New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-01
MR. SUMNER ON LAFAYETTE.


The Hon. Gas. SUMNER gave, last evening at the
coorer Inaitue, before the Mercantile Library Asso-
;oor nj, celebrated lecture on Lafayette. The Hall
was crowded and the platform covered WIN an aud'
enc, considerable portion of which were ladies, in
spite Of the stormy weather
Mr.. SUMNER entered the room accompanied BY Mr.
Bryant, He was greeted with loud and long con-
tinued applause.
WmLIAN CULLEN BRYANT WA called 10 the chair
He said:
am glad my friends to zee 50 large an snSiemce s
accumulated scholars and orators discourse on SUD-
ect living apart from the ordinary strifes and immediate
interests of the day. Concerning the services rendered
by Lafayette TO country TO our own hepubnc, III
tie most critical stage Of its existence there Is no con-
troyersy For them we are all grateful For hfs per-
sona character all cherish high veneration. AND
your presence here tonight in snch numbers declares
that there are many who cherish and preserve warm
admiration generous and purifying enthusiasm, for
the noble example Of his sacrifice delivered down To- us
by a generation which has passed away Among all
public men, among public men IN an times h ana sna a..
in the events which make mp the history OF the world
there are few unfortunately, who can compare Win
LAFAYETTE in course Of steafy, unwavering virtue
DO not do not them my friends, doubt the portrntnre
of that virtue drawn and set before you IN hvng
words by a great artist Charles Sumner OF Boston,
whom / now introduce to you. Longcontinued
cheering.l
After the applause had subsided, Mr.. Sumner SAID;
LADIES AND GEsTLEMEN: L am to speak 10 you
Tonight of one who early cOnsecrated himself TO human
freedom and throughout long life became Its knight
errant its hero its apostle Its martyr VINO sroSe io
it as no man in all history ever strove; who suffered
for it as few have suffered; and whose protracted
career beginning at period when others are SUN AZ
seboo and ending only at that tomb where he tardiy
descended 30 conspicuous always for the purest pln
cipe the most teadfast integrity, and the loitiest
courage, civil and military There is ont one person
in all history to whom this description Is appll-
cable; and even if your distinguished chairman
had not announced my subject, you would an have an
ticipated me when pronounce the name OF Laayete'
Surely, if liberty be what philosophy and the human
heart all declare then must we reverence the example
of one who loved her always with lover foDdness
Nor must expect from HIM projections that DO not
| belong to humanity Surely it is enough for your
gratitude that lie stood forth her constant friend I'M
terrified unsbaken tramplng all the establishments
of youth, of fortune, and Of power keeping hhnseh
sternly aoof alike from emperor and KING gving NM
self sngly to this great cause with soul as fearless
and irreproachabe as Bayards, from whom generals
and kings received knghthood as independent az Cato
who alone stood out against Cesar, and as gentle
| as the beloved disciple who leaned on
the bosom Of the Savior, and alone o. Gt, al,
| when in Paris an invalid, Mr.. Sumner said that ne
had turned aside to the simple slab OF red Tree
stone which marked the spot where Lafayette slept by
the side of bis wife. The impressions Tnlc9 ne re-
Il
where Lafayette spent the last thirty years OF his fs
Mr. Sumner had visited it in October OF last year. IL
was ye-towered castle, built in the time OF Louis lie
Groe. Its situation was IN the leve district OF La
Brie in a country filed with orchards and SMILING
fields about As miles east of Paris. In room from
| which window overlooked the farm-yard was the
desk where he kept his farm books, which were still
living AS he left them. There, too was the speaking
| trrmpet with which he used to give orders to the
farmers below. lie was born IN lob, an orphan, his
father having died on the field OF Minden His mother
died after leaving him with an ample fortune ana
| a historic name. But some were born poets ana
others painters 40 he was born to his labor Liberty
WAS with lin a passion, and he used TO say, geo
metrical certainty When at school he lost prize ior
a composition describing perfect horse, because he
depicted it AS throwing IT'D rider at sight OF the WHIP
Al the age of 16 he married the beautiful daughter OF
| the Duke of Noailles, enlarging his aristocrahc
connection and opening for himself brilliant career
AZ Court Bn he left the splendors OF Versailles TO
| take a commission in the French army AS French
Captain at Metz, in the autumn OF lI1o, he learned
from the lips of English officer the story Of Amer
lean vaor and independence and there determined TO
proer his sword TO the cause of liberty in the West
| em World He offered himself to the American Com
mssioners but they advised him, in the dark prospects
then prevailing not to 20 TO america vo ne s answers
be fitted out a vessel at his own expense IN which
| make the voyage. Before setting sail he visited
England where he was well received that the King
pressed him to stay and asked "Why cannot you stay
| iopger2" Said Lafayette, 4" May it please yong
| Majesty | have very special engagement, which II
| yo1r Majesty were aware Of you would not invite
| to stay" He was asked to be present at a re
view Of troops about to embark for Americas bst IN
nice sense of honor compelled him to Decline al be d
not think right to take advantage OF hospable IN
vitation to inspect troops against whom ne was 80 soon
| to array himself in war. |" met them six months
afterward at the Brandywine," said he in his
| old age. Returning to France, an attempt
was made by lehre de cocha to prevent
him from undertaking his voyage to Amerlca de lied
the Pyrennees and went on board his vessel IN
| ri I'm a
| voyage be sad II hope that for my sake You WILDE
good American. This is a sentiment proper for VIZ
tuous hearts Intimately allied to the happiness of the
whole human family il that Of America, des tined. to
become the certain and asylum of virtue honesty
| federation. equality and OF q tranquil liberty What
noble words were theee! He landed on the coast OF
| South Carolina. He made his way mostly on horse
back to Philadelphia and writing OF the Journey 70 '
| Ike this country and its people" Loud applause
His attention had already been arrested by the
| black domesics who came to receive his ORDERS
Then for the first time he looked upon slave and his
Whole subseouent life showed clearly how his candid
nature must have been troubled. He had left France
| where although there despotism, there was nc
place for this degradation where although there We're
| unjust taxes and injurious privileges, yet every
man had right at least TO his wife, his child and to
himself and where the boast proudly made, and
respected in judicial proceedings that the ar was too
pure for slave to breathe. Loud cheers'l lie mao
come To a land where oppressed people were hight
ing for liberty and now he found men rudeIy held as
| property and despoed of personal rights by those
whose struggles merely for political nights had so inter-
ested his soul Arriving nj Philadelphia he presented
bim.sE before the Continental Congress, where lie
| offered his services without pay. He was made a
| Maor-General at once, ranking with Lincoln, and
Knox, and Sates, and Greene. He was not yet 10
Iis mOdesty great IA his merit. Nhen Washing
ton apologZed for his and undiselphned troops he
said Sir have come not 10 teach but To learn. fheten
derest friendship wbich boomed in ashingtos heart
was that which he felt for Lafayette. He was wounded