Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1884-07-15
FALL OF TINE BAsTIlLE.
Interesting Exercises at Washington
Observation-Disclosures Music and
Ball.

The French. American citizens of Los
Angeles yesterday celebrated the fall of
the Bastille by a fine picnic att Washing
ton Gardens, that lasted all the after
noon.
After music by the City Band, the
French vice. Consul for Los Angeles, Nj.
Leon Loeb, President of the Day, deliv-
cred a brief aud eloquent address in
French, after which there was an excel.
lent free lunch sci we'd, which was well
patronized.
After doing full Justice to the sumptu.
GUS lunch, the sentiments of the day
were given and responded to as follows
To France = Responded to by Mr..
Ganee, of the Union Nouuelle, of this
city.
America Responded to by Gen. R.
IL. Chapman In most patriotic and
brilliant ,peech, full of historic refer
ences and glowing with fiashes of ora
tory of the rarest and most felicitous de-
scr,ption. OF all the excellent addresses
made by this eloquent gentleman, his
speech Of yesterday exceIled the whole
OF them. 1t was probably the best
which he ever made on the | ublc ros-
lrun, and for which be was enthusias.
tieally applauded.
MIR. Louis Sentous then sang the
Marseillaise, after which Mr.. G. L.
Mesnager, the Orator of the Day, de.
| livered the annual address in the lam
guage of Fenelon and Legendre. His
address was very patriotic and did full
| Justice to the men of SO, who made way
for liberty by giving their lives to the
cause of freedom. His eloquent address
was loudly cheered.
AT the conclusion of NJ. Messengers
address, Mr.. Z. II. belmont sang some
patriotic songs, after which +. Ii. How
ard Esq, was introduced by President
Loeb and delivered patriotic address
in En- lish, of which the following is
CONVERSATIONS:
ADDRESS OF MIR. HOWARD.
The central thought pervading it, as
illustrated by French history, was that
people or nation are most prosperous
and powerful when there is the largest
liberty to the individual.
The speaker first adverted to the sig
nifcant TACT that the French people now
celebrate the taking of the Bastille in
stead OF the birthday of Napoleon, as
they did but a few years ago. Then
boldly assumed the7task Of showing the
causes of the Reign OF Terror" then by
rapid strokes traced the history Of the
French people from about the reign of
Louis XIII. to the revolution, painting
in vivid manner. but faithful to his
toric truth, the sutferiugs aud oppres-
sions which made the French people, to
use his language, race of martyrs; de.
picted the literary emancipation of
France after the dea h Of Louis XIV,
"when arose an aristocracy of mind
which contended VIGOROUSLY for power
| la the land TO the extent that even the
nobility was forced by the majesty of
the human intellect to sit at the feet of
its apostles and drink from that foun-
tain draughts of that knowledge which
was incompatible with the very exist
ence of their own order. Thos. Jeifer,
son tells us how the aiistocracy in shame
hid their ribbons and stars under simple
garments as they thronged TO the lee
ture halls" And having shown the
brutal treatment which caused the san.
culinary excuses of the French Revolu-
ton, he briefly depicted the subsequent
changes of government, and drew a vivid
parallel beteewn Louis XIV. and
Louis Napoleon, showing how the
latter was the incarnation of protection
in government; showing how he CEN
tralize1 the government of France, ode
stroying all the autonomy and power of
self-government in all the departments
aud subdivisions of the country; repress-
ing and systematically weakening the
capacity Of individuals and independent
aggregat ons of the community;" show
ing that the disasters of 1870 were due
to this system. "rhus is practically
| demonstrated to the werl the great po-
| litical truth that the weakest of all gov
ernments is the so-culled strong central
lied government. Bear in mind that
whenever France has receded from the
great principle of her Revolution, which
was the freedom of the individual as
against the usurpation by government of
the right to dictate his mode of life or
action in his private affairs under the
treacherous guise of protection, it has
always resulted in disaster" The speak,
er concluded with gu appeal to his fell
low citizens to take home to themselves
the truths taught by these lessons from
history.
After the address of Mr.. Howard,
some songs were sung by two little girls,
G.-a a,,l tha Of ap oil
that were rapturously applauded.
NJ. belmont then sang Chante de
Pere. and the meeting closed with music
by the band.
In the evening a brilliant ball was
given at the Pavilion which was largely
attended and continued till the midnight
hour. Our French citizens keep this
great day perpetually green in their
patriotic memory, as well as they
should.
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