Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-15
The Fall of the Basfile.

One hundred and eighteen years ago
the people of Paris, brutaiized for
many year, rose against their oppres.
sors and almost without an effort cap
tured the stronghold which had kept
them in awe. 1t was the beginning OF
the French Revolution with it's hor-
rors on the enc hand, and it's tri-
umphs for humanity on the other. 1t
was struggle to prove that govern
ment exists solely for the benefit of
the people, and not the people for
the benefit of government, but it
took many years to render this lesson
plain to the governments and governed
of the old world.
Great revolutions in the progress of
our race are not accomplished peace
fully. Luther's theses at Wttenberg
University plunged Europe into wars
lasting almost a century and half.
(1517-164S). Abuses grow silently and
secretly but their eradication is the
cause of endless expense of blood and
money, and takes years to accomplish.
There is, moreover, the danger that
we may grow weary of the struggle
and relapse
That is the object lesson of the day
celebrated wherever the French
tongue is spoken. Starting with the
humanitarian program: Liberty. Equal
ity and Fraternity, it was painted in
red by such abortions as Marat, Dan
ton and Robespierre, until the atmos-
phere exhaled blood. Anything was
better than this continuous and whole
sale slaughter, when Napoleon ap-
peared to restore the ancient letters.
But the masses of the French people
had tasted liberty, and although many
revolution was witnessed in the old
capital, liberty triumphed at last
France has been republic continual.
ly since 1870 and bide fair to remain
so.
To Western Europe, the French rev
olution has been a blessing, even
though payment was exacted during
the wars of Napoleon. Its principles
at one time, threatened to penetrate
into the endless plains of Russia, but
that empires isolation was too in
trenched. 1t is now on the verge Of
revolution which must happen un
less the paternal government succeeds
in lifting a brutalized people into in
tellectual life, and the question is: Can
this be done within enc generation?
At the time of the French revolu
ton, the population of France cannot
have exceeded 100000; Russia is
said to embrace 110,O00,00O, of whom
more than 100000 are sayages Oh
semi-savages. held in restraint by feal
of punishment Throughout genera
lions the innate sense of right and
wrong has peen ruthlessly suppressed
and destroyed IT. was starvation
which, in France. reused frantic pop
ulation to excuses, and the same pow
erful motive promises to set the Rus
sian empire afiame.
1t is a strange fact that. as the in
dividual fails to apply to himself the
causes of his neighbours misfortune OF
failure, so DO nations neglect the ap
plication of the old proverb, History
repeats iaselfg The French Revolu
tion. so agonizing in its details. SC
real to It's witnesses, has passed into q
Renaissance. Judged by its effects
more than from its history. 1t will
probably be SO with Russia; only when
the government falls, the heterogen
eous empire will fall apart as card
house; the Aslptic tribes now squirm
ling under the spurred heel Of Their