South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-02-21

| tneE, buu yet ibtBct poftou VI nVt cue
pie, the name OF Republic was idenlii.
ed with the memory of Robespierre. 1t
was held in execration; there was i'm
minent danger, if not absolute GER
tainty that the attempt to organize
Republic, would have been the signal for
new civil war. The name Of Re-
public, TOO, was hateful to all the neigh
bors OF France; to the Conlederacy
Of Emperors & Kings, which had twice
replaced the Bourbons upon the throne,
and who might be propitiated under the
disappointment and modification of the
result, by the retention of the name of
| King, and the substitution of the sem.
bIancs Of Bourbon for the reality.
The People of France, like the Car.
dinel de Retz, more than two centuries
before, sganted a descendant from Hen.
ny the Fourth, who could speak the
language Of the Partisan populace, and
who had known what it was TO be
plebeian. They found him in the per.
son OF Leuis Philippe, of Orleans. La
fayette himself was compelled to com.
promise with his principles, purely 81
simply republican, and to accept him,
first as Lieutenant General ofthe King
dom, and then as Hereditary King
There was, perhaps, in this determine
ton, besides the motives which opera
ted upon others, consideration of dis.
interested delicacy, which could be APP
plicable only to himself. If the Repub-
lie should be proclaimed, he knew that
the Chief Magistracy could be delega-
ted only to himself. 1t mast have been
a Chief Magistracy for life, which, at
his age, could only have been for short
term Of years. independent of the ex-
IRENE dangers and difficulties to HIM
self, to his family, and to his country,
in which the position which he would
have occupied might have involved
them, the enquiry could not escape his
forecast, who, upon his demise, could
be his successor ? and what must be
the position occupied by him : If, at
that moment, he had but spoken the
word, he might have closed his career
with Grown upon his head, end with
a whitening blast upon his name to the
end of time.
With the Duke of Orleans himself he
used no concealment or Disguise
When the Crown was offered to that
Prince, and he looked to Lafayette for
consultation, "You know (said he) that
am Of the american School, and par.
tial TO the Constitution of the United
States" So, il seems, was Louis Phi.
lippe, "I think with you," said he
"It is impossible to pass two years in
the U. States, without being convinced
that their Government is the best in the
world. But do you think it suited to
our present circumstances and condi.
ton 7" "No," replied Lafayette
"They require Monarchy, surround
ed by popular institutions" So thought,
also, Louis Philippe; and he accepted
the Crown under the conditions upon
| which it was rendered to him.
Lafayette retained the command of
the National Guard SO long as it was es-
sential to the settlement of the new order
of things, on the basis of order and of
freedom; so long as it was essential to
control the stormy and excited passions
of the Persian People; SO long as was
necessary to save the Ministers of the
guilty but fallen Monarch from the rash
and revengefu resentments of their con-
querors. When this was accomplished,
and the People had been preserved from
the calamity of shedding in peace the
blood of war, he once mere resigned his
command, retired in privacy TO La
Grange, and resumed his post as Depu-
ty in the Legislative Assembly, which he
continued to hold till the close of his life.
His station there was still at the head
of the phalanx. supporters of liberalprin-
ciples and of constitutional freedom. In !
Spain, in Portugal, in Italy, and. above
all, in Poland, the cause of liberty has
been struggling against the hand ofpow-
err, and, to the last hour of his life, they |
found in Lafayette a never-failing friend |
and patron.
In his last illness, the standing which |
he held in the hearts of mankind was at
tested by the formal resolution of the
House of Deputies, sent to make inqui-
ries concerning his condition; and, dying
as he did, full of years and of glory, new
or, in the history of mankind, iaas pri-
vate Individual departed more universal |
ly lamented by the whole generation of
men whom he has left behind.
Such, LEGISLATORS OF THE NORTH
AMERICAN CoNFEDEKATE UNION, was
the life of GILBERT MoTIER DE LAFAY- |
ETTE, and the record of his life is the
delineation of his character. Consider |
him as one human being of one thousand
millions, his cotemporares on the sur
face of the terraqueous globe. Among
that thousand millions seek for an object