The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-07-13
FRANCES FOURTH or JULY

France tomorrow responds TO the inspiration and en-
thusiasm which animate the United States July : IN
fact, Sunday Will be the French Fourth OF July. AS an
anniversary OF wha. took place lo years ago, u cor
responds in one phase TO Lexington III American history.
1t was the beginning of the French Revolution. tina: great
horror OF the period Of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
cenen.ed in the shambles 0. the Terror, whose twin SYM
bo,s were the euiIlo.ine and Robespierre. the human
butcher. That storm blew over into the rule OF Napoleon
and the subsequent republics, and in II perisneo leuoai-
ian in France, so that Frencfnen can now look back 70
the fail OF the Bast.le, July IA, 1889, as the beginning
of the freedom Of France as it Is today. Frenchmen have
come TO celebrate the anniversary with an ardor that
oyerlooks the terrible days when nobody knew who would
be next to place his head under the dropping Ak. not
even Robespierre himself, for one day they sent him
there himself and the Terror burst like a bubble.
The wears since then have produced great political and
bloody military dramas in French history. There are the
two periods OF the first Napolcons ascendancc. the many
street revolutions in Paris, the participation In the
Crimean war, the crushing blow dealt the Third Napoleon
by Germany through Bismarck. Won Moltke and
van Roon-the "Debacle, 50 aptly termed by Zola-the
~intrigues OF the final republics and the Armaseddon Of
the World war on its soil. But the fall OF the Basthe
maintains its prominence as a domestic political event
in all the history OF France in the French mind.
To one who knows little OF French history the simple
designation giving the Bastile IS a celebrated state prison
in France is perhaps sufficient. But in the long period OF
its existence the Bastile acquired a name and fame much
more significant than the words state prison" indicate.
More than a hundred years before Columbus discovered
the land OF the free, the first stone OF this prison was laid.
And still, by an incredibly strange coincidence, the fall OF
this prison is closely connected with the man who was the
first president OF the United States.
The story OF the Bastile Is a long account OF terrors and
.ortures, many OF which have no doubt been exaggerated
in the course Of centuries Of repetition. Such was the
nature OF the methods by which men OF all stations in
life were put and kept in the prison that the institution
came to be regarded by the people as the symbol OF OPP
preston. Men must find concrete objects for the things
they worship or loathe, and so naturally At the time of
the outbreak Of the revolution, the Bastile was one OF the
first objects Of attack at the hands OF those who thought
they we're overthrowing autocracy.
In song and story and even in painting, the overthrow
Of the Bastile has been a famous subject. Even to this
day wherever people are sore oppressed, by those who
urge them to rise against their oppressors the story Of the
fall Of the Bastile Is always a thrilling one. In some
manner the destruction Of this prison is symbolic Of the
slogan Of the French revolution-"Liberty. Equality and
Fraternity
Significant for Americans, however, is the fact that the
key to the great doors Of the torn-down building was sent
by Thomas Paine to George Washington. The great
American rebel, Thomas Paine, made a pretty shrewt
guess - to where the symbol Of oppression could best be
tucked away.