Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-16


in being selected by the French people
of Los Angeles to deliver the English
oration on this illustrious cen
tennial. call it illustrious
because it commentaries the most dis
tinguished event in human affairs. 1t
marks an episode which more than any
other lightened the burdens that bowed
down the oppressed people OF the earth
and ushered in the reign OF liberty, OF
equality, and therefore OF happiness, to
all mankind. The United States owes
special debt of gratitude to France. But
for the timely Intervention OF France,
and the kindly aid she rendered us, there
never would have been any United
States.
This announcement brought out long
continued applause from all portions OF
the audience.
From the event which you are gath
cred here to celebrate today flowed the
most tremendous progress ever made in
the Liberation of man. But the greatness
of France is not limited to the great SER
vices she has rendered to the cause OF
freedom. Her triumphs have been many,
and in all branches OF human progress.
In the arts and sciences she has been al
all times leader among the nations and
races of the earth. Such triumphs as
hers have not been witnessed elesN here.
But to revert to what she did for us in
the darkest hour of our need.
France gave to US the sinews OF war.
She sent us men aud money; and it was
she who enabled us to cast off the yoke
of British tyranny. She sent US many OF
her bravest sons and most successful
warriors. 1t was by this aid that we
were enabled to become nation. Then
later, in the time of the first Napoleon
France gave us the great territory OF
Louisiana.
Here the audience again broke out
into loud applause.
By this purchase. for a mere nominal
sum, we acquired the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi, the whole river, the great
northwest out of which 30 many
States have been carved. This
act of France gave us the Pacific ocean
eventually; and by this acquisition we
obtained the means to work out Ameri.
can destiny, to become the greatest ma
ton of the earth That is the ultimate
result of what France did for the United
States. And looking back hundred
years, say that every man who values
liberty, every man who holds dear the
ell-being of mankind, should thank
France today for this. Napoleon in
Egy pt said to his soldiers, as they stood
under the shadow OF the Pyramids {:
Forty centuries look down upon you to-
day." l say to you that of all the events
of those forty centuries not one OF them
all was as beneficial in its effects on the
human race as was the one we commem
crate here today, when the people Of
Paris destroyed the Bastle.
France, in herself has had an illustri-
GUS history. She has been the keystone
of Europe. Frederick the Great, speak
ing of her unexampled power, said:
'Were at the head of France there
should not a gun be fred in Europe
without my permission" France sue
ceeded Rome. She has besa first in
Europe in all lines of progress. She has
been first in war-preeminen,ly first in
war. She is the only country of which
it can be said that she withstood the
allied armies of Europe. She has no
parallel in this. France, standing for
the liberty of mankind, tearing
down the intrenchments that
guarded the abuses of SO many
ages, met the hosts of Europe and over
threw them all. Then France has been
great in sciences, in bellies letters, arts
ard all the mental achievements of man
Everything that requires thought, gen.
ius, elegance, the French, with their ex.
quisite taste, excel in. Their tapestry,
paintings, the works OF the sculptor, the
delicate, elegant, artistic productions Of
the imagination, France surpasses in.
And referring again to the era OF the
Bastile The gloom of the middle ages
was crystalized in France, The legend
Dante wrote over the gates OF hell, He
who enters here must leave hope be
hind" would perfectly express the State
of the people of France. In 1859 the
Bastile was built by Charles V. He
built it as a sort of royal prison. Any
member of the royal family who had
rendered himself obnoxious to the
throne, or to the power be-
hind the throne, whatever it
might be, was thrust in there.
1t was built to Withstand the shock Of
battle, to resist a siege. 1t shows that it
is Providence which shapes our ends, to
read that a fey people could overthrow
and raze to the ground this structure
Why, at the base of this castle were
walls forty feet thick. Yet in twenty
four hours the people, with picks and
shovels, had leveled it to the earth, and
had not left one stone on another. 1t
was a miracle wrought by Providence.
Here for the tenth time the audience
broke out into the most enthusiastic ap.
plause.
There was one man who had lain in
the Bastie who was above all others in.
strumental in it's overthrow. The great
Mirabeau had done some act which had
made him obnoxious to royalty, or to roy
alties' flatterers. He had, by letters de
cdchet, been cast into the Bastile
There in years of solitude, brood
ing over his wrongs, he had
wrought out that fiery eloquence
which set the hearts of Frenchmen in a
blaze. Here he thought of the tyranny
of pampered scions of royalty until he
went forth by the burning eloquencs
that springs from suffering unjustly i'll.
fiicted to overthrow the Bastils. to over
turn the monarchy for whose benefit the
Bastile existed. 1t was Mirabeau's fiery
ARA gnment OF the Government for the
wrongs he had endured that stirred the
people to secure liberty to France.
France fecundates and passes," some
statesman has said. France is the
mother of generous impulses, of liberal
ideas. Her thoughts are always for the
welfare of the masses. Her legisla-
ton looks to the benefit of the
poor man equally with the rich. With
her justice is iDflexible in its application.
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