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"THE COLTON PAPERS." 



No. 3. THE REVOLUTION OF JULY. , 



IT was not therefore to be wondered at that mutual defiances 

 and recrimination had now begun to break out amongst themselves. 

 Already many of their comrades had seceded, and had refused 

 longer to oppose the cause of the people, others amongst them held 

 on their obedience, as it were, by a thread. Harassed by such re- 

 flections, their arms dropping from their tired hands, with the bare 

 stones for a couch, divided between the fear of attack from without, 

 and of treachery from within, the troops betook themselves to such 

 repose as fatigue can sometimes find, even amid the torments of 

 anxiety. 



I am now about to relate the momentous events of Thursday, July 

 29. This will be a day/amous in history a day pregnant with he- 

 roic achievements, that broke in sunder the chains of thirty millions 

 of people ; a day so thronged with examples of every kind of mag- 

 nanimity, that the courage and the enterprise which distinguished it, 

 though of the highest order, were almost eclipsed by the superior 

 radiance of virtues never before associated with such convulsions. 



Long ere the approach of dawn on this glorious day, the tocsin of 

 St. Germain 1'Auxerrois rang out its appeal to the citizens, and was 

 shortly afterwards followed by many of the other churches in this 

 extensive city. By what may be termed a retributary coincidence, 

 the above mentioned bell, which had formerly given the signal for 

 the horrible massacre of St. Bartholomew, now called the sons of 

 freedom, and religious liberty, to put a final stroke to their glorious 

 work, and, by carrying the war into the very palaces of that race, 

 who had so long oppressed them, to burst the shackles of France for 

 ever, and place her by the side of England, as a free and constitu- 

 tional state. Drums were now heard in every quarter, and shouts of 

 Aux Armes I Aux Armes ! rent the air. The spirit-stirring words, 

 Liberte ou Mort, was the battle cry of those who fought for their 

 dearest rights, and, at this inspiring sound, many a gallant heart tore 

 himself from the endearments of home, either to return free, or re- 

 turn no more. The well-disciplined instruments of tyranny also 

 stood to arms, as the shouts increased, but with what different feelings 

 were they again to be engaged in a conflict, of the desperation of 

 which the two preceding days had given them an earnest ; a combat, 

 where no glory could be gained, and where defeat was a double dis- 

 grace ! Bitter was the feeling, it cannot be doubted, with which they 

 saw the approach of daylight. A French soldier could not think of 

 retreat, and victory over their brethren would add nothing to their 

 well-earned fame. The alternative was dreadful, but military disci- 



