Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-13
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
LAFAYETTE.


Last evening Rev. DR.. Greenwa!d &C.
livered an entertaining and instructive lee
ture in Trinity Lutheran church on Incl
dents in the Life of Lafayette" Consid
ering the stormy condition of the weather
the audience was large one. The eNer-
cises were opened with piano solo by
Prof. Haas, and this was followed by
cavatina from ''Robert lie Diable'' by Mi 8
Maggie Potts, of COatesvillc. DIR. Green
wald commenced by remarking that very
few names are held in higher regard by
Americans than that Of Lafayette. In his
present lecture he proposed not to give 4
full biography of this illustrous man, but
to select some of the most prominent Incl
dents of the many of which his life con-
sists, and present them for the instruction
and entertainment of his hearers.
He then related in detail Lafayette S
determination to embark in the cause of
American liberty; his arrival in this cOun-
try; his participation in the battle OF
Brandywine in Chester county, Pa. ; the
skill with which he saved himself and
army from capture at Barren Hill. near
Philadelphia, and particularly his mastery
manGuvres in Virginia with his small
armys until he was strong enough to shut
up CORVALLIS in Yorktown, where lie was
compelled to surrender.
The lecturer then followed Lafayette to
another scene where his fine talents We're
employed and his noble character dis
played. He described with considerable
minuteness the part which he took in the
first revolution in France when the effort
was made to restrain the despotic power of
the king by giving a constitution to
France the destruction of the BaStile :;
the appointment of Lafayette to the COM
mand of the National Guard his success
in rescuing the royal family from the mob
at Versailles and the prominent part
which he took at the Champ de Mars,
when the king, the army and the nation
took the oath to support the constitution
decreed by the National Assembly
The efforts of the JaCobinS to overthrow
the constitution and destroy Lafayette for
his defense of constitutional liberty, re-
sulting in his final overthrow, were then
detailed. His imprisonment at Olmuty !;
his attempt to escape from prison his re-
arrest; the voluntary confinement in the
prison with him of Madame dc Lafayette
and her two daughters {; and finally his lib
Grafton after five years Imprisonment of
himself and twenty-five months cOntine-
ment of his wife and daughters, were re-
lated at length.
The lecture closed with the following
personal "reminiscences OF Lafayette's visit
to this country
On the 4th of February, 1924, Congress,
having learned that Gen. Lafayette had
expressed the intention to revisit this coun-
try, resolved that a national vessel, with
suitable accommodations, should be
employed to bring him to the
United States. The modest, unas-
suming patriot declined the honor of a n.-
tional vessel and preferred passage in a
private ship. He landed at New York on
the 18th day of August, 1924. His tour in
the United States was a continued ovation
from his landing in New York to his re-
embarkatiOn at Washington, September Z,
1925, on his return to his native land.
When he was expected at Frederick, Md,
my native place, the whole population, far
and wide, poured to town to greet the dis
tinguished friend of his country. The
number of volunteer military companies
that assembled to pay their respects to the
great soldier was greater than l ever saw
together on any occasion. The artillery
companies were stationed on Barrack Hill,
at the south end of Market street, to fire a
salute as Lafayette approached the town.
They had sent squad more than two miles
down the Baltimore road with a cannon to
give the signal of three discharges, when
Lafayette's carriage should be seen to
turn into the MOnOcacy river bridge, from
the opposite side. 1t was before the era
of railroads, and he was compelled to
travel from Baltimore, fOrty-five miles, in
a carriage. 1t was thought he would ar
rive at 2 or o'clock in the afternoon, and
the artillery companies were on Barrack
Hill, and the squad near the Monocacy
bridge, punctually at the time, waiting for
his coming. was then lad of thirteen
years of age, and looked upon all this prep
aration with curious and awed emotion.
stood on Barrack Hill, attracted by the
movement of the artillerists. Hour after
hour passed, and the cavalcade from Balti-
more did not make its appearance. Anxiety
and disappointment had begun to appear
OH the faces around me, when at 6 o'clock,
puff of smoke in the direction of the
Monocacy bridge, followed by boom Of
the cannon, arrested all eyes and ears.
Another and another followed, and we
knew that Lafayette was less than three
miles away. Then followed discharge
after discharge from Barrack Hill, led off
by Long Tom, an immense cannon that
lay out doors in it's deep trough, and the
city poured it's entire population into the
streets to get glimpse of the great man
as he passed along the route laid down in
the programme. In very short time
long string of carriages, escorted by a
troop of light horsemen, swept into the
town and through the streets, wei
coined by shout after shout from
the immense multitude of people all
along the line, as the open barouche
that contained Lafayette appeared. 1t was
quite dark as Lafayette took the stand on
a covered platform, illuminated with
torches. that had been erected at the in
tersection of Market and Church streets,
and the immense line of military filed
past. He stood with uncovered head, and
bowed to the soldiers, as, with arms pre-
sented, they marched past him. stood
not twenty yards from him as the military
were nearly an hour in passing. l had a
good opportunity to see him, and his tall
form, long face, and high forehead, were
dasuerreOtyped on my memory, and they
will never be forgotten.
The lecture occupied about an hour and
a-half in delivery and was listened to with
the closest attention. It was written With
the careful preparation which marks all
DR.. Greenwald's compositions and was de-
livered with fervor that showed the ora