, on the opening day of
the museum, Versailles was en- ,fete. Enor-
nous crowds filed the streets; flowers and
flags waved above them, and upwards of
1000 troops were there to keep them in or
der At half past four NJ. Jules Ferry,
President Of the Council, NJ. Waldeck
Rousseau, Minister Of the Interior, and a
great number Of senators, deputies and
journalists arrived from Paris by special
tram and proceeded TO the Prefecture,
thence they we're conducted 10 the Mayors
residence and after some little delay went
IN procession to the Sale du Jeu lie Paume,
there to inaugura,e the museum with all
proper formally. The speeches over, the
Ministers visited the college as we'll as the
secondary school for young girls, aud a,
I O'Clock sat down to a banquet OF $50 Gov.
ers IN the hall Of the Theatcr des Variett B."
The museum will be open 10 the public to,
morrow