Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-10
A NOTABLE ANNIVERSARY.
or the First Visit at Lafayette To the Ma
tionai Capital.

or the first Visit of Lafayette to the Ma
tionai Capital
TEE DISTINGUISHED OFFICER DID NOT THINK Nrcu
OF rHE CRY OF WASHINGTON rHES-Hr PROB
ABLr STOOD ON THE STE OF HIS PRESENT
STATUE
THE OLD PHILOSOPHER. WHO SAYS
= the city park IL more pleasing to him than
the wider stretches of country scenery. de
clares that nov is the season that he likes the
best Perhaps IL is because he is in the autumn
OF his life and he and the time are in fun sym
patty, but he says that one park in particular
is full of fine recoilections 20 him now. STAR
reporter found him few days ago sitting upon
his accustomed bench and looking up at the
noble effsy of the Marquis de Lafayette. and
this is the reason why he gazed at il;
Next Monday. October IL. marks the seventy
hrst anniversary OF Lafayet;e's visit To the city
OF Washington. Nearly three-quarters OF a
century ago he stood on about the very spot
where his statue now is and looked upon the
White House across the street The year 1894.
when he made. his visit marks a connecting
link between the present day and reyo ntionary
times, for in the crowd that fccked along the
avenue there were not few gray veterans Of
,he war otindependence. who. forty-three wears
before, had been with the Young marquis at
Yorktown. when CORVALLIS had surrendered
| anu now there are a few Old meu the old mill
| osopher of the city park among them who re-
| member how on that bright October day 40 long
ago their fathers raised them IN theira above
the crowd and they looked and saw the Kindly
Old gentleman that all America was gong Wild
over. But the statue is of the young general.
| mere boy IN years and appearance. but nav
| ing discretion and wisdom beyond his wears.
| The Lafayette that the few survivors OF his
VISIT To Washington remember was portly and
| fuii OF years. His countenance had lost IN
youthful fre. but had gained in benignancN.
| There never was a time. Young or old, sher
| Lafayette was not a handsome man.
LAFAyErTE's TRIP TO WASHINGTON
Along the old turnpike road from l. fillmore
he rode into the little federal city seventy-ono
years ago. He was the nations guest and l.
was only fitting he should come to the nations
new city soon after his arrival But he did not
| come at once. Several engagements had De en-
made before he reached our shores and these
/ he had TO satisfy first. IL was the middle OF
August when the Csdmus. commanded by Capt
Allyn, dropped anchor i'll New lorL harbor ON
bright Sunday morning, and it was few
| days later that he wrote to President Monroe
| saying he was ANXIOUS TO come to the capital
| as soon as il could possibly be arranged. Then
| ne went to Boston. then TO Portsmouth. y. IA.
| and then pack again to New York. Then he
went up the Hudson and the historian OF his
| visit pauses IN his narrative TO tell
| that he used steamboat on this
occasion and that it went al the extraordinary
| speed Of SIX statute miles an hour. he went to
| Albany and he stopped at one or two historic
| spots on the river-at West Point TO look over
4 the scene of former military operations and AT
| Clermont TO see old friends. He cane back to
New York and started out TO- Washington the
| latter part OF September. TN the 18th he Was
| at Trenton. on the 9th he crossed the Della
ware and went on TO Philadelphia. He left the
| OLD town on October and went straight TO Bal
| timore. There, ar indeed everywhere else. he
| went through round of feasting. and actually
| left the dinner table to take his chariot for
| Washington. 1t was toward nightfall and
nearly the whole journey was made in the
| DARK. There was mounted escort of
baltinoreans accompanying him. and more
on their account than his own the
marquis proposed that they put up for the
| night at hotel on the roadside. But il fell
about that some malicious tory owned the hotel
and had called il Waterloo and the chiyalrous
Baltimore men would not consent TO lodge
| there. because the name must be dissgreeable
| and wished TO tear down the sign that bore the
name and were only prevented from doing SO
| by the fear of Lafayette displeasure. 80 the
whole party rode all night long.
HIS WELCOME AT THE CAPITOL
1t was bright and early in the morning and
| they were still some little distance from the
Capitol when Capt. Sprigg. who had been gov
| ernor Of Maryland and was quite a wcli-known
character in his day. riding at the head OF q
nne little band Of cavalry. met the general on
the road. On Monday morning. only the day
| after tomorrow, when the readers of The STAR
wake mp, and lazily rub then ewes. let them
look out of their windows at the bright city and
| think Of the scene that their fathers witnessed
| seven decades ago. Ii il easy enough to imag-
| Inc. There WAS Lafayette. with his George
and his secretary. Monsieur Levasseur. in the
great. heavy chariot. There were several other
| important individuals in chariots- There was
the band Of Baltimore gentlemen on horseback.
all pretty tired. perhaps. but al resolved TO see
| the sights that they knew the day had in store
for them. and there were Capt. Sprigg
and his band come TO welcome Amer
| icas idol to the capital. The procession
| formed and nearer the Capitol was met by the
| city corporation of Washington. triumphal
| arch had been erected, and they all passed
under it and entered the Capitol whore all the
| municipal officers had gathered. Then they
! proceeded TO one of the porticos. and in the
presence of an immense concourse Of people
| the mayor made an address of welcome and the
distinguished guest delivered an appropriate
| response.
Without stopping further they moved down
| Pennsylvania avenue to the White House.
| Before be had entered the city and afterward
| Lafayette accompanied by a large crowd
| of enthusiastic people. The whole population
| OF Washington had turned out but tins would
| not have formed so large assemblage az the
| one that greeted him. and 1t Is certain that the
| country for miles around mus. have been
| drained of its inhabitants. Everybody wanted
| TO catch glimpse of the French-American
| When the procession reached the White House
| only few entered the grounds. These went
in to be received by James Monroe. The
cabinet were with him. as also a few Senators
| and army and navy officers. Lafayette and
Monroe were old friends and had served in the
army together and they greeted one another
affectionately.
WHAT HE THOUGHT OF THE CITY.
And what did Lafayette and his French COM
panions think of Washington? 1t is not strange
| that il made an impression which the years
| that have followed have proved was not a cor
| rect one. 1t is really hard to realize that the
| city whose praises are now sung by all Am-ri-
| cans and foreigners. too. was seventy years ago
| SO small and ragged that comparatively few
people believed in its future Lafavette's sec
| rotary has chronicled his impressions of the
| city: 1--WE were already half an hour within the
limits of the city without finding G single habi-
| tation. The plan of Washington is so gigantic
that it will require a century for its completion
| 1t is only built up in the interval which sepa-
| rates the Presidents house from the Capitol
and this space at present forms a moderate
town"
| He says nothing of his belief in the future
beauty of the place. hundred years was too
| far to look ahead, TO mind the story of the ugly
| duckling. This poor creature. il will be re-
membered, having been Matched out in the
ordinary course OF incubation was at once pro-