Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-08-09
THE eASTilLE'S FALL.
Why the Fourteenth OF July Was Selected
as Frances National Day.

Why the Fourteenth OF July Was Selected
as Frances National Day.
The French chose for their national
festival the anniversary of the fall OF
Bastille. They celebrate that day in a
more orderly and tasteful manner than
we do our Fourth of July, though not
with less feeling or unanimity.
1t has been objected TO their choice
of National Day that it is the anui-
versary OF deed of violence, and, as
some still believe, an act of unreason-
ing and unjustifable violence. which
was naturally followed by the Reign of
Terror and the twenty years despotism
of BOnaparte.
This is but superficial view of the
matter. The Fourteenth of July was
as truly the birthday OF the French
Republic as the Fourth OF July was of
ours, and, though its development has
been often interrupted and long re-
tarded. yet that great day began the
downfall in France of government by
irresponsible authority. The destruc-
ton of the Bastile was the first act done
by the people of France.
The Bastille, originally one of the
fortified gates of Paris, became, in the
course of ages, the chief fortress of the
city, a great, square structure, with
walls of medieval thickness, supple
mented by eight towers. massive and
grim, the whole surrounded by moat
twenty-five feet wide. Finally, as
Paris became safer from attack, the
Bastille was utilized as the State
Prison. In fact it was to France what
the Tower of London was to England in
the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary and
Elizabeth.
Such it remained too long. 1t rep
resented the despotic principle for a
hundred and fifty years after the Tower
had become a mere show, to which
teachers brought their good pupils on
holidays. to view the headsman's block
and try the blunted edge of his axe
with their fingers.
1t was not the cruelties committed in
the Bastille that made it hateful to the
people of Paris. During the reigns of
Louis XIV, Louis XIV. and XVI, there
was scarcely any thing done in it which
we ordinarily call cruel. The Bastille,
in the eye of the law. was chateau, or
castle, belonging to the King, and its
inmates were the Kings guests. The
order for an arrest was usually couched
in the form of a polite intimation of the
royal ''intention," beginning, my
sousin," and ending with. ION which,
ny cousin, pray God to have you in
His holy keeping"
1t must be owned, too, that the King
maintained the guests at his ''chateau
Of the Bastille," with elegance and
orofusion. Marmontel, the author,
who was confined there in Louis XV.'s
lime describes his first dinner in allur-
ing terms: IAN excellent soup,
slice of juicy beef, the leg of boiled
capon swimming in its gravy, and
melting in the mouth, a little dish of
fried artichokes i'm marinade, one of
spinach, very fine Cresanne pear.
some grapes, a bottle of old Burgundy,
and some of the best Mocha coffee"
The King himself could not have had
better dinner than this.
The odium of the Bastille was due
chiefly to its representative character.
1t stood for authority, hereditary and
irresponsible. against the caprices of
which there was no redress. Marmon-
tells offence was that he had offended
The Kings brother by reciting. in
private company. some verses of
satirical poem rejecting upon that
Prince. He was not the author OF the
poem, nor was the poem itself libellous.
1t was harmless parody, piece of fun
which no rational being ought to have
resented.
For many years, it was distinction
in France to have been confined in the
Bastille, because the elite of the nation
nad been there.
As the building had a representative
character, so its demolition was pro-
phetic of a distant time when the
words liberty, equality and fraternity
shall with some correctness describe
the terms upon which men live to-
gether. The site of the gloomy for
tress is now adorned by a lofty bronze
pillar. upon the summit of which is
gilded figure of Mercury about to take
flight, as if to convey to distant peo-
Piles the glad tidings of freedom
Youths Companion.