Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-15
THE FALL OF THE BAsTILE.

The Event Celebrated by the French
Citizens-A Memorable Issue in the
History OF France.
The SOciete Franchise de Renaissance
celebrated yesterday the ninety-ffth an
niversary Of the fall of the Bastile, the
famous French prison, on July IA, 1889.
Tho name is familiar to every Frenchman,
and associated with it are memories
Of the inhuman treatment and brutality
to which prisoners within its walls were
subjected. which have few parallels in
the history Of penal cruelty. The prison,
built in the fourteenth century as a cas-
tie, and enlarged during the reigns of the
Kings succeeding Charles v. was a huge
stone tower. with walls ID and 20 feet
thick. within which were cells OPEN
ing only through small apertures,
by which air was admitted between iron
gratings. The dungeons were far below
the level of the ground, with no openings
but narrow loOphOles communicating
with the ditch around the tower. 1t was
in these cells and dungeons that the
famous blood of France was confined, and
i'm their abOdes the solitary captiveS were
so far removed from the world that
they were forgotten, and in many cases it
was impossible to discover either their
origin or the cause of their incarceration.
Men were put there without accusation
or trial on simple lettre de cdchet and
allowed no communication with their
friends. Their final fate was dependent
upon the caprice of despOtism and was
unknown to the world,
N al shai Riehelieu, VOltaire, Latude and
the victim of Louis XIV, known as the
Man in the Iron Mask, whose identity has
never been discovered and absolutely es-
a..nH t1I
II this time the Bastile had been
State prison, but after Louis XIV.'s death
il degenerated from being place of in
generation for suspected Princes, pre-
tenders to the throne, and subjects too
powerful for the State, into
common Jail. The Imprisonment
Of BlarZOt, the Kings librarian, by the
Kings order and his delivery brought TO
light the terrible system of iniquity that
it concealed. On July IA, 1879, in
the heat of the French Revolution, the
place was surrounded by an armed mob
which the court had driven into fury.
The garrison Of the prison was weak and
was overpOwered. An attack was made,
and the drawbTidges and outer defenses
were battered down with cannon, and the
governor of the prison was slain and torn
in pieces BY the excited multitude. The
following day the work of destruction
commenced. The towers were RACED and
-the dungeons filed with the cOpings of
its battlements. Cannon were fired and
the TIE Deum was sung by the thou
sands that filed the streets of
Paris in that excited period.
Seven persons were found within its cells
who had passed thirty and forty years
within its dark walls. Records of horrors
too terrible to describe were found in
scribed on the walls of the dungeons.
The fall of the bastile broke the spirit of
the court party and changed the current
of affairs in France. On its site now
stands the statue of July, which was
erected in memory Of the patriots of the
revolutionary days.
The SOciete Franchise dc Renaissance,
composed of the French citizens of Sa-
vannah, has for years since its organiza-
ton celebrated the anniversary of
the event which brought lib
erty TO the French people. The day in
France is observed as a fete day, and the
French in America have brought the Gus
tom with them. The society, with its
members and invited guests, assembled
at ThunderbOlt yesterday. where the day
was spent in a cOnviYial celebration. A
handsome dinner was served in the pa
vilion overlooking the river. Shooting
contests with parlor rifles and other sports
added TO the pleasures of the guests. and
the day closed auspiciOuslY and happy for
all who were present. In the shooting
contests several prizes were offered and
won, and in the running races and sports
other prizes Of appropriate value were
awarded. The society returned to the
city last night in special cars after haY-
ing enjoyed one Of the most pleasurable
celebrations It has ever held,