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BastilleDayisaNationalholidayinFrance.ItisverymuchlikeIndependenceDayintheUnitedStatesbecauseitisacelebrationofthebeginningofanewformofgovernment.
AtonetimeinFrance,kingsandqueensruled.Manypeoplewereveryangrywiththedecisionsmadebythekingsandqueens.
TheBastillewasaprisoninFrancethatthekingsandqueensoftenusedtolockupthepeoplethatdidnotagreewiththeirdecisions.Tomany,itwasasymbolofallthebadthingsdonebythekingsandqueens.So,onJuly14,1789,alargenumberofFrenchcitizensgatheredtogetherandstormedtheBastille.
JustasthepeopleintheUnitedStatescelebratethesigningoftheDeclarationofIndependenceasthebeginningoftheAmericanRevolution,sothepeopleinFrancecelebratethestormingoftheBastilleasthebeginningoftheFrenchRevolution.BothRevolutionsbroughtgreatchanges.Kingsandqueensnolongerrule.Thepeoplerulethemselvesandmaketheirowndecisions.
TherepresentativesoftheFrenchpeople,organizedasaNationalAssembly,believingthattheignorance,neglect,orcontemptoftherightsofmanarethesolecauseofpubliccalamitiesandofthecorruptionofgovernments,havedeterminedtosetforthinasolemndeclarationthenatural,unalienable,andsacredrightsofman,inorderthatthisdeclaration,beingconstantlybeforeallthemembersoftheSocialbody,shallremindthemcontinuallyoftheirrightsandduties;inorderthattheactsofthelegislativepower,aswellasthoseoftheexecutivepower,maybecomparedatanymomentwiththeobjectsandpurposesofallpoliticalinstitutionsandmaythusbemorerespected,and,lastly,inorderthatthegrievancesofthecitizens,basedhereafteruponsimpleandincontestableprinciples,shalltendtothemaintenanceoftheconstitutionandredoundtothehappinessofall.ThereforetheNationalAssemblyrecognizesandproclaims,inthepresenceandundertheauspicesoftheSupremeBeing,thefollowingrightsofmanandofthecitizen:
1Menarebornandremainfreeandequalinrights.Socialdistinctionsmaybefoundedonlyuponthegeneralgood.
2Theaimofallpoliticalassociationisthepreservationofthenaturalandimprescriptiblerightsofman.Theserightsareliberty,property,security,andresistancetooppression.
3.Theprincipleofallsovereigntyresidesessentiallyinthenation.Nobodynorindividualmayexerciseanyauthoritywhichdoesnotproceeddirectlyfromthenation.
4.Libertyconsistsinthefreedomtodoeverythingwhichinjuresnooneelse;hencetheexerciseofthenaturalrightsofeachmanhasnolimitsexceptthosewhichassuretotheothermembersofthesocietytheenjoymentofthesamerights.Theselimitscanonlybedeterminedbylaw.
5.Lawcanonlyprohibitsuchactionsasarehurtfultosociety.Nothingmaybepreventedwhichisnotforbiddenbylaw,andnoonemaybeforcedtodoanythingnotprovidedforbylaw.
6.Lawistheexpressionofthegeneralwill.Everycitizenhasarighttoparticipatepersonally,orthroughhisrepresentative,initsfoundation.Itmustbethesameforall,whetheritprotectsorpunishes.Allcitizens,beingequalintheeyesofthelaw,areequallyeligibletoalldignitiesandtoallpublicpositionsandoccupations,accordingtotheirabilities,andwithoutdistinctionexceptthatoftheirvirtuesandtalents.
7.Nopersonshallbeaccused,arrested,orimprisonedexceptinthecasesandaccordingtotheformsprescribedbylaw.Anyonesoliciting,transmitting,executing,orcausingtobeexecuted,anyarbitraryorder,shallbepunished.Butanycitizensummonedorarrestedinvirtueofthelawshallsubmitwithoutdelay,asresistanceconstitutesanoffense.
8.Thelawshallprovideforsuchpunishmentsonlyasarestrictlyandobviouslynecessary,andnooneshallsufferpunishmentexceptitbelegallyinflictedinvirtueofalawpassedandpromulgatedbeforethecommissionoftheoffense.
9.Asallpersonsareheldinnocentuntiltheyshallhavebeendeclaredguilty,ifarrestshallbedeemedindispensable,allharshnessnotessentialtothesecuringoftheprisoner’spersonshallbeseverelyrepressedbylaw.
10.Nooneshallbedisquietedonaccountofhisopinions,includinghisreligiousviews,providedtheirmanifestationdoesnotdisturbthepublicorderestablishedbylaw.
11.Thefreecommunicationofideasandopinionsisoneofthemostpreciousoftherightsofman.Everycitizenmay,accordingly,speak,write,andprintwithfreedom,butshallberesponsibleforsuchabusesofthisfreedomasshallbedefinedbylaw.
12.Thesecurityoftherightsofmanandofthecitizenrequirespublicmilitaryforces.Theseforcesare,therefore,establishedforthegoodofallandnotforthepersonaladvantageofthosetowhomtheyshallbeintrusted.
13.Acommoncontributionisessentialforthemaintenanceofthepublicforcesandforthecostofadministration.Thisshouldbeequitablydistributedamongallthecitizensinproportiontotheirmeans.
14.Allthecitizenshavearighttodecide,eitherpersonallyorbytheirrepresentatives,astothenecessityofthepubliccontribution;tograntthisfreely;toknowtowhatusesitisput;andtofixtheproportion,themodeofassessmentandofcollectionandthedurationofthetaxes.
15.Societyhastherighttorequireofeverypublicagentanaccountofhisadministration.
16.Asocietyinwhichtheobservanceofthelawisnotassured,northeseparationofpowersdefined,hasnoconstitutionatall.
17.Sincepropertyisaninviolableandsacredright,nooneshallbedeprivedthereofexceptwherepublicnecessity,legallydetermined,shallclearlydemandit,andthenonlyonconditionthattheownershallhavebeenpreviouslyandequitablyindemnified.
TheabovedocumentwaswrittenbyTheMarquisdeLafayette,withhelpfromhisfriendandneighbor,AmericanenvoytoFrance,ThomasJefferson.Lafayette,youmayrecall,hadcometotheColoniesatage19,beencommissionedaMajorGeneral,andwasinstrumentalinthedefeatoftheBritishduringtheAmericanRevolutionaryWar.Heconsideredonespecialmanhis’father’:GeorgeWashington.
FrenchKingLouisXVIsignedthisdocument,underduress,butneverintendedtosupportit.Indeed,theRevolutioninFrancesoonfollowed,leadingtothetyrannicalruleofNapoleanBonaparte.