The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-11-03
THE FRENCH HEROES.
What became OF Those Who Helped Us in Our
Revolutionary Struggle.

1t is curious to follow ont the fortunes of those
many French soldiers who fought in America,
and ascertain the conclusion of their careers.
The Count de Custine, who had served with
Frederick the Great in the seven years war, fell
n victim to the guillotine of Paris in August
1893. The Count de Rochambeau was a French
officer at SIXTEEN like Lafayette. Wounded at
the battle of Lafeldt, he fought bravely at Che
yeldt, Minden, Corbach, and Glostercamp
When he went back, after the American war;
Louis XVI. made him Field Marshal. At the
close of the French revolution, having narrowly
escaped the guillotne under the tyranny of
Robespierre, he served with Bonaparte, who con-
ferred OH him the grand cross of the legion of
honor. Connt Matthew Dumas fought Mt Water
loo with Napoleon, and lived to take prOmi-
nent part in the revolution of 1880, when he
Joined with General Lafayette in placing Louis
Philippe upon the throne of France. The Due
Iauzun was an accomplished but voluptuOus
man, possessing personal good looks, wit, wealth,
address, and courage. His geutlemanly gal
lantry made him very popular with the Ameri-
can soldiery, and also the citizens, especially
with the ladies. When he went back to France
he became an intimate of Talleyrand, and with
him ran over to England, in 1892. There he
formed a friendship with the profiigatc Prince of
Wales, and afterwards George ~. When his
uncle died, he became Due de Biron. With his
accustomed courage he took the part of the con-
demned Vendeans, during the French revolution,
and was arrested, imprisoned, and duly guillo
tined December 81, 1898. And what was the ex-
perience of General Lafayette himself-the
friend of the people, the soldier of liberty, the
disciple of Washington For five terrible years,
he was the prisoner of the enemies of France,
aud fettered 10 the floors of an Austrian dun
seon, knowing not whether his wife and chill
dren were alive or dead. General and President
Washington wrote to Francis of Hapsburg ask
ing the liberation of his dear old friend, that
the hero might come to the embrace of America,
which urgent letter the Emperor, with imperial
politeness, never noticed. Austria was deaf
TO the call of humanity the prison-stones of
Olmutz themselves. The sword of the young
Victor of Italy, however, severed the chain 1t q
single stroke, and Lafayette lived to be the
between the French and American officers of the
Republic was as signal as the contrast between
the American and French revolutions But now
the good genius of the United States beams low
ingly on France, and in the coming celebration,
when the apples ripen and the hoar-frost whitens
the ground at night, the children of both free
countries may cordially, and heartily, and en-
Enthusiastically unite in the glorifcation of liber-
erty. The land Of Washington may hail at last
the land of Lafayette by the endearing and eter-
nal name of brother. France and America viii
clasp hands warmly over Yorktown, in commem-
Grafton of dangers overcome and victories won,
and enemies conquered. Our principles aIe iden-
teal; our ideas the same. Let the lesson be
well laid to heart. Liberty, and Democracy, and
the Constitution; and the union of the whole
people of the Republic under our flag forever
Darid Graham 4dee, in the United Serice Magazine.