Washington telegraph., 1853-04-13
EAEETTE.

80 many arguments concerning this cee-
brated individual have lately been published
that perhaps the following article from tie
Philadelphia Ledger will be read with il
terest:
Circumstances made us acquainted, at
one period of our life, with the real facts cf
Laftte's history, verified in manner shat
LEFT no loop-holes for falsehood to creep in.
Since then we have read most of the novels
that have been written respecting him, and
greater Ebels were probably never penned
for they represent Laftte either as romant-
ic hero, or as a human fiend, when in fact
he was neither. On the contrary he was a
man who had been goaded by great wrongs
to seek revenge, which he did in that wild
Arab way. so often characteristic of seamen,
and which is nourished in the blood, partly
by the loneliness of the sea, and partly by
a life free from the convent;onalities of civ
illzation. For true sailor has, as Herman
Melville says, spice of the wild cherry
mortality of the desert, and is, as it were.
the Bedouin Of the great deep.
Jean LATTE was born on the Garonne. and
not Marseilles: and was from his boyhood
accustomed to the ocean, for he belonged to a
family which, for many generations, had fur
nished some of the most skilful and daring
privateersmen of Bayonne In the great
war OF the French revolution, when the
commerce of his native province was almost
destroyed, he embarked as lieutenant on
board a private armed vessel which after
running brilliant career, was captured by
a superior force and carried into an English
port. Here Laftte. with the other officers
and crew was cast into prison Time pas
sed; his captain, his brother leutenants the
common men even obtained their freedom ;
but LaGtte himself remained a prisoner
His friends, however, and relatives too, were
active to procure his discharge Several
times were prisoners of equal rank sent into
the English ports by the agency of his old
captain. in order to be exchanged for him,
but it was not until many long years had
passed that Lafitte found himself free
This long detention raised in him an almost
savage thirst for vengeance against England,
and on his release he returned immediately
to privateeriue. principally for the harm lac
might thus do English ships
The paciication of Europe after the treaty
Of Fontainebleau deprived him of the means
of legally carrying on his revenge But
long years Of solitary brooding iu prison,
and night watches afterwards upon the lone
ly sea, had destroyed 10 great extent his
reverence for human laws; he had, in a
word. become an Arab at heart He de-
termined accordingly to continue his career
Yet he refrained from attacking any but
English vessels, since it was only against
England that he sought revenge His re-
lations in France heard Of his course with
inexplicable pain. and demonstrated with
him earnestly, especially one who had been
sort of guardian to his youth, and who
now expostulated with him almost with tears
But Laftte was inexhorable. At last his
early friend called in the aid of religion,
and reminded the erring man of the awful
destiny he was preparing for himself in eter-
nifty. The reply was characteristic. "If I
go to- wrote Laftte, savagely, Il will
drag plenty of Englishmen after me-
His relative, aware how great had been his
provocation, could say no more. But from
that hour, for many long years. the name
Of the wandering outlaw ceased to be spoken
in the household of his father; and chill
dren in whom ran blood kindred to his own
grew up to manhood ignorant of his very
existence.
The subsequent career of Lafitte is well
known. Though he committed acts of pira-
cy only on British vessels, he paid no re-
o.,rl to 4bo rovopuo 1,xr. of o,,- x,.;o,
For long time he had under him quite a
considerable force at the island of Barataria
But his early education, which bad been
strict asserted its power at last; old memo
ries re-awakened, and he sighed to return
again to civilized life, to lay down the brand
of pirate, to pass bis days in quiet. The
volcano of passion or insanity, for it was as
much the one as the other, had burned out
in that fiery heart lie made his peace
with the United States, as is popularity
known, just before the battle of New Or
leans. Subsequently he returned to his
native land, where he died not long ago
His wife, whom he married in America, is
still living, or was at the time we heard the
narrative we have given above.
We would have to violate the sanctity Of
private life if our authority was to be given.
At the time we heard the history of Lafitte,
we were told the name of his old captain of
the privateer in which he was captured
and many other facts which We have
since forgotten. We regret that we did not
take down in writing these details. We
could repossess ourselves of them, indeed,
in month OF two, for his relatives still live
in their native province, and we may do it
yet
PRINCE EsTERHazY. This nobleman has
thirty castles, all garrisoned with his own