Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-30

The 25,ooo,0o0 Of French people at this
time were almost in a state Of serfdom,
not the serfdom of feudal times. for then
it was at least to the interests of the lords
to see that their vassals were properly
fed and had some means Of livelihood in
times of peace. The French of the mid
die Of the eighteenth century were bled
on every hand by the taxes wrung by
rapacious collectors for the mobiles. who
in turn were made to give up a large
portion to the state. So great was this
drain that 1t is difficult to see what re-
manned TO- keep soul and body together
among the populace.
Besides the crushing taxes the people
bent under oppressive laws of the most
calling sort. Severe punishment was
dealt out often on suspicion only. The
lord OF the manor not infreQuently took
his will with the peasants women, and
the father or husband did not dare object.
Wars had destroyed the property and
carried the manhood of French peasantry
to death on foreign fields
Under lettreS de cachet any one could
be arrested without warrant and confined
without trial an Indefinite time. The king
could arrest. release, fine, imprison or
order killed any one he chose without
Formally of trial and with no recourse
for the victim. Not all of the mobiles
We're wealthy. large number were at
least land poor. Gambling, extravaganza
they sought to recoup by bearing down
harder yet upon the peasants and mid
die classes. Some, however, were sym
pathizers with the poorer people, and the
storm, and a few ranged themselves
against the evils of the feudal system.
X
In spite of this pitiable condition Of
these crushed people there still existed
among them the memory of the tradi-
ton of representation. although there had
been no such thing in France for CEN
turtles. No such thing existed in any
country of Europe at that time. They
did not know how it could help them,
but somehow everywhere in France it
was felt that out of representation would
come the realization of the only hope
they had.
The finances of the nation were at a
low ebb 1t was impossible to borrow
money abroad. and no more could be ex-
torted from the people by means of taxa
ton. Foreign wars and the extravagant
expenditures of the court had exhausted
funds and credit. One finance minister
succeeded another, only to fail as his
predecessor had done.
The king. ignorant in this as In every
other branch of statecraft. was at his
wits end. and that was not far to go.
friends and evil advisers. His brother,
the Count of Provence. afterward Louis
XVIII, was his enemy. younger
brother, the Count of Artois, afterward
Charles X. was friendly. but his advice.
given through the queen, was bad. His
nephew. the Duke of Orleans, was a no.
torlous profiigate. as were his brothers.
The able and practical men like Mira
beau. who were friendly to the crown.
were unjustly suspected. and their ad-
vice when listened to was seldom, If ever,
acted upon.
The army. composed partly of mercen-
aries. was a factor of unknown import
1t might or might not be depended upon
1t had some able men, Dumouriez, for in
stance. but even he later while a repub-
ican general offered to betra1 his
country.
Affairs finally reached such a pass that
even the king and his ministers began
to consider some compromise with the
rising storm. One of the first steps taken
toward constitutionalism was when a
council of notables was invoked from the
three estates to help push reform meas
ures for the purpose of raising income
Some of these took away privileges
Others abridged them. The program
was large and comprehensive, but the
council refused to help the king and his
minister It even enunciate1d teh theory
that only the nation had the right to tax
The council dissolved and those not of
the nobility soon spread throughout the
country the contempt they had for the
crown. The respect for the king was
not long in disappearing, and the feeling
gained ground that new constitution
must be forthcoming.
Later Louis banished the parliament.
and the populace of Paris. wrought to
great anger, denounced both king and
queen. Protests poured in from magis-
trates and others. Many persons fed the
realm, foreign affairs with the united
provinces became acute. ministers re-
signed and the country rapidly approach
ed state of anarchy. Parliament
which had returned and reconvened
checked the king and his minister in
their attempt to raise money by taxes
or by a foreign loan.
At length, after great disorder, the
noblesse of Grenoble agreed to revive
the ancient estates. Over $40 deputies
met and declared they would resist any
taxes not levied by the states general:
that they would not separate their cause
they insisted on the abolition of letters
de cachet. This action had wonderful
effect all over France.
Other provinces, emboldened. followed
suit The ministers vainly protested.
The king vainly threatened. The storm
began to break. The states general was
convened. The king bowed to the popu-
lar will, ungraciousy, but he bowed. He
restored to Office Necker, the popular
minister of finance; the people went wild
with delight, and the funds rose 80 per
cent.
Each of the three estates sat as a sep
arate house. the third having as many
members as the other two combined.
With no experience in parliamentary In
stitutions the French plunged at once
into the complicated machinery of repre-
sentative legislation, in which the three
estates clashed with one another, and the
king clashed with them ALL The first
encounter was when the third estate
demanded that all three should meet
together. In June, 1883. they adopted the
title of the national assembly. Opposed
by the mobiles and ordered by the king
to dissolve, they refused and took an
oath to give France a new constitution
Alarmed. the king massed his soldiers
around Paris. Mirabeau demanded that
the troops disband. The king refused and
again dismissed Necker. his minister
The people formed the National Guard,
and July IA, 1859. they stormed the
Bastile and let out the prisoners In
nearly every province divisions of the
National Guard were organized. and the
castles and chateaux of the nobility were
stormed and sacked
The king began to compromise. He ap-
peared in the assembly. said he would
withdraw the troops and recall Necker
nioSv, .l av,i,., 81