The daily gazette., 1875-12-15
From the Y. World.
The French Monument and what Al
VIII Commemorate.

The French Monument and what IL
VIII Commemorate.
The Union League Club, in declin-
ing to undertake the building of pc
destal for the French Colossus which
III. Labouluye and his friends desire us
to accept, have given proof not only Of
a shrewd eye to the "main chance"
bat also of modest perception of their
own real position in America, NJ. La.
boulayc and his friends might will i'm.
itate them in the latter point. They
are all Republicans, but what do we
owe to the French Republic? The
Comte de Chambord and his followers
of the White Lily have all the title of
NJ. Oscar dc Lafayette, and oonsidera'
bly, more than the title of the Orlean-
lists (outside the family of Louis Phi
lippe), the Bonapartists, and especially
the republicans of Louis Blanc's order,
who want to 60 back to the institutions
of '93, 10 subscribe to this monument.
We have had war with French Re-
publicans ofthc Directory; we suffered
largely by the peculiarly Nepoleonic
had some diplomatic sparring netween
the Citizen-king and Andrew Jackson.
but with the Bourbons only amity and
the remembrance of strenuous aid and
generous relief iu the hour of need. II
defendant of Caron de Beaumarchais,
the matchmaker who followed the pro.
fession of Court lackey, who amused
himself with diplomacy and writing
the Barber of Seville and gave his
more serious hours to lawsuits and
personal pamphlets-if defendant of
this remarkable man could be found,
his hand above all others should lay
the corner. stone of the French monu-
ment, for he did more than any other
Frenchman 10 make the alliance of the
Most Christian King serviceable in
building up the republic. New York
should respond to the French monu-
ment by erect statue to the author Of
the Marriage of Figaro" 1t would be
an Offering to genius and to art, as well
as to international friendship and the
tgrowth of republic ideas. Beaumar-
haiss bufso mask is broader than
Franklin's philosophic one; behind it
are Noltaire, Rousseau and Turgot in
ensemble and in action; here is the
man who, while Franklin kissed hands
with his marQuises at Passy, sent us
money, ships, stores and ammunition
from Bordeaux; secured us Paul Jones
and sent to us men like Won Struben,
Stedinck and Pulaski, aGventurers and
soldiers of fortune, some Of them, to be
sure, but men who came less for
their salaries and decorations than for
service.
| But His Most Christian Majesty did
much for us besides, ard it must not
be forgotten that Beamarchais was
only the agent of the Court, though
his nimble int diligence and fervid zeal
made him such an ageutas men do not
encounter more than once in thou
sand years. The act of Congress of July
Il, 1898, while it abrogated the treaties,
alliances and consular conventions
with France, could no more destroy in
the minds of the American people the
memory of friendly acts In pursuance
of these treaties than the absurd antics
of Citizen Genet could make us forget
Lafayette, d 'Estaing and Rochambeau
The first treaty with France was one
of alliance between the Most Christian
King and the respective thirteen States
| then at war with Great Britain. 1t was
negotiated at Paris the 9th of Febru-
ary, 1f1S, and the American plenipo.
tentIaries were Franklin, Deaue and
Lee. 1t provided for an alliance
offensive and defensive in case of war
between France and Great Britain, but
was in its immediate features purely
defensive. In the impressive language
of the second article, language which
should never be forgotten. THE es-
sential and direct end OF the present
defensive alliance is to maintain ef.
- fectually the liberty sovereignty and
-" independence, absolute and unlim-
4" ited, of the said United States, as
well in matters OF government as
" of commerce France agreed that
in case the United States should make
conquests in Canada or in the Bermu.
das, the conquered territory was to be
ours, and the King rcnounced all
claim To territory previously conquer
ed from France by Great Britain. Ii
/ the French King, however. made con-
quests in the West Indies or Gulf OF
| Mexico, they were 10 DC his. The
Mar wGs IL continue till our indie
pcudepce was aehnoW lodged, and
article . seems to bear distinguished
witness nj once 10 the careful prudence
OF franklin and the generous purposes
| of France: THE contracting parties
" declare, that being resolved to fulfil
each on its own part the clauses and
" conditions of the present treaty OF
alliance, according toits own power
land circumstances, there shall be no
after claim of compensation on one
:" side or the other, whatever may be
" the event of the war"
On the same date the same Commits
sioners concluded a more detailed
treaty of amity and commerce with
France, the object Of which was to re
gulate the terms of the future inter
course of the two countries, irrespec
tive of peace or war. A secret art;cl,
was appended to this treaty admittine
Spain to the benefits and privileges Of
the alliance on tho same terms a.
| Eranna