Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-07-28
VOLUME K. NO. 81.
Lafayette and Washington.

Jared Sparks in his Correspondence Of the
American Revolution" publishes the following
letter of Layfaette to George Washington:
"CADIz, February S, 1888.
".My Dear General: Were you such man
as Julius C@sor or the King of Prussia, should
almost be sorry for you at the end Of the great
tragedy where you are acting such a part. But,
with my dear General, rejoice at the blessings
Of peace where our noble ends have been Sc
cured. Remember our Valley Forge tmess
and, from recolieo,ion of past dangers and Ia
tbors, we shall be still more pleased at our sense
of pride and satisfaction feel when think of
the times that have determined my engaging in
the American cause
AS for you, my dear General, who truly can
say you have done all this, what must your vir-
uous and good heart feel on the happy instant
when the revolution you have made is now firm
y established cannot but envy the happiness
OF my grandchildren, when they will be about
celebrating andworshipping your name. To have
one of their ancestors among your soldiers to
know he had the good fortune to be the friend of
your heat, will be the eternal honor In which
they shall glory and to the eldest of them, as
long as my posterity will last, shall delegate
the favor you have been pleased to confer upon
my son George.
Sat the prospect of peace had prepared to
60 to America. You know me too well, my dear
General, not to be sensible of the pleasure an
ticipated IN the hope to embrace you and to be
reunited to my fellow-solders. Never did any,
thing please me SO much as the delightful pros
pect had before me. But, on sudden, have
been obliged to defer my darling plan; and, as
| have at last been blessed with letter of yours,
know you approve Of my lengthening my fur
Tough upon political accounts. The enclosed
copy of a letter to Congress and my official let
ter to Mr. Livingston, which request him to
communicate to you, will fully inform you Of the
reasons that urge to post off to Madrid. From
there it will be better for me to 60 to Paris and
in the month of June will embark for America.
Happy, ten times happy, shall be in embracing
my dear Generality father,my best friend, whom
love with an affection and a respect which
too well feel not to know it is impossible to me
to express it.
"Now, my dear General, that you are going
to enjoy some ease and quiet, permit me to pro-
pose plan to you, which might become greatly
beneficial to the black part of mankind. Let US
unite in purchasing small ellale, where We
paay try the experimsn. lc free tie negroes, and
Ase them only as tenants. Such an example 40
yours might render it general practice and, if
we succeed in America, will cheerfully devote
part Of my time to render the method fashion-
able in the West Indies, If it be wild scheme,
| had rather be mad this way than to be thought
wise in the other task.
"Your influence, my dear General, cannot be
better employed than in inducing the people of
America to strengthen their Federal Union. 1t
is n work in which it behooves you to be con-
cerned. Depend upon it, my dear General, that
European politics will be apt to create divisions
among the States. Now is the time when the
powers of Congress must be firmly fixed, the
boundaries determined and articles Of confede-
ration revised. 1t isa work in which every we'll
wisher of America must desire to be concerned.
1t is the finishing stroke that is wanting to the
perfection of the temple of liberty.
"Your most devoted and afectionate friend,
"LAFAYErTE."