Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-11-30

tuC OiOOA VI many Vi bdo nhNohy
hallowed, most of the greatmen TO whom,
under Providence, we owe our national
existence and privileges. A few still
survive among US, to reap the rich fruits
Oftheir lebors and sntierinrs; and ONE
has yielded himself TO the united voice
OF people, and returned IN his age 10
receive the gratitude of the nation, TO
whom he devoted his youth. Ii is re-
corded on the pages OF American histo-
ry, that when this friend OF our country
applied to our Commissioners at Paris,
in l776, for passage in the first ship
they should despatch to America, they
were obliged to answer him, SO low and
abeCt was then our dear native land)
that they had not the means nor the Gre
dit sufficient for providing single vessel
in all the ports of France. Then ex-
claimed the youthful hero, :" will pro-
vide my own and it is a literal fact,
that when all America was too poor to
offer him so much as a passage to her
shores, he left, in his tender youth, the
bosom of home, of happiness, of wealth,
frank, to plunge in the dust and blood
OF our inauspicious struggle.
Welcome, friend of our fathers, 10
our shores Happy are our eyes that
behold those venerable featu es., Enjoy
a triumph such as never conqueror or
monarch enjoyed, the assurance that
throughout America, there is not boz
som, which does not beat with Joy and
gratitude at the sound of your name.
You have already met and sa.uted, or
will soon meet, the few tina, remain OF
the ardent patriots, prudent counsellors,
and brave warriors with whom you were
associated in achieving our liberty. But
you have looked round in vain for the
faces OF many, who would have lived years
of pleasure on day like this, with their
old companion in arms and brother in
peril. Lincoln, Green, and Knox, and
Hamilton, are gone; the heroes oil Sara
toga and York Town have fallen, before
the only foe they could not meet. Above
all, the first OF heroes and of men, the
friend OF your youth, the more than friend
oil his country, rests in the bosom Of the
soil he redeemed. On the banks of his
Potomac, he lies in glory and in peace.
You will revisit the hospitable shades Of
Mount Vernon, but him whom you ve-
neratcd as we did, you will not meet at
its door. His voice of consolation, which
reached you in the Austrian dungeons,
cannot now break its silence, to bid you
welcome, in his name. Welcome,
thrice welcome to our shores and viii
thersoever throughout the limits of the
continent your course shall take you, the
ear that hears you shall bless you, the
eye that sees you shall bear witness to
you, and every tongue lain with heart
felt Joy, welcome, welcome, La Fayette.
Recovery from Thunder Stroke.
| The following extract OF letter from
a gentleman at Bedrock, in the state Of
OAo, TO his friend in this city, dated
Angus "a, gives vivid sketch of the
distressing scene, with an account oil
successful attemE, toresnscI ate person
spparently Killed by lightning, which
may induce others hereafter placed in
similar situations to use like excrtions.
Mar Int.
s. have now only time to give you
brief sketch ola nelancf oily occurrence
which took place on Friday last about
O'Clock; A few minutes after | had
been seaed in front room, (wnh cou-
pie OF strangers who had called for
shelter during light shower of rain)
sharp fash Of lightning appeared, &C.
companied with loud thunder, though
apparently at distance. In two mi
nutes after uaoarai tram epd;o ht,.o
appeared--to every one whose eyes
were towards the street, balls of liquid
fire were seen falling on the earth, which
for moment destroyed the pow of vi
sion. The, explosion, which was appa-
rently at the same time with the flash,
raised me quite erect. Fearing the
consequence, | ran to a room in winch
my wife lay sick; on opening the door
my eyes were blinded with smoke and
with a strong sui phutous vapor. See.
ing no FIRE | supposed the store was
struck, and that the powder had expiod.
ed. When | got near the door / was
met by one crying "yonder! yonder !"
pointing towards the East end Of the
North porch. | then turned my course
and ran with my eyes elevated, exp set.
ing every step to meet with q column of
flame, until | almost lrod upon the life
less body OF my son William. | took
him instantly in my arms and ran out
from among The smoke and dust which
still remained, to the open air, turned
up his face for moment, then returned
to the porch. Blessed be God, who