Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-06-05


the folly of presenting II TO the public, through my
correspondent with any expectation OF convincing
you, cir. That Catholic priest you cay, was an
apostate." That word embodies folios OF argument
with your corporation. Your argument In such
cases Is concise. He that 10 for ~ "a right, and al
rays TO be believed he that Is ogainsf ~ 10 1rong,
and nsvsr 10 be believed IL Is convenient rule,
and world of investigation, but II Is not the
rule that guides the opinions or judgment Of the
American public. From certain ambiguous hint
ngs In your article you are preparing 10 apply this
rule TO Lafayette, should you discover as you GER
tanly will, that he was not " for you." Take care
how you presume on such an experiment as that
with the American people.
You have made peremptory call upon me for
retIaction," on the assumption that am respon-
sble for the first using and circulation of the motto
You say:
As he (I) first published and gave currency to
the caiumnions statement regarding Lafayette, he
owes U owe) IL TO the country and to himself (my-
self either to prove ts truth or to retract IT, like
an honorable man.
Were your premises correct, sir, (Which happens
not to be the case should prefer of the two
proue the truth, since am not in the habit at least
designedly, OF saying, much less Of Uriting, any
thing TO be retracted
Your premises, have said, sir, are not true.
was not the first who published and gave currency
TO the motto u. question. The first publication OF
Ii in which was engaged Is in the work of the
Confessions Of a French Catholic Priest, published
in 1887. The motto was published long previous
TO this date In several newspapers. IL was cur
rent In 1885, You will find Il, sir, In the Somer-
set Wing, published In Somerville, New Jersey, oil
the date August 4th, 1885. 1t is also In the Pro.
testant indicator of New York, August 26,
1851; and in other papers of the same year.
Whence the writer's derived the motto Is not for
me to say 1t is sufficient for me that they did not
get It from me- neither could they have got it from
the work Of the Converted Priest. | am, there.
fore, sir quite as much interested you can be- in
discovering how the sentiments of Lafayette, in the
shape in which they are quoted In the motto got
into public use, and before have done shall be
able to give you the result Of my discoveries in
this respect.
|. That the motto embodied the sentiments of La.
fayette, needed none to testify to me, as / have
already said had ample evidence Of that fact in
my personal intercourse with him. AT what time
they frat assumed the shape Of the motto, have
nowhere as yet pretended to say
You have been very importunate for the produc-
ton Of 1.-THE letter which General Lafayette wrote
to me at Havre," In which he "alluded to the
whole sub ect of the interview" of which I had
spoken, aud you specially call for the exhibition
of the ORIGINAL letter" with the courteous insinu
alton that never received such letter. You
charge upon Inc that have taken ESPECIAL CARE
NOT TO PUBLISH IT." (The capitals are yours, sir)
and these calls thus EN- lazoned in staring capitals
to attract amarked attent II, Haunted before the
public as if the insinuaton and charge were both
true and significant. They are neither the one
nor the other.
The original letter hold in my possession. !
have been in the habit of showing it TO my friends
and visters for moro than twenty years. Thou
sands have seen 1t, and as many more are free to
see 1t any time. This letter. sir, which have
taken special care not to pubtish," was published
extensively in the newspapers throughout the coun-
try In 1882 and 1888 Since General Lafayette, in
his letter to me dated Paris February 20, 1888,
expresses himself "highly obliged to me for pub
fishing it." it must have been published before the
date of this letter of thanks. Why you should
ieem the production and exhibition of that letter
OF so much Importance, (since 1t has never been
pretended that the motto is in t,) you may be abb
to show. | cannot be expected to forecast your
reasons.
Among your other capital calls, sir, there is an.
other TO which have paid respectful attention.
You have called upon me TO PRODUCE THE TEsTI-
aoxY OF Evks ONE to the declaration Of Lafay.
cite in the motto. You have made call which
under no obligation TO answer further than
have already answered It by testifyng that tho sen-
timsnts of the motto we're, Of my own personal
knowledge, Lsfayette's. ! have nevertheless taken
some palms. for the sake Of historic TRUTH to trace
il in it, quoted shape. That motto was uttered by
Lafayette, as ! shall presently prove, more than
thirty year, ago; il has been quoted without ques.
tion, for more than twenty years, and its author
has been In bis grave for more than twenty years.
period OF twenty years, sir, Is ordinarily sutf-
cient TO scatter beyond the most diigent search
living witnesses to a saying uttered even in the
presence Of large audience; so that its authen-
ITCHY Ia not so much dependent on such living
AL. L.. ~. III
knop of the character and sentimentsn Of the per-
son Of whom the saying Is affirmed By this rule,
air, Zone OF your own proposng,) It could equally
well be proved TO be Lafayette's. A living witness
70 the utterng OF that sentiment by Lafayette IL,
indeed, fatal 70 you, but the absence Of such
living witness Ia not fatal to me.
While In New York, some days since and 10
the hope to find living witness in the person Of
military officer to whom, learned, twenty years
ago, that Lafayette had used the words Of the mot
to, casually learned that a venerable and excel
lent minister Of the Dutch Reformed Church, the
Rev. Dr. p. Vanpelt, still living and in vigorous
health OF body and mind although In his eightieth
year, could probably tell me something Of interest
on the subject Of my inquiry. / accordingly adj
dressed him note on my return home on the Gath
ult, asking him IL he had any recollection of con.
versations be bad with General Lafayette, when he
visited this country In 1924, and IL 70, requested
him to furnish me with his recollections. In his
letter TO me In reply, dated New York, April 80,
1855, after detailing the conversation at two special
interviews with Lafayette, one on the day Of his
arrival Staten Issnd, before he went 10 Boston,
and the other after his return from Boston, he gives
graphically many interesting incidents Of revolu.
tionary history as related by Lafayette. / omit
them irrelevant IN this place, but give an extract
from the close Of Dr. Vsnpelt's letter, as TO the
point, sir, between you and me. In speaking OF
the interviews he SAYS:
"0f the conversations at both interviews my re-
collection Is vivid and distinct On the
next interview and conversation with lafayette
says the venerable DR.. yanpelt after bis visit
and return from Boston, he said TO me, my dear
friend must tell you something that occurred
when was In Boston / received a polite invita-
ton from the chief Catholic priest or Bishop Of the
Roman Catholic Church In Boston 20 attend his
church on the Sabbath. l wrute him one apology,
saying, as never expect 70 be in Boston again,
sud during the Revolution when In Boston,
worshipped sitting by the side OF bis Excellency
General Washington, and as | see that the church
and the pews are the same, except - they are dec
Grated with paint, wish to occupy the same seat