Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-01-20

ed 10 II IcS youEAA~ ~
son of your husband to seek medical
advice but mark, it is to return no
more; you have sacrificed your health
to obtain the society of your husband !;
YOU shall now sacrifice the society OF
your husband TO obtain the recoyeryof
your health" There is really an inge-
nuity of conception in this refinement
of barbarity, which seems to disgrace
the genius of the dramatic poets ofall
ages, who have endeavored to paint
tyranny in its most odious and con-
temptible colors.
81 will now read to the House the
patient, calm, and affecting reply OF
the unhappy sufferer to this savage In
suit, upon the best and tenderest feel
ings Of which the human heart is ca
pable:
Letter of Madam de La Fayette.
"The Commandant of Olmutz informed NE
"yesterday, that, in answer to my request OF
"being allowed to go to Vienna tor the Pur,,
"pose ofconsulting the faculty, his Imperial
"Majesty signifed that on no condition what
sever am to be permitted to visit that capi-
"tal and that he will consent to my quitting
"this prison only on condition Of never enter
I" ing it more. / have the honor to reiterate
Z" the answer which made to the Comman-
"dant. To solicit the assistance which the
estate of my health requires, is duty which
Gel owed my family and my friends; but they
" are sensible that it is not possible for me to
"purchase it at the price at which it is OTTER
"cd. / cannot forget, that while we We're
"both on the point of perishing-myseE by
"thc tyranny of RobespierTe, NJ. de La Fay.
"ette, by the moral and physical sufferings OF
"his captivity-that was allowed to obtain
"any account of him, or to inform him that
| "his children and myself were yet in exis-
"tence; and nothing shall tempt me to ex-
"pose myself second time to the horrors OF
Z" such separation. Whatever then may be
"the state of my health, or the inconvcni-
| "ence which may result to myself and my
| daughters from this habitation, we will all
"thrce avail ourselves with gratitude of the
"goodness of his Imperial Majesty, who per
ssmits us to share his captivity in all its details "
This letter, the authenticity OF
which cannot be questioned, reveals to
us another instance Of atrocious cruelty
to which she had been exposed. She
cannot forget, that while they were on
the point Of perishing in their respec-
tive dungeons, she had not been able to
obtain any account Of him, or to inform
him that his children or herself were
vet in existence. Why, let me ask,
| are the circumstances have related to
be supposed exaggerated statements OF
barbarity, when such barbarities as these
are in proof before us? With sor-
| row, which am certain all who hear
me will partake, have to inform the
house, that in this alarming state OF
health, she has been to this hour suf-
fered to languish in prison, which,
there is too much reason to apprehend,
will shortly become the tomb OF SO
much virtue. Among all the horrible
crimes to which the French revolution
has, in its progress, given birth, those
who love to contemplate human nature
in its most favorable points Of view
will derive some consolation to their
wounded feelings from its having Civ
en- occasion to the display of such ex'
emplary virtue. Those who consider
religion as the best and surest founda
ton of all virtue, will learn with salts
faction, that until her misfortunes gave
scope to the exertion of the great qua
lities Of her mind, the eminent piety
of this lady had been the most distin
guished feature of her character. Blu,
what will those friends Of religion
think, when they are told that, by those
governments who have hypocritically
affected to be waging war in the cause
of religion itself, that piety by which
she was distinguished, has been con.
verted into an additional instrument Of
torture! BY the tenets of the Roman
Catholic persuasion, we know how We
ry strictly the duties of confession and
of hearing mass are enjoined. II, in
the poignancy of her Affections, the
accumulated injuries of her oppressors
could be supposed in a mind of such
angelic purity, to have excited a mo.
mentary emotion of resentment, and
have disturbed the meek tranquility OF
christian resignation, it is torment
| to her conscience not to be suffered, in
the acknowledgment oft, to fulfil that
duty which her religion has prescrib-
ed. The opportunity offulfilling these
| duties, by sincere and devout Roman
Catholics, considered as sacred and
indispensable, have, by government
pretending to be fighting the cause Of
that very religion, been absolutely re-
fused to her repeated and pressing So
licitations.
"The House is probably impatient to
be relieved from the detail of such dis.
tressing circumstances. Many more
have come to my knowledge, which
the delicacy Of disclosing the means by
which they have transpired, prevents
my touching upon. am aware, tina,
by some the agitation Of this subject is
II