Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-09-27
CONVERSATIONS OF LA FAYETTE.
Characters.


are the greatest woman in the world, the
the greatest man-let US become better &C.
quainted, and we may have son who will be
the wonder of the age" The lady declined
the offer. He said to me, "General, you COM
mand forty thousand men, but command you
ALL" pointing to his head-"here Is the true
power, greater than that of armies-le puis-
sancc de tite.
Mirabeau took no pains to conceal his vices;
once rallied him on that score, BY saying,
why should 50 great man, not be good
Surely so much mind, must discover charms
in virtue. All now General, replied the ora
tor, you are right, undoubtedly r4sht,-but l
should have had mountain of prejudices to
climb, and 10 l am at the, base-how vast APP
pears the ascent. He was not poisoned, as
has been alledged, it is rather believed, tina.
his constitution becoming impaired BY his ex-
cesses-he resorted to strong stimulants,
which produced effects much resembling
those of poison. He left only natural SON.
of whom nothing is known. His extreme
vanity, did not desert him, even in his iastmo-
ments. Hearing the sound of cannon, which
were firing for some ceremonial, What cried
the expiring orator, do they celebrate the tu-
neral of Achilles, before he is really dead!
"You asked me if 1 have real the memoirs
ofthe Duke de LauZuE, atterwarl Biron, and
guillotined in the Revolution He was, my
dear sir, gallant man, but without talents
for war His reflections upon the character
of General Weldon, are absurd. III mistake
not, Weldon was veteran OF the var OF SO.
He entered the army Of the Revolution as
Commander of regiment, and was afterwards
made general officer. He stood well IN the
confidence of the Chief, and
Of the brave and lamented General Mercer
Who then will believe, that such an Officer
could be wanting i'll tie most ordinary quail
fcation of so.slier-personal COURAGE 1t
was either with Lauzun, or Viomenii that the
celebrated Col. rarleton was gong 70 dine,
when the Colonel was required to dismount
from the SUPERB charger which ne rode N the
streets ofYork-Town, and surrender the horse
to its rightlul owner, gentleman from James
river; and but for the servants horse, of one
OF tn French Generals, the famous officer of
cavalry, mast have trudged On foot, to his hosts
quarters, at nearly NILE distant.
The delicate part of Layzln's posthumous
memoirs, have not read. With such matters
posterity has little to DO; and whether just or
unjust, they are better to be buried IN obi
Won, for descendants need not to be told of
the faults Of their ancestors, if true; and they
have no means of defending their memories,
# otherwise. For these reasons, my dear Sir,
| must not repeat to YOU my affair with the
charming English Duchess, Immediately pre-
ceding NY departure for America, in III, least
you should publish it in the Conversations, and
acquire the reputation ola man of gallantry.
True we were both in love, deeply in love,
but it was with .7meriean Liberty GMe Rights
IF Nan.
81 have often been asked, whether our dear
General in Chief was sensible or not 20 the de-
lights of female society, during his mighty Ia
bors in the Revoiation' We were riding in
Jersey, to the ou'posts which were very near
he enemy, attended by few Officers, and |
small escort, and stopped at farmhouse to
get some milk and water; the daughte, Of the
landlord brought it out, lively and pretty de-
who with much lla;vetc, and spright-
mess, entered into convcrsat on with the |
Chief, which he kept up for solne tine with |
,reat spirit. The officers looked at each o.
her with amazement. At length turning to
ne, the General observed, Marquis are you not |
ather near the enemy replied, II i am,
What must your excellency be- Here the !
harm was broken. Oh true, he answered, |
nd gaily kissing our hands TO the fair object |
who had created so much wender, We sallop- |
d of: Again on the day Of the rejaicings for
'r victory at Monmouth, we dined at the
mansion of very charming widow. The gal
ant and polite address of Our Chief, toward |
he fair hostess, was long the theme OF our
raise; indeed he was formed alike to shine in
Re field, and the court, and to be the delight |
,fthe brave, the good, and the fair.
The Mercantile Advertiser OF New
Orleans, thus notices the changes ct.
rected by the currents of the Mssisslp-
ri in the banks and battures bounding
that city -
The harbour continues altering every
wear: from above Common-street down
10 Bienville-street, comprising three
sousres, the fall of the river has LETT a
large batture, of considerable width,
not vet sufficiently dry to ride or walk
on: opposite the costom'house, the
widest part, some few years past, in the
Of the writer, vessels OF the
heaviest tonnage anchored there Tor
and loading, having sui