New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1904-07-16
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THE FRENCH EETE, JULY 18th.

THE FRENCH FETE, JULY 18th.
Last Thursday being the anniversar,
of the l4th of July, 1889, the day on
which La Belle France gained her n
dependence. our French citizens cele.
brated the event AT the restaurant OF
Mr.. Pierre Corniere. where most ella
borate preparations had been made tc
properly commemorate the occasion
The place was beautifully decorated
with flags and banners well inter
mingled with the tri -colors of France.
A most pleasing program was carried
out of tOasts, responses, songs, especi
ally the Marsellaise" by Mr.. A. j.
Maumus and Chas A. Bahon. which
thrilled the entire company and
called up all the martial ardol
and patriotic pride of those pres
eut. Mr.. Jules Dreyfus delivered
the speech of the evening which we
append.
The 14th of July of the eighteenth
century which inspires annually every
lover liberty and human happiness to
renew his allegiance to the dogma of
the French Revolution, gave birth to
a new ideal, "A new condition of hui
man life
l. GUIDED he death knell of human
slavery, human misery and wretched-
ness legalized by monarchs, courts aud
courtiers.
1t palsied the hand of the tyrant
and stopped the whip lashes on the
back of the multitude.
1t sent thunderous tremor through
a sickly CONSERVATION into every
throne and dynasty built on the tears
and groans of the prosecuted masses
of the human race.
| 1t created new dawn of human ex-
istence-a warmer sunshine 90 hope
brighter day of aspirations.
The human heart learned to love
right, adore truth, exalt justice.
The music in the soul changed from
mourning dirge into husannahs of
JOY. The manacled hands, heretofore
listlessly trained to dig and delve for
tyranny and debauchery, received the
septre of authority and the diadem of
power and strength from he mighty
voice, the overwhelming demand of
the people. 1t was revolution, an
inspiration from the political sky and
mans magma charta was written
amidst the storm tossed centre of polit-
ical heresies, i'm blood of the Saviors
of human race.
Long before the rage of nation
fastented its fangs on the throat of the
privileged few, the Kings and his
satellites, the seeds of freedom were
sown by master minds of transcendent
intellect The propaganda of liberty,
equality and fraternity, sent a thrill
through continents and aroused nations
to a proper realization of abuses ini-
quities injected into the social fabric
and fibre of the human race. The
mstchless Voitare, fired with the elo-
quence of the prophet and the grim de-
termination of real defender; cratic
Rousseau with unerring foresight and
trenchant pen; Thomas Payne preach
ing the political sermon; Jefferson
with the steady hand of the philoso-
pher and the keen vision of an uncor-
ruptible sire; this phalanx of giant
fighters for free firesides and untram-
meled consciences were the acknOw-
lodged pioneers of the Kingdom of
new civilization. They built better
than they knew and the Freeman
is the temple, the monument, the
shrine worshiped by humanity. They
sowed the seeds and we reap the har-
vest
Every note we sing; every chant we
dedicate to this occasion represent the
labored pace, the telling blows, the
fidelity and devotion of these patriots.
The present and the past! Vast
swaying multitudes and people with
one volcanic, roaring acclaim saluting
the anniversary Of the political Mes
siah-in the distant past the silent,
hoary, venerated spectres of the forces
that suffered, fought and died that we
may be free.
The past has in its womb the lost
struggles, the murmurs and dissatis-
factions, the muffiled sullenness, the
suppressed pangs, agonies and tortures
of nations. The present reflects the
sunlight of an suspicious morning;
the fragrance of the expanding tree of
happiness and comfort; the sacredness
of life and the inviolability of man.
France paid for kingly extravaganza
and recklessness with an imposition
Va hhu lOACCu VII WIG
masses and untold sufferings and OPP
preston of the individual.
Louis XIV, dubbed LIE Roi Soleil'
exhausted the resources of the French
nation with such relentless hand
that gaunt hunger and misery and
disease stalked through the land and
killed like the Egyptian plague, the
first born of every house of justice,
right and truth. Wars based on per-
sonal caprice and whims; wars de-
handing an ever increasing flower of
manhood and the lassoing of help
less population to the chariot wheels
of kingcraft and arrogant nobility. and
exacting, remorseless, degenerating
social force devouring like brood of
squeaking cormorants. the courage,
the independence of the Frenchmen,
endless rOuuds ar orgies and Rplshas-