The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-01-25
THE LESSON
FRINGE ThUGHT

lNlNlOL illOoIh
On July ~ the city was in a State
of insuirection. The troops, with few
exceptions, abandoned, the King, and
1t was announced that the court med
itatcd st. Bartholomew Of patriots"
For two days Paris ran the risk of
pilluge, and was only saved from the
thousands OF marauders that ranged
the streets by Lhe national guard. On
July Is a mob OF 500 or 300 attack
ed the Bastile, the great prison Of
the nation, and captured IT without
resistance of any consequence. This
capture had Its intended effect. The
King yielded his authority absolutely
and besought The national assembly
TO assume the task OF restoring order.
On July Is the electors resolved that
there must. he a new mayor for Paris
and national guard TO preserve or
der. During the discussion the presi.
5 = o. Il e . { e J
dent Of the electors waved his hand
toward the staue of Lafayette that
had been presented TO the nation by
the State Of Virginia, and by cutlery
Lafayette was elected commander of
the guard. e
The victory of the assembly over
the King and the arlstocracy led the
people of the provinces to believe
that their cause was already won.
General decentralization ensued and
rioting and lawlcssness prevailed ev'
erywhere. Bread riots became con
tinual, the custom houses were burn
ed. chateauX were fred. the towers
in which were preserved the titles
) and documents whereby the noble!
enjoyed their oppressive rights wert
destroyed. Paris wasHruled by thu
militia. which seemed to be part o
the great mob that was arming
Lafayette, by consummate tact, pre-
served order, however. and the Kin
was received quietly and with re
, spect, on July II. when he came fror
Versailles.
i, On July 90 the killing Of objection
p, able officials began and the emigrs
4 ton of the nobility commenced. TIL
! assembly began the drafting OF COZ
5 sttution. but drifted into discusslo
|. as to whether It's preamble shoul
contain declaration Of the fright
of man." In the meantime dlsordt
was growing throughout the llingdol
and August found positive civil va
in many districts and anarchy ever
d where.
4 The realization of this spurred Il
assembly TO action and in its zeal
abolished fcudal rights; thep Il
rights OF the dovccoIe and the gan
:, laws then the old coyphold ser'
ccs: then the tithes claimed by Il
:, church; then the rights of certain C
!. les over their immediate suburbs
then the dues paid to the pop
= Airgnun was taken away from Il
l.. pope: things that did not belong
:, the assembly were given away;
the end 1t was decreed that a stat
c should be erected 10 Louis XVI.
:, the "restorer OF French liberty"
Then the assembly went back to /
discussion OF the rights Of man, viii
:, were declared on August Il. 4 CT
- stitution embodying them was ado
~, cd. but In the meantime bitter fa
~ Inc was settling upon Paris. Bake
shops were pillaged, provisions co
ing into the city were seized at I
-. gates. For more than month tho
conditions continued and on Octol
5 the women Of the city, reused
the sight Of their starving childr
besiescd the. Hotel dc Vile, and Il
:" rushed 10 the palace at Versaill
~" Before the day was over the men !
caught the infection and only
~ fayette's prompt action saved
.oo royal family. #
IN Under the new constitution 3,
- property Of the church was sci
and sold, all titles to nobility "
!. to abolished. all Frenchmen were m
ron equal. The anniversary of the fall
Gof the Bastile was celebrated in 1880
lis a inationals loliday.S The popular
IN I'll X, i, n !, X Z, 81,