Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-09-05

~ Americans Lexington, caring
y ~ y for liberty than life,
sanized and poorly armed, dared to challenge the
tyranny of king.
The stirring events which eliminated in the
taking of frances fortress of feudalism were in
motion early in July, 1885, and two great char
acters in the history of France and the United
States in the French capital at that very
time The Marquis de Lafayette. after consulting
with Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declara-
ton of Independence. presented to the national
assembly bill of rights. Had the French acted
ten days sooner, there were many indications
that it might, common birthday might now be
observed by the sister nations
The traditions of the American colonies and
those of France differed so widely that to sense
the meaning of the Bastfle it is necessary to
the origin of that gloomy pile in the Eau
bourg St Antoine. For centuries the e1ifice
the sign of the divine right of kings. Before
the storm of the French revolution broke there
so such prisons in France, for bastille sig
mites merely a fortified building. AS the years
went by Infamous became that which stood
on the banks of the Seine and usually known
Castle of Paris that it took unto itself the
allembracing title of 1.-The Bastille."
Like the institution of monarchy, of which it
was the symbol. the structure was the develop
ment OF centuries. The original edifice consisted
Of a pair of towers, and was part of the stone
barrier against the medieval Huns Charles
about 1869 commissioned Hughes Aubriot, then
provost of Paris, enlarge the old fertilization
Aubriot. having in mind the extension of the
feudal power. made it both fortress and JAIL
Various additions made by the kings of
France. As fort it considered impregnable.
as main walls at their base were 40 feet
thick and beneath the battlements 100 feet above
the pavement, the light struggled into the cells
through windows piercing nine feet or
solid masonry. Cannon set in the deep en-
brasures and there portfolios from which
archers and crossbowmen once sped the shafts OF
death.
To the peasantry and the common people the
Bastile was all that formidable and forbid
ding. grim and mysterious stronghold II
earned year by year its evil name
kings with power of life and death over their
subjects used it as the instrument with wnich 10
punish all who opposed them. They spared neither
the high nor the low. In the days OF aDsoiutism
the monarch could commit prisoners to the bas-
tile without any other process of law than war
rant which became known as a lettre de cachet-
This document. bearing the royal SEAL was
often in blank. Many lettres de cachet were OBJ
tanned by unprinciped persons who either used
them to punish their enemies sold them TO
those who had sinister ends in view The mon
strous abuses which grew out of this practice
were a blot European history.
Courtiers charIatans and courtesans found
way to safe their grudges The life or the liberty
of no man in all the Kingdom was secure Even
In the eighteenth century notable personages
might be thrown into prison because some rea-
tives coveted their In the reign OF Louis
Nv 10000 lettres de chachet were issued A1s