South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-02-14

| ance was made to the revolutionary tor
rent, not an arm was lifted to restore
the fallen Monarch to his throne, nor
| even to rescue or protect his person from
the fury ofhis memorable foes. Lafay-
cite himself would have marched to
4 Paris with his army, for the defence Of
the Constitution, but in this disposition
he was not seconded by his troops
After ascertaining that the effort would
be vain, and after arresling at Sedan
the members of the Deputa,ion from
the Legislative Assembly, sent, after
their own subjugation, TO arrest him !;
he determined, as the only expedient
left him to save his honor and his prin-
ciples, to Withdraw both from the ar
my and the country; to pass into a
neutral territory, and thence into these
U. States, the country Of his early adop-
ton and his fond Partially, where he
was sure Of finding safe asylum, and
of meeting cordial welcome.
But his destiny had reserved him for
other and severer trials. We have seen
| him struggling for the supper, Of prin.
ciples, against the violence of raging
factions, and the 6ckleness ofthe null
titude; we are now to behold him in
the hands Of the hereditary rulers Of
mankind, and TO witness the nature Of
their tender mercies to him.
1t was In the neutral territory Of
Liege tina. he, together with his COM
! panions, Latour Maubourg, Bureau de
Pozy, and Alexander Lame,h, was
taken by Austrians, and transferred to
Prussian guards. Under the circum-
stances Of the case, he could not, by the
principles of the laws Of Nations be
treated even as prisoner Of war. He
was treated as prisoner Of State.--
Prisoners of State in the Monarchies of
Europe are always presumed guilty, &
are treated as if entitled as little to mer-
cy as to justice. Lafayette was i'm
INJURED in dungeons, first at Vessel, then
at Magdeburg, and, finally, at Olmutz,
in Moravia. By what rightf By
none known among men. By what
authority That has never been a.
vowed. For what cause 7 None has
ever been assigned. Taken by Aus
TRAN soldiers upon neutral territory,
handed over to Prussian jailers; and,
when Frederick William Of Prussia a.
bandoned his Austrian ally, and made
his separate peace with republican
France, he retransferred his illustrious
prisoner to the Austriaos, from whom
he had received him, that he might be
deprived Of the blessing of regaining
his liberty, even from the hands of
Peace. Five years was the duration of
this imprisonment, aggravated by every
indignity that could make oppression
bitter. That it was intended as i'm.
prisonment for life, was not only freely
avowed, but significantly made known
to him by his jailers; and while, with
affected precau.ion, the means OF ter
minatiug his suffsrings by his own act
were removed from him, the barbarity
Of ill usage, Of unwholesome food, & OF
a pestiferous atmosphere, was applied
with memorable rigor, as if to abridge
the days which, at the same time, were
rendered as far as possible insupporta-
BILE to himself.
Neither the generous sympathies Of
the gallant soldier, General Fitzpatrick,
in the British House Of Commons, nor
the personal solicitation of Washington,
President Of the United States, speak,
ing with the voice Of a grateful Nation,
nor the persuasive accents of domestic
and conjugal affection, imploring the
Monarch of Austria for the release OF
Lafayette, could avail. The unsophis-
ticated feeling Of generous nature in the
hearts Of men, at this outrage upon JUS
lice and humanity, was manifested in
another form. Two individuals, pr-
vate citizens, one, of the United States
of America, Francis Huger, the other,
native of the Electorate of Hanover,
Doctor Erick Bohmann, undertook, at
the imminen, hazard of their lives, to
supply means for his escape from pri-
son, and their personal aid to its accom-
plishment. Their design was formed
with great address, pursued with un,ir-
ing perseverance, and executed with
undaunted in,repidity. TWAS frustrat-
ed by accidents beyond the control OF
human sagacity.
To his prosecutions, however, the
hand OF a wise and just Providence, had,
in its own time, and in its own way, pre-.
pared termination. The hands Of
the Emperor Francis, tied by mysteris
GUS and Invisible bands against the in.
diligence of mercy to the tears Of a more
than heroic wife, were loosened by the
more prevailing elOouence. or, rather.