The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-11-19
la EAElTTE MONUMENT.
Letter Addressed Upon Invitation
to West La Fayette, Ind,
Schools.

Ellis l have the pleasure Ct addressing
a few lines to you upon the subject OF
the proposed school children's monu-
ment to General Ii Fayette-a project
made certain by the high patriotic
sentiment and action Of our Commits
sioner General to the Paris Exposition
OF 1900
One hundred and twenty years ago
your t-grand-tathers We're
tishtjng a!mast Tj;Jhloqt thagfsn a arm7.
Ther were fighting that they might be
free and independent and that they
might make great nation out of their
country. In those days the American
people were very poor and numbered
little more than the population Of the
great city OF Chicago numbers today.
\ handful Of simple, honest people,
they were fighting against the most
powerful nation in the world. They
had neither money, clothing nor arms,
bat they had the courage of people
who were in the right. and with the
leadership of a great general, George
Washington, thew had held out for
over a year, beng driven from the
larger cities with many Of their num-
bers killed or lost, or forced to give up
in order to save themselves from starry
ing or freezing. Our government could
not supply them with food or clothing.
About the time General Washington
was driven away from New York, and
in the darkest days Of the Revolution,
young man, less than twenty years Of
age, arrived in Philadelphia, where
the American congress was in session,
and offered his services TO our poor
colonies free of any cost, and as a vol
nntcer. Congress made this young
man a general and placed him on the
not know much about him at that time,
but they soon learned that he was to be
OF the greatest service TO them, for
he was very rich and powerful. He
bought thousands Of pairs of shoes for
the poor soldiers and bread and cloth
ing TO feed and ciothe them.
With his flashing sword he led them
across the fields OF Virginia and New
Jersey, ana after a while went away,
but returned in a few months with
fleets of warships and splendid armies
OF French soldiers, the best in Europe,
vino marched side by side with the
ragged Contlneutals under WASHINGTON.
showing them the greatest kindness
and respect, and paying from their
private means Tor everything our
country people gave them. They
fought and bled and died with us that
we might be free.
Nho was this young man 50 rich and
powerful that he could equip an army
from his own pocket and who could |
influence the king Of France to send |
his armies and fleets here t. fight for |
Us? Who was this young man who /
left beautiful wife, \ paiatial nome. |
fortune and fame in his native land to |!
help people he had scarcely heard of
before? Vino WAS he? He is called I
the " Knight Of Liberty" lie should /
be enshrined in the heart Of every +
American youth as the ideal patriot =
his name was Ia Fayettc.
Nearly twenty wears ago, when the /
writer Of this letter was a 5choolbov, 4
he became an ardent student Of the I
works of the great French author. I
Nlctor Hugo. Ia reading his master
piece, Les VI serablc,'', his mind was
attracted to little, obscure convent in
Paris, 50 wildly described bv this
wonderful writer as T. inspire all who
read the book TO wish to visit the con
vent as an old landmark of the bcauti-
iul capital If France. In after years.
when the opportunity came lie made a
pilgrimage to this convent, and much
to his surprise there found, apparently
and forgotten by those for
whom he had done 50 much, the hum
bic grave of his boyhood's ideal in
history, La Fayette
Before leaving that cemetery, known
a. the little Iicpu-, the idea Of a mon
ulnent 10 the memory OF General
La Fayette was conceived, and the
thought and plan WAS thcreupon written
out on the pages 0 a register kept there t
for visitors
That the school youth Of our great
Republic might De led to a study Of the
beautiful ana noble character of La
Fayette. an! that the gift Of the monu-
ment might in fact come direct from
the great heart Of the American people,
i was determined that the children
f1I1lI h.. rfy.