The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1825-01-01

that General Lafayette has done, and
that the adoption of the measure now
proposed will be not only an act of duty
to him, but duty which we owe TO
ourselves. Mr.. Ii. said he held in his
hand documents which he had NOT intend
ed to submit TO the Senate, because he
had already submitted them very gen
orally to the private inspection of the
members but called upon as he now
was, he felt i, his duty TO present them
publicly to the Sena.e.-Mr. III. then
submitted statement founded on doc
ument which had been received from
France by Member of the Senate,
from which it appeared that, when Cen
eral Lafayette embarked for America in
1777, he possessed an income Of 146,-
600 francs, s S,7OO-which it is we'll
known, had been reduced by his losses
and sacrifices in the cause of liberty
throughout the world to very small
sum,
Ii also appeared from the same docu-
ment that during six years, from t777
to 1888, the General had expended in
the American service, 100000 francs,
equal to Az, 900 dollars. Mr.. II. ad-
verted to further sacrifices which the
General had made in the cause of liner
.y, IA cstusirsned by The document ; but
the only fact in i; To which he wished
particularly to draw the attention of the
SeDate, was, that he sacrificed. more
than forty years ago, one hundred and
forty thousand dollars of his private
fortune in the service of this country.
And how was this secrilice made ?
Under what circumstances Was he
one Of our citizens-one Of those whose
lives and fortunes were necessarily ex-
posed during the vieissitudes ola contest
for the right of se!fgovernment; No,
sir. said Mr.. III no such thing. If he
had been q native American, and hud
lost his whole estate by the war, he
would have incurred n misfortune TO
which all his fellow citizens were liable
in commoa with him. But he was in
the enjoyment OF rank and fortune in his
own country. He raised, equipped and
armed d regiment at his own proper
charge, and came here with vessel
frei@hted with arms, munitions, aud e.
Equipments for war which he distributed
grationsly among your people. And il
is matter Of record on the pages of
your history, that he put shoes on the
feet of your barefoot and suffering sol
iierv. For these services he asked no
recumpense--he received none. He spent
his fortune for yoIi-he shed his blood
for you-and without acquiring any
Lhing but claim upon your gratitude.
he impoverished himself. And what, in
| recompense has this government; done
for him? 1t was not unit! the year
1894, that they gave to him the full
pay, without interest, which he was en-
titled TO have received IL or IL years
before. Did they then attempt To remu-
nerate him for the services, other than
military which the gallant General had
rendered to the country No sir. But
If an American citizen had put his
hand into his pocket, raised a regiment
for the service of his country, clothed
its nakedness and pot shoes upon their
bleeding feet--wouid I've not have been
| entitled to compensation for such ex-
penditure Sir, If we were to resort 10
u calculation Of pounds, shi'lings and
peuce-if we were to draw up an ac-
count PuTIeIt WIN otH' h"id yr''eS 'ht
balance in his favor wonId far exceed
the amount which by this bill it is pro.
posed to appropriate.
Mr.. II. stated that there was an in
cident in the life of Gen. Lafayette.
| which was explained by the documents
which lie held in his hand, and which
presented his conduct III such delight
| fni point Of view, that he could not re-
frain from bringing it 10 the view ofthe
Senate, though he should not found up
on it any claim for remuneration for the
sacrifices which the General had incur
red on the occasion alluded TO. Ii
! would be reeoiiectcd, that, in March,
1903, Congress made grant Of 1880
| acres Of land to Gen Lafayette. In
! the year following he was authorized
| TO locate his warrant ON any vacant land
| in the territory of Orleans; and, on the
9TH April, 1906, his agent in this coGn-
iry did locate a tract of 1000 acres va
| cant land adjoining the city of New DR.
leans. On the Sd March, 1907, Con
gress without a8veriing to this location
| in behalf Of The General, and indeed
| wholly unconscious Of the fact that it
had been made, granted 10 the Corpora
| ton Of the city Of Kew Orleans space
Of six hundred yards aFnood the forfii-
cations Of the city, Including q yaiua-
bic portion Of the very Land which bad
| been nreyiouslv entered bY the General