New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-05
QUE FHENtN TISIIORS.

1t was upon the 2Oth of March, IT'S
that the American Commissioners, with Brnia-
min Franklin at their head, were presented to
the King of France at Versailles. Two others
were Joined with him, bat the eyes of the
French Court were specially upon Franklin. to
whom the King said IL wish Congress TO be
assured OF my friendship" If the manner of
his recognition was somewhat cold, the exqui-
site courtesy of Marie Antoinctte made amends.
He had reached Paris on the DIST of
December, 1916, and since that time had de-
voted himself successfully to the interests of
the struggling republic which he so admirably
represented He had not ut first been officially
received, and 1t was felt that his mission WAS
not SO much to the Crown as to the brave and
generous French people nor was it long be-
fore he gained much influence with the Min
istry. On the 9th of January, the Commits
sioncrs asked Of Ncrgcnncs eight ships Of the
line, ammunition, field pieces, and twenty or
thirty thousand muskcts These with the
"sccrct succors" came through Bcaumarchais
but the King would not openly manifest par
TALLY which wonld be n ground for war on the
part of England. Mr.. Bancroft says that after
long research, with the best opp ortunitIes. he
"cannot find that on any one occasion the King
Suppressed voluntary sympathy with America
"petulancc' 1t Is pleasant to remember to-
day that it was to the people of France that we
owed assistance and that Lafayette, when he
desired to join our forces, was compelled to
brave tho anger Of Louis and to leave France
secretly. 1t was popular sympathy which sent
us succOr which substantially opened the
French ports for our maritime prizes and
which ultimately compelled England to declare
war against France. Upon side also was
the philosophical opinion Of that country and
that opinion was hardly in accordance with the
prcjudiccs and sentiments of the monarch.
1t is unnecessary here to recapitulate the his
tory of the French alliance with the reyoted
colonies; but it is doubtful whether there
would have been any story Of the siege of York
town without it. Nations can surely afford to
be grateful to those who stretched forth to
them the hand of help in the day of doubt and
disaster. Our demands, if demands they may
be considered, were great, and already French
finance was not in very elastic condition.
The sums of money which received were
large-largcr at that time than they would be
now; and they afforded to Washington the
means of operating with energy and decision
At the siege of Yorktown, the French troops
were 1000 in number, and there were only
10000 in all. When the storming of the ad-
vanced redoubts came, one party was French
and one party American. We divided the
glory then, and we divide it now Our guests
come to visit scenes made illustrious by the
valor of their countrymen. They will pay
tribute to the courage of their commanders
we JOIN with them in repeating together the
names of Lafayette and Hamilton.
One hundred years have gone by since the
bravest soldiers of two continents stoo d
shoulder to shoulder and saw the ramparts of
Yorktown crumble at their approach AS we
gratefully make ready to receive our guests. we