Norwich bulletin., 1921-08-06
oDD INCIDENTS IN AMERlcA9
 HISTORY
THE FRENZY FOR REPUBLIcs.

THE FRENZY FOR REPUBLICS.
 When France became 2 republic for the first time early in the winter of 1792, and the news reached this coun- try, enthusiasm ran rampant. It af- forded almost as much excitement as did the establishing of our own republic few years before. In New York, De- cember 9 was given over to a whole day of feasting, bell-ringing and can non-fring. When evening came the So- ciety of St. Tammany lit up it's great wigwam and the members spent their time until far after midnight singing songs and drinking toasts to the French republic.
 When the news reached Boston the citizens who sympathized with France decided on a Civic-Feast. the like of which Boston had never seen. The date for the celebration was set for January 24, 1793, and the rising sun was well coned with 8 salute from the castle and a discharge of cannon in the town. At eleven a huge OK. that had been cast 1 ed during the previous night. was placed upon a nigh car behind which came 8, wagon heavy with 800 loaves of bread, and a second creaking under hogsheads ] of federal punch. A great feast was enjoyed by hundreds of the citizens. and l very shortly afterwards all the other Massachusetts cities followed the lead of the Metropolis
 1 Both men and women everywhere i seemed for tine time to have put away their wits and gone mad with republi- canism. Their dress their speech and their daily conduct were all regulated On strict republican principles There must be g flaming liberty cap in every house. There must be a cockade on
 every hat. There must be no more use of the old titles, Sir and MT Dr. and Rev. "It is time' exclaimed one of these ardent republicans, fit is time the use of these diabolical terms cea ased
 They are offensive to republican ears"
 At New York, newspaper editor
 made haste to beg his friends to addres: him henceforth as Citizen. and not a:
 Mir, which was a short form of Master At Boston, every man was soon callin. his neighbor Citizen and his wifi, Citess.
 To cool men whose republication wa
 of a less ardent kind this folly was in
 initely diverting. To laugh at it. t,
 scof at tito turn it into ridisule il
 prose and verse was long an amusAmen with many. But the friends of tn
 French republic were impervious TO rld
 tcule. Their heads were turned The,
 could talk Of nothing but cockades. lib erty and equality and the rights of man 1 One day tho women of Monotom, held meeting, tricked themselves ou
 in liberty caps and French cockades
 sang patriotic songs drank toasts an,
 ate civic cake Another day som
 truckmen at Philadelphia saw the con l stable dragging an unfortunate sailo through the streets. Their blood boile, lot 4S
 truck they asked why their fellow-clti
 zen was being deprived of his liberty and when told that he was a debtor. i
 a moment they collected four dollars
 the amount of the debt, set him free
 gave him a few pence and told him t go to the nearest tavern and drink t the liberty, equality and the rights o
 man.
 Even the design OF the cents whicl
 began to appear early in March. 1795 was offensive to all friends of France
 One grunbler remarked that the chai1 i of fifteen links was a bad omen Co liberty. Another took up half a colunl
 in newspaper to prove that the tru emblem of liberty was not the head 0
 Medusa but cap and spear.
 Very little word was received froy
 either France or England excep
 through reliable sources, which were a Econdicting as they were numerous. A last all doubts were put to rest. fo 1 early one morning in April Brftis Ipacket was discovered coming up tb New York harbor. In few minutes quarter of the city was at the battery | The moment. however, they heard tha
 France had beheaded her king and wa lat war with England and Spain, affair began to wear a new aspect
 American sympathy with Franc . might be just as strong in the hear but 1t was not good politics for tn American people to get into controvers
 with England and Spain, which migh
 mean war, and gradually the enthus asm for the new republic subsided, an with the coming of Citizen Genet tn thew French minister to the Unite
 States and the amount of trouble h caused here before the country demand ed his recall. enthusiastic spirits of tn republicans soon became normal one more.
 , (Monday-Famous Ride of Israel .i -BisselD