The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-03
a LIFE As BEd UTIFUL As II WAS
INTER ESTING.
The story Of MADAME DE LAFAYETTE, WIfc of
the Friend OF Washington.

lNN captivity OF LdI yettc DtINTe utltnnR Tue
further efforts II his wife to procure his liberia
ton, or, in failure Of such efforts, TO join MIN in
prison. When he ESCAPED from France he first
bent his steps 10 the Netherlands, Intending to
reach this country. At Rpchcfort, the first Aus
trlan port, he and his companions, La Tour Mau-
bOurg and Dureaux de Pussy, were arrested.
This act Of the allied powers has long been
Judged by the civilized world as an act utterly
indefenstbie, either upon grounds OF right or
policy The allied powers were, or protested to
be. In arms against the French factions that
were seeking the destruction Of the French
throne. lafayette, by his efforts to defend the
King against the violence OF those fsctions,
merited. ut least, protection from the powers
that had undertaken to rescue the sovereign OF
France from the dangers by which he was sur
rounded. 1t has never appeared so far as we
are aware, In what light the Ausirians aud Prus-
SLAMS regarded Lafayette after they had seized
him 4; whether they considered him as a prisoner
Of war, as deserter, or as n spy.
Gouvcrueur Morris, whose saRacity penetrated
most Of the political riddles Of his time, was
completely baf1led In his conjectures about this
one. Writing to his colleague Mr.. Sh ort. our
Minister at the Hague, Immediately after La
fayette's arrest, MIR. Morris said: II incline,
however, to the opinion that the enomy mean to
treat him in different capacity, and that his fu-
ture treatment will depend entirely on himself
but at the same time fear that the employment
they would give him Is not such as he will
choose to engage In. BE all this however as IL
may, he is In their power, and they will do a.
they please. The reasons you urge for his llber-
alton are cogent, and hope they will be at
tended to, but power sometimes makes law for
itself, and in such cases II cares but little for
history or posterity."
There Is no evidence before the world. that we
are aware Of, which would warrant Mr.. Morris's
suggestion that the powers which had Lafayette
IN their custody would make his treatment de-
pend upon himself. by offering him employment;
and from n letter which he found means to write
from the prison at Magdeburg, in March 1893, to
the Princess D'nenin, then In London, II Is ap-
parent both that his treatment had been en-
tirely inconsistent with any such policy. and
that " any overture had been made to him he
wound have died in,the cell IA which he was
confined, rather than have secured his liberty
ny accepting any proposition that could have
been made to him. Indeed, he had every rea-
son to fear that his constitution would give way
under his suferings and although he WAS tena-
cious OF life. he could not answer, he said, for
the efficacy OF the sentiments which led him to
value the preservation OF his existence and he
thought 1t best to pre- his friends by inform
ing them OF his condition, rather than to leave
them to be suddenly surprised by the worst
But the latter part OF Mr.. Morris's prediction,
made In September, l792, that no regard would
be paid to law or to the opinions of mankind.
then or hereafter. in the treatment OF Lafayette
turned out to be entirely correct. And here
Americans OF this gen ration. citizens OF proud
and powerful republic, will he inclined to ask
why 1t was that our Government did not de-
maud his liberation, and, II necessary, enforce
a .rxA,
had no ground for making such demand, ex-
cepting that he had been naturalzed by one or
more Of our States. and that he was person for
whom the whole people OF the United States
felt the strongest sentiments OF affection and
gratitude. In strict law we had no ground on
which we could demand the liberation of a
Frenchman from the custody OF a power with
which France was then at war. In the second
place, we were a comparatively weak n ,tiou,
unable to enforce the demand II 1t had been
made. II we had been In 179s what we are now,
1t IL highly probable that a single word from our
Government, firmly uttered. would have opened
the doors OF l. lfayette's prison, even II there
had been no other ground for the dem and than
the dictates Of natural justice and our national
regard fof the individual. But in that day we
could not speak to any power IN Europe as we
have since spoken. Everything was done for
Lafayette that could he done unoficialJ by the
American ENJOYS in Engl md. France. and Hol-
land: but 1t was all in vain. Even letter writ
ten In bis behalf by Washington TO the Emperor
OF Austria never received an answer From
september l7as. until March, 1893, his family
and the world remained Ignorant Of his fate.
We now returned To Nine. dc Lafayette,
whom we left at Chavaniac prisoner on her
parole. Not long after she had been thus con.
fined to her own house, Que OF her husbands
futf f.I lei. ID
from Paris to advise her to write to the King
Of Prussia. He brought with him a draft OF a
paper, pr pared 10y Gouverneur Morris, which
Mr.. Sparks In his II Life OF Norris" describes as
"petiton," or "supplcatory address" TO
the King OF Prussia, for the liberation OF Lgfay-
ettee, to be signed and sent by his wife. 1t was
IN these words lie, in whose I lvor implore
the mercy OF your Majesty. has never known
crime. Faithful to his King, when he could
no longer be OF service to him he left
France. At the moment when he was
m de prisoner he was crossing the low
countries 10 take refuge In America. lie
believed himself under the prote stion OF the
law Of nations, and he trusted 1t with the more
confidence, as the generous sentiments Of your
Majesty were not unknown TO hun. | may per-
haps he blind 10 the character OF beloved hus-
band. but cannot dece We myself In being per
suaded that your Majesty will grant the PRAYER
Of an unhappy woman" Mr.. Morris. in sending
this paper. wrote TO Nine. de LAFAYETTE In the
most kind and considerAte terms, advising her
TO send II that IL would reach the King
through the hands Of lady who was then his
fayurite. Mr.. Sparks implies that tue petition
was sent as Mr.. Morris wrote It. This IL mis-
take. Nine. de Lafayette could not bring her
self to adopt so humble a tone and We may
wei Imagine that the intim alton that she could
possibly be blind to the character OF her hus-
band, was enough to make her refuse, Der
daughter attcsts. to copy Mr. Morrisz draft. The
letter which, in fact, she wrote and sent was AS
follows
SIZE; The known yalty Of your Majesty permits the
ING m what he owes T. tlr character OF nm whom
luNee. | have alWayH hOpci. sre, that your iusty
would respect Virtu" IN all opinions, aud that would
give . Europe u Elor Gus example Of eucn respect In
thc frehttul ignorance IN whoa have oeen Tor i've
months OF ay news O 81. de Lafayette, Cannot plead
trlf speak eloquent IN bis iaYor the one by their
crimes, the other Nv the xces OF her grief IN for
mer prove ms virtue und how much he Il dcieeted by
The b. n, Tor me show how much he IL worthy of
being loved. They impose upon The glory OF your
Maj sty thr nocrs ny Of not ptfsecuuS the same o.
10 Your Maiest's fen.iby the Joi of glyns me life
hY giving nJrrty 10 hm2 Permit me. sire, to surren
dei myself 20 tins hope and 10 that OF soon owing to
you Ihe homage Of such grat ludc.
NoAILLEs LAFAYrrTR.
IL mu-t be allowed that Mr. Mnrris ,,.i,n ali