American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-07-30
From the Richmond Compiler.
GENERAL LA FAYETTE.

Many of our public prints still style him the Mar
quis La Fayette. La Fayette has formally and pub
lllcly abured the designation, contenting himself
with the honorable title of General which he first
gained in the American service and which is the
more honorable to him, because il is Of his own ma
| king.
La Fayelte is now about 68 years Of age; with q
fresh and vigorous constitution for one OF his years
though il was severely tried in the dungeons oil
Olmutz He lost all his hair during his severe con.
lfnement, and now wears wig. His wife and his
daughters insisted upon being the companions Of his
imprisonment The constitution OF his amiable wife
Isunk under the trial-those OF his daughters were
much injured. These two ladies marred--and
lin remembrance of the theatre OF his tolls and Of
his glory bear the names OF Virginia and Carroll
Ina One Of his sons bears the honorable name OF
George Washington.
Gen. La Fayette's is a true pstriarchal family.
His two daughters and his two sons and their res.
pective families live with this illustrious man at his
castle Of La Grange A gentleman who spent
week at his house few years since says, they had
thirteen chdren-corresponding in number to that
OF the old United States and most OF them marked
in their names with something American. La Fay
cite is their head-their protector-the being of all
others on earth endeared to them by thousand ties.
He has only been once married AT the age of
nineteen he left the of his wife, ard the sweets
VI HOmcy 10 uRut iOF d pcuPlc ~ WHuH lie was not
known and who had no claims upon him but he
felt for their wrongs, and he was determined in OPP
position to the wishes of his friends to battle for lib
cry in the new world-notwithstanding the strong.
est affection bound him 10 his wife. She shared
his dungeon with him ; sacrificed her life, in fact,
for her afectionate husband-and to this day, he
makes it sacred and invariabe rule to abandon the
pleasures OF society on the anniversary week of his
wie's dissolution. +" You must not go this week 10
I.o. A. Ii -
1T is the week devoted to the memory of his la
mened wife,"
Whenever he walks into The fields, he generally
takes some of his grandchildren with him. He a.
muses. himself with their pratting joins in their little
SPORTS and contributes to their happiness. Such is
the man, whose name fills the whole OF Europe with
his fame-the man, who has contributed to estab-
sh the liberties of the new world. Such is the
man, who is at this moment object of the great
est curiosity and admiration to the American peo-
pe-and whose arrival on our shores will be sort
of National Jubilee.
La Fayette IS particularly remarkable for the I'M
affected simplicity of his manners.-He was distin-
gulshed tor his want of PRIDE his dstaste for great
parade, when he was among us--he preserves the
same noble trait in his character. As one striking
egdence OF it, indeed, he declines the honor award
ed to no other man--of embarking on board ship
OF the ilne specially to be dispatched Tor him. by
and he means to come to US in packet. or private
vessel.
La Fayette is as much distinguished for his ania
BILE and aec,ionate temper, for his respect 10 the
liberties OF man. His heart nielts with generous
emotions, much as that of the humblsst and most
undistingushed OF men.-The Americans are par
ticuariy dear to him. He is always accessible to
eye kindes whenever he talks of Ameri-
ca" Why cannot you come to live among us-to
lay your bones among people, who owe you so
much--and whose latest descendants will venerate
your ashesp" La Fayete pointed to his grand chill
dren around him-he made no other reply-They
were among the strong ties which bound him to-
France. He could not make up his mind to break
them.
"You are now in America" said he to an ntc,l;.
gent VrgiDian, from whom we had the anecdote. .
p" America P"--"Yes, this room is what call A.
merica." His guest looked around him, and beheld
scattered every where the tokens of his country
maps OF the different staes-the portraits of our dis
tlnguished men, of Washington, Franklin, Henry,
&c &c.-hmeiican books the Electrical machine