Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-15

about the platform.
1t was late when the exercises COM
menced with an address by Mayor H. T.
Hazard.
He spoke in his usual happy and
hearty manner, referring to the gift of
France to the United States in the per-
son of Lafayette, then drew parallel
between the struggles Of France and the
United States for the one thing-liberty.
He called the destruction OF the bastille
the French declaration of independence,
and said that it was fitting that the an
niversary OF the event should be cele-
brated in the United States.
The mayor was frequently applauded,
and at the close of his remarks a little
girl mounted the platform and presented
him with handsome boquet, while the
orchestra rendered the Star Spangled
Banner.
The next part was vocal solo by Mr..
Goytino, the editor Of LIE Progress. Mr..
Goytino has very fine voice and the
audience testified it's appreciation of the
music and the singer in frequent ap-
plause.
A selection bv the orchestra followed,
which was very we'll received by the
audience.
An address by DR.. U. Beaudonnet
followed the music, filled with patriot
ism and enthusiasm. The audience
cheered itself hoarse applauding, and
evidently appreciated every sentence.
An excellenty performed violin solo
by J. Minetti was a musical gem, and
won round of applause.
The orchestra then performed fan
tasy, after which the third speaker of
the evening, Colonel J. J. Ayers was in
troduced, and delivered an address,
which was much appreciated and
heartily applauded. Some portions of
his address, translated into English, are
as follows:
The fall OF the Bastille marked an era
of the highest Importance not only to
the French people. but to the entire hu-
man family. 1t showed that the
"Rights of Man." no matter how long
they had been held down by despotic
power, possess force within themselves
which no system of tyranny, however
hedged in by prescription and the CO.
hesive power OF caste, can resist when
the time of delivery comes.
The French people had for centuries
been oppressed by an aristocracy which
had assumed to itself all the powers of
government. 1t had so far encroached
upon the rights of the people that even
nature revolted at its expressions. The
peasant received less considera-
ton from his manorial tyrants
than the beast of the forest. He was
forbidden to fertilize his field lest the
manure should taint the flesh of the
pheasants, he dare not preserve his do
mestic animals from the attacks of wild
game, lest he interfere with the sports
OF his masters; he was compelled to
mend and keep in order roads he dared
not use he was subjected to thousand
restrictions of the most arbitrary char
acter; he was plundered on all sides to
keep up the magnifcence of the privll-
eyed class, and was ground to earth by
all sorts Of despotic exactions.
Is it any wonder that when the re-
bound came from this terrible condition
OF oppression it made the world stand
aghast at the terror of its headlong
strength?
On Tuesday, the 14th of July, 1888,
the men of Paris arose to assert their
God-given rights. They hurled them
selves against the Bastille- the symbol
and engine of tyranny, the grim monu-
ment Of centuries of wrong and oppres-
sion-and it fell.
As the sun descends in the west all
Paris sends up shout of joy. Millions
of throats proclaim the glad news, and
with the swiftness of the wind the glad
tidings spread throughout France. The
people have grappled with hoary pre-
scription and they have won their
first battle. Anew revelation has lighted
up their inner consciousness.
They have risen to a new manhood,
whose irresistible strength they have
successfully tested. Onward their vis-
ion looks towards the new era which
they have opened for themselves and
mankind. What does this new spirit
that is abroad mean? 1t means that
man shall rise out of the prison of his
low estate and assert his God-given
rights-that peasants, laborers, all, shall
in the great court Of humanity be enti-
tied to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness; that caste shall not set itself
up as the master of caste: that all men
shall have equal chances in the bat
tie OF life and equal rights before
the law; that the principles of
eternal justice shall prevail, and
that kings and potentates shall bow be-
fore those principles as low and as rever-
emily as the humblest peasant and la
borer.
From the time of her great revolution
France has marched steadily on in the
course which that wonderful revolution
mapped out. 1t is true she has met
with relapses and reverses. For short
seasons she has, under the shadow of
false leadership, fallen back on her glori-
Gus road. But she has nobly retrieved
her temporary errors, and gradually
risen in the scale of nations until she
now stands at the very head OF the in
tellectual forces of civilization. 1t was
natural that a nation which had paid so
dear penalty to royalty and class priv
ilege should become republic and
astonish and confeund monarchy and