Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-23

! ! ! !. ! !:
m SAx1Ik MORALS of the revo-
| l MMMNk@, luton which are to
| SS#N/WVAW be found at h e
XHMTHYT worlds fair They
| 4aHMW0NI Ore chiefly in the
~~< government build
| M ing, the various state
| buildings and the
IL educational exhibits
~ There is one collected
revolutionary dis
| play. however, that deserves separate no
tice. 1t is found in the French govern
ment's building. and is known officially as
| the historical exhibition Of Franco-Ameri-
can souvenirs Of the war Of independence.
The relics are so precious, the room in
which they are shown is so beautiful, that
the public cannot safely be admitted except
in small detachments. AS a consequence
| there Is always a crowd waiting. Here Is
| a translation Of the announcement Of the
French commission relative to this display
I'm accepting. before any other nation.
the invitation to participate in the interna-
tional exhibition at Chicago. France but
affirmed once more her traditional friend
ship for the United States.
with the idea of recalling the memories
OF the glorious times when this friendship
sprang into being upon the battlefelds Of
the war Of independence, the government
OF the republic has wished to consecrate the
hall Of honor Of its national pavilion to the
memory of the heroes OF that war-Wash-
ington and Lafayette"
The room alluded to is large and pleasant
French windows open down to the floor.
and from them one can see the lake. The
decorations are copied from those in the
am bassadors room in the palace of Yer
sailles, where Louis XVI received, on March
20. IT'S Silas Deane Benjamin Franklin
and Arthur Lee, the first ministers sent by
the United States abroad The. room is
hung with magnificent historical tapestries.
In one corner are several pieces of eurTi-
ture from Lafayette's library at his chateau
Of Lagrange. Everybody who has real
American history will remember this famed
country seat 1t was the place where
Americans seventy years ago always re-
sorted when they went to France. Some Of
them had letters to Lafayette and others
went without any. All were kindly received
by the simple nobieman. In this house
there were many souvenirs of Washin yton.
and II is some of these that are shown at
the fair by the French government as we'll
as those that were left to Lafayette by
Washington in his will There are others
that Lafayette received when he made bis
great tour Of America in 1924.
Washington Souvenirs From France.
First among them is the gold ring given
to Lafayette by the owner Of Mount Yer
Of the brown hair OF Washington ir.ter-
twined with the white hair OF his wife.
There are several busts of Washington, the
most important OF which is probably the
large bronze one given to Lafayette by
Houdon. the sculptor who executed it. 1t
will be remembered that 1t was Houdon
who made the famous pedestrian statue of
Washington that now stan is in the state
house at Richmond. He received the COM
mission for the work from the Virginia leg
tslature, and, coming to America, repaired
to Mount Vernon, where he studied his sub
1ect thoroughly. Jefferson, who was minis
ter to France at the time, pronounced HIM
the greatest sculptor .dive. The statue,
when II was finished. was declared by the
friends of Washington 20 he excellent To
no one was 1t more pleasing than to Latay-
cite, who said 1t was a perfect reproduce
ton Of Washington's person. The bust here
which Houdon subsequently gave Lafayette
gives the same Interpretation Of Washing
ton as appears in the Richmond statue.
The friendship between Washington and
Lafayette extended to all Of Washing ton's
relations, and they came finally to yenerate
him father. Among the relics shown
from the library at Lagrange is a fine
piece Of tapestry. upon the reverse of which
is the inscription, Worked 10y Mrs. Mert ha
Washington at the age Of ~. Presented
by her grandchild Eleanor Parsee Lewis. to
her beloved and honored father, Genl. La
fayette, at Woodlawn August 81, 1875
Secure under glass is the decoration of
the Order of the Cincinnati which Lafay-
cite wore. 1t recalls the strange fight that
was made against that poor, harmless So
ciety, now almost forgotten. but OCCASION
ally brought before the public by the fact
that ii is holding an annual banquet. 1t is
doubtful IL the society, even when ii had
the most members. ever did anything more
important than to dine. but there was no
decoration at the court of France more
proudly worn than this one which pro-
s.1a Oh hat q h,.l
revolution.
There is a letter from Washington to La
fayette exhibited. 1t is a strange docu-
ment, as II is obviously not In the PEN
manship OF Washington. yet is fully signed
and Is treated as an original II is dated
June 3, 1880, at New YORK, and is warmly
affectionate. There was hardly another of
his correspondents for whom he signed
himself as he did here, with sentiments
of the sincerest affection" In another
case are the big pistols that Washington
carried through the revolutionary war.
They were a legacy TO Lafayette by Wash
ington's will and they bear the Inscription:
Washington to Lafayette. Legacy" Up
to the death OF Lafayette they used to be
in the library at Lagrange. One may
pause a moment and try to think of a sim
gle instance during the revolution when
these pistols were discharged but he will
think in vain. Washington drew his sword
a number of times. anu on one occasion he
Is reported to have struck some cowaraly
soldiers with the fiat side Of It. but there
Is no record Of his using his pistols They
were, however, as much a part of his per
sonal belongings as his saddle itself and
he never mounted his horse without them
Portraits of Washington.
Another relic from Lagrange is the full
length portrait Of Washington painted un-
doubtedly by Trumbull which represents
him standing with his hand resting on a
cannon. In the background a page holds
his horse and the stars and stripes of the
United States are floating beside the fieur-
de-lis of France. 1t is Washington in the
full vigor Of manhood that is depicted here,
There Is another one which is a good COPY
Of the famous Gilbert Stewart portrait
The relics of Lafayette's own life have
most OF them remained among his descend
ants. and ii is they who have loaned them
through their government to the world's
fair for a few months. They comprise a
number of manuscripts and charts on ho :.
ties of the revolution and swords and Other
things. The most important Of the swords
Is the one given to Lafayette by the Amer.
lean Congress in 1779 1t was made q,
France and several of the actions Of ~.
war are represented on IT. Franklin trans-
mitted 1t to the marquis with one of thnse
perfect letters which the old phiIoeonSo.
knew so well how to write. and Ia r. &c.
responded in graceful sentences OF ann
citation. The two letters call to NINA -
magnificent old-fashioned bows eanS .mo
tleman holding his hand upon h,s