The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31

NO" iet US turn 10 inc concluding chapter OF
writer a mind hv her corcful studv NJ Iaf,vet,e
and his enyIronmen,> II ia ccr,,in that few
men have been moro appreciated in their life
time. When he died. In NJov lea. IN. Now
WI, r,am.,aS III 81. .
"o'iu h'ourheu MIN US Weii as lheoiu' tne men
Of tho dying generation and the young spirits
rising on the horizon. Never, perhaps, was
- -
man SO appreciated IN Ills lifetime. Inc letter
which Nine. dc Stael wrote TO him in late days
only expressed in hyperooio the conviction OF
every iioeral f~renchinan. long AS you
live" it ran. Il have hopes for the human
race io"e' inHeeu, "hien Lafayette eh.
joyed was almost impossible to live up to, and
.,rrco. In COLA Ma nno,o soo,no,r al. , o.
= y 'ioou were scarcely aoie . ac-
sonality. the author of this hook Distinguishes
hn,uoo, -. I.,.. -. =. Ii.
uct"een wnat Lafayette was ana what ne dio.
What Lafayette was. seems to her almost per-
feet, As a husband. n father. n friend. he played
hLs nav, r,tIr. ,hornh ha ~, no, ,ans;on,,o
"i' r"i' "o"'' 'houHn ne ~ U paesioh"'e
man, no was a faithful and tender one. He was
not unjustly charged with GOODNESS, but he was
constant III his hihahess ana generosity. ana MS
singleness OF heart is almost unique in history.
ne was devoted to liberty. yet he never woocd
her by force; mentally and politically. as well as
physically. he was a Liberal, not "a libcrtinc.
eventually, TO tho world outside his circle. es-
beIlally me young world. he BECAME a beacon
light. The men who came after Lafayette and
entered the Promised Land undoubtedly owed
much 10 the Moses who never reached it,. lie
would have died happier, could he have fore.
seen that the modern French Republic, at no
distant date. would embody the forms of govern
ment FOR which no contenued.
" hen one comes TO VIVA Lafayette did, tho
task OF nppreciat ION is acknowledges to be much
more ~diillCult: 1t Is almost increliblc TINT the
hero. who, in his own day. was looked upon rs
both the high priest ani the Gc.ivcrcr of his
country. should have achieved so little that was
cilcctunl. either in tactics or in policy. 1t. was,
perhaps. impossible for, any one to check the
onrush OF that ball OF fire which we coll the
French revolution. but, in any case. Lafayette
was not the indiTidualt TO accomplish IL. lie had
not the rGr;on"i magnetism so ess"ntia, to a
leader OF men, thc lhcNplicaoIe genius Tor nj.
traction which has given power TO people of
snch vnrying abi!iiy. lafayette hau me density
which belongs 70 az niinGs honrish,d on Il hXGd
IDEA, and II limited his knowiSdse OF his
p4!sc OF ati'trs. The ghy and ehiid:'ike vanity
Mhich mai Nun SO 9ihihoie a I. ing ~ private
mIc was hno, hcr hinnf1htc I" ms pubic career.
~ n'i,utu nun 10 ms errors, an" hrcftntcd h:ih
from natlnE a strong or !ucla p"IrHi IL Is sut;,,
Hcatt,i 'hht: nAG l,aia! cue i,ns9tssti me gift or
in>iEht. WhlEh makes men Know when 70 yie!d
llc less Nliai part OF ,hciT i"s'iS, nc "oulh nave
gone hchfer ms Soai; lie ana nor possess 1t.
he Nns aS inNch IN love with distractions 1s
"hy inteiII"tnhi unasrKrnunate or a dGoatins
society, ana nein'hueh INC n''G"Iutr on an sIG'n.