Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-07

20 the King though this proceeding douby contrary
to court etiquette The King received him and the memorial
gaciousy soon after, the additional succors promised at
Frankns instances ganted but in the month OF May
the year Vegennes wrote Congress- perempory
TERMS that they must expect further pecunay aid from
France The Minister Of Louis XVI thorough poit
IN the Cabinet he the advocate of absolute royalty
IN opposition to Turgot and Necker, liberals who desired
constitution He could practise the stimulation and dssmu
auon OF the old diplomacy disclosed in the 9th volume
OF Flassan he allotted and undertook with Great Britain
order improve what he deemed admirable uncure for
the aggrandzement OF France and his renown he bali
fled the mediation of Austria and Russia though OF course
sensible OF the immense consequence of peace the United
he accepted the idea of peace only when he became
convinced that the condition of the finances rendered nd
pensabe for France The expenses of the deadiuly
enlarged the dect which necessaed the convocaon OF the
General and thus opened the revolution Fassan OBJ
serves, La guerre dAmerque epuisa les finances du roy
aume ct alera les idees de subodnaton sorte quee
est devenuela cause mere de la Revolution This perhaps
is going too tar but that it among the chief poxmate
moral influences is capable of demonstration NJ Droz has
traced them in his history with just dscenmen and happy
dicon am surprised that they not merely dsregarded
but seem even not TO have been imagined such writers
Louis Blanc, Michelet, and NJ de Lamarne. In the first
volume of his History the Revolution, Blanc travels far
back the first Protestant heesies for while he fails
to detect the nearest The older French historians, and the
British and American, have taken better survey in more
sober spirit Of investigation and philosophy.
These comments will be judged already exorbany ample
and exclusive Nevertheless Unjust claim permission todwe
on two more points which intimately connected with the
question of coraty between France and the United
States Every patriotic Fenchman should demonstrate against
exaggerated pretensOns that offend the pride, and ground
less charges which ALLEVIATE the affection, of country proving
every day how formidable enemy how potent ally it
become for Of the great European nations 1t has
been customary with French wres-n particular the Jour
nasso express themselves concerning the United States
if France had liberated them Don Quixote did the
galley slaves, and they had acted towards France like
those slaves towards the flower of chivay. We read in
most French political memoirs-in the journals constantly
in the official declarations of the French revolutionary gov
ernmentsn the ecees of Napoleon, phrases akin to those
OF Mr. de Lamartines 4th volumeP Amerqus a6ranchie
par Louis ApLe brceau de III Hberte Aaericae c0uUete
deS bay0nettes de EmGrigue
une d gDresd France ETC. Let exert the honesty and
the courage of facts. The revolution in the Colonies really
and properly commenced early 1850, and eningy
rpened from that epoch. The illusous John Adans-one
of the American rebeBwrote years afe Of the
agitations and discourses Massachusetts in 76l2 Same
independence then and there born The seeds of
patriots and heroes to defend the dis asaasS
fans We're then and there sown. The cradle of American
liberty empesuously rocked and the nta1s
the infant Hercules within, received the concessions
many years before any French could be Obtained
From 1865 especial ythe date of the stamp actthemnds
OF the leading Americans every where gradually
ed for the Declaration of Independence in l776 and thence
forward nexbe and desperate for its accomplishment
perceived by all that the British rulers of that eracoud
never again be trusted that their dispositions doctrines and
plans would continue to be utterly rreconciabe with the lib
critics and prescrptve mmunties which the Coonss ge
neral held more precious than life any material prosperity
The idea of recolonizaion, submission, utterly dis
carded the alternative admitted from north south was,
be free to perish We find this resolve in the earliest
venions and speeches the principal colonies shadow
ed forth in the letters and publications OF Franklin from 772
to 1875 during his second mission to England The
mon impression in America that the extreme struggle with the
mother country must arrive later and certainly at
distant PERIOD served animate the patriots and people to
proceed at when thus engaged it Though prematuely
at all hazards In the second year of the military contest
when the horizon the gloomiest aspect Washington pro-
posed to Congress retire. III the event OF PRESSURE
the mountains and preserve liberty and independence
where they would be unassaab In of need the
of Congress and the country would have responded that of
the most rejecting and beloved of their statesmen and
riors
Grahame the able and conscientious historian whom have
cited above held frequent personal intercourse with Lafayette
and he registers in his 4th volume this fact Lafayette
suTed that very shortly after his first arrival in America
he clearly perceived that the Americans though ,choy
udSSiSted IN The strife Nth Great Britain would lay
down their until they achieved their independence and
this impression confirmed by all his subsequent expe
rience 1t is equally record that the distinguished
and intelligent of the other French officers both of the army
and navy who served in America and the sagacious dpo-
matte agents. received and communicated the impression
We have the highest official French evidence of the pur
port in the manestoes of de Vegennes and his declaration
to the British Commissioners that when France signed the
treaty Of l77s the Americans independent de faco-
Ind their independence. Hence, the lawulness for
France of entering into commercial treaties and recognising
their national soveregnythe identical plea that the United
States and Great Britain and France used with Spain touch
ing their recognition of Mexico and the of Spanish Ame
rica In the letters of Louis XVI Charles III of the year
l77s which have already quoted it is stated that the
mics had shown themselves reoue and able maintain their
Independence of the chief conditions and considerations
which decided the French Court side with them openly at
length Droz observes justly Of the policy of the Court " 81
declaration dindepcndance etait premiere condition
sentielle pour trailer les Americans seconde ne
Petait pas moins; aat que eus forces miaes donnas-
sent use espoir de metre pas compomis saan ayec
eux The Americans conended in arms and may be affirm
ed TO have their principal difficulties and achieved
their most operative successes five years before they enoyed
any French military aid except that of the volunteers Let
the history of the be fairly scanned and will be conced
ed that the Americans performed the the
themselves that they did greatly for their final triumph
than the French did possibly could do for them The
French subsidies in the doubtless facilitated their action
the French forces materially seconded and expedited their adj
vances to independence and peace they have
moderated the value and opporuneness of the aid vet who
mpartiay examining what they undertook how they
tried and determined fail to believe that with the
say and rapid increase of their strength and resources they
would have emancipated themselves long, though all for
egn and should be wanting At the sur
render of Yorktown, in 1882, the British General OHara
who represented Corvallis presented his sword Count
de Rochambeau. The French commander, a man of noble
soul and frank ecttude pointed Washington him. and
said, "Je suiS qu'un auraire." Here is the vertabe
The accusation Of gratue to France rests on no foun
daton and reuted by multitude of circumstances ire
fragabe and notorious The Memoirs of LAFAYETTE Rocham