The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-23
FALL OF THE BASTILE
BY JOHN S. c. ABBOTT.

BY JOHN S.
 The Bastile was the great terror of Paris. While that remained in the hands of their enemies, with it's impregnable
 walls and heavy guns commanding the city, there was no safety. As by an in stinct, during the night of the 18th, the Parisians decided that the Bastile must
 be taken. With that fortress in their hands they could defend themselves and repel their foes. But how could the Bas- tile be taken? It was apparently as un- assailable as Gibraltars rock Nothing could be more preposterous than the thought of storming the Bastile. "The idea'' says Michelet, was by no means reasonable. It was an act of faith" The Bastile stood in the very heart of the Faubourg St. Antoine, enormous, massive, and blackened with age, the gloomy emblem of royal prerogative, ex-
 citing by its mysterious power and men
 ace the terror and the execratlon of
 everyone who passed beneath the shadow
 of it's towers. Even the sports of child
 hood dare not approach the empoisoned
 atmosphere with which 1t seemed to be enveloped.
 M De Launey was governor of tho l fortress, He was no soldier. but a mean.
 n'ercenary man, despised by the Paris | lans. He contrived to draw from the es- l taDllshment, by every species of cruelty and eXtortion, an income of s25OOO a year l lie reduced the amount of firewood to whlch the shivering inmates were enti- ted made great profit on the wretched wine which he furnished to those who were unable to buy, and even let out the nttle garden within the inelosure. thus ueprlVing those prisoners who were not In dungeon conffnemet of the privilege of walk there, which they had a right to claim. De Launey was not merely de- tested as governor of the Bastile but he was personally execrated as A greedy. sorold' merciless man. Linquets Mem oirs of the Bastile had rendered De Launeys name infamous throughout Flu rope. such men are usually towards
 De Launey was both spiritless and im- beetle. Had he not been both, the Bastile could not have been taken.
 Still the people had no guns. It was as- certalned that there was large supplv at the Hotel des Invalides: but how could they be taken without any weapons of attackY Sombreuil, the governor, was a irh ana fearless man, and in addition to his ordinary force amply sufficient for
 
 detachment of artillery and several ad- dltlonal cannon, showing that he was ready to do battle. Within fifteen min utes' march of the Invalides, Besenval was encamped with several thousand SWISS and German troops in the highest state of discipline, and provided with all the most formidable implements of war. Every moment rumors passed through l"e streets that the troops from Yer sailles were on the marcn, headed by of- hcers who were breathing threatenings and slaughter
 With electric speed the rumor passed through the streets that there was a large quantity of arms stored in the magazine or the Hotel of the Invalids Before 9 clock in the morning of the 14th, 3000O men were before the InvaIides; some with bikes, pistols or muskets. but most of them unarmed. The curate of St. Etienne led his practitioners in this con fict for freedom. As this intrepid man marched at the head of his flock he said to them, My children, let us not forget that all men are brothers" The bells of alarm ringing from the steeples seemed to inves the movement with d religious character. Those sublime voices, accus- toned to summon the multitude to prayer, now with their loudest utterance called them to the defense of their civil and religious rights
 Sombreuil perceived at once that the populace could only be repelled by enor- nous massacre, and that probably even that, in the frenzed state of the public mind, would be intellectual. I-e dared not assume the responsibility of firing with out an order from the king. and he could get no answer to the messages he sent to Versailles. Though his cannon. charged with grape shot, could have swept down thousands. he did not ven ture to give the fatal command to fire The citizens, with simultaneous rush in all directions leaped the trenches, clam bered over the low wall-for the hotel was not a fortress-and like a resistless filled the vast building. They found in the armory 30,000 muskets. Seiz- ing these and six pieces of cannon, they rushed, as by a common instinct, toward | the Bastile, to assail with these feeble | means one of the strongest fortresses in | the world-a fortress which an army un- | der the great Condo had in vain hesleged | for three and twenty days. De Launey, from the summit of his towers had for many hours heard the roar of the insur- gent city. As he now saw the black mass of countless thousands approaching, he turned pale and trembled All the can non, loaded with grape shot, were thrust out of the portholes, and several cart loads of paving stones, cannon balls and pih of the towers to be thrown down to crush the assailants. Twelve large ram part guns. charged heavily with grape. guarded the only entrance These were | manned by thirty-two Swiss soldiers, who ' would have no scruples in firing upon 1 Frenchmen. The eghty-two French sol diers who composed the remainder of the l garrison were placed upon the towers. and at distant posts where they could act efficiently without being brought so immediately into conflict with the att tacking party
 man of very fearless and determined
 character M. Thuriot was sent by the electors of the Hotel ue Vile to summon the Bastile to surrender The draw bridge was lowered, and he was admitted The governor received him at the head of his staff.
 "I summon you" said Thuriot. 'in the name of the people, in the name of hon. or, and of our native land"
 The governor, who was every moment expecting the arrival of troops to dis perse the crowd, refused to surrender the fortress but replied that he was ready to give his oath that he would not fire upon the people if they did not fire upon him. After a long and exciting inter- | view. Thuriot came forth to those at the | Hotel de Vile who had sent him.
 He had hardly emerged from the mas sive portals and crossed the drawbridge of the moat, which was immediately raised behind him, ere the people com menced the attack A scene of confusion and uproar ensued which cannot be de- scribed A hundred thousand men, filling an tho ctrpptS and allpVs which Openpd