The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-21

ment of honor.
On such principles did Washington
found the independence Of America.
In his relations with the French,
whose aid was of pressing necessity, the
American general in chief never entire
ly freed himself from the hateful preju-
dices of his race; at first he treated the
young officers whom the fashion of the
day and generous illusions brought to
America with disdainful harshness;
they were in his eyes, simple adventures
on whom it was dangerous TO rely.
mo bond but self-interest," he said,
attaches these men to America and as
for France, she allows us to procure
munitions of war from her because OF
the benefits thereby accruing to her COM
mercc"
This republican had not must belief in
the disintercstedness of men and in the
virtue which Montesquicu says is pecu-
liar TO republics. Furthermore, being
extremely ignorant of European affairs,
he did not know what infatuated gene
thought it was to their advantage to
give aid to the enemies of the English
The arrival of Lafayette was a revela-
tion to him.
When Lafayette arrived in Phladcl-
phia, congress, tired of the gratitude
due to foreigners, wanted no more of
them. AT first they put off the young
arrival, who, by his name. his elegance,
and the warm recommendations OF
Franklin, succeeded little by little in
changing the rudcncss of his first reccp-
ton into enthusiasm. The young mar
quis soon became the fashion, and the
democratic society, going mad over this
grand seigncur, made him a major gen.
eral.
The favor was perhaps excessive. This
was the opinion of Washington, who
was too English to be quick To mike
friends with a Frcnchman; but as The
| result of Difference gracionsncss and de-
voton Lafayette trlumphcd over the hos
tility of the general i'll chief, which
finally changed to an attachment that
was never interrupted.
When Lafayette discmharkcd the war
was not going we'll for the Americans.
Being given charge of an expedition to
Canada, which for lack of sufficient pre-
pnration did not succeed, Lafayette soon
SAN himself the object OF injurious sus-
picions on the part of the insurgents.
c., l,;
opportunity. When Count d d'Estaing's
fleet, after Il battle, was obliged to yield
to stress of weather, there was great
! wrath among the people of Boston and
7 militia. The word treason that is SO
| often uttered by excited multtudes cir
culated. An American general, yielding
to passion, wrote in an order of the day
that the allies had abandoned them. La
fayettc, cut to the quick, demanded and
obtained a rctractiOn Washington, for
his part, having experience of the dis
gust that democratic governments make
those who serve them feel, undertook to
dress the wound inflicted on the French
by the ingratitudc of his fcllow-citlzcns.
Approaching in n proper manner the
foOishncss of the multitude he wrote to
Lafayette:
LET me beg of you, my dear marquis,
not to attach too much Importance to
absurd words uttered without reflection.
All thinking men recognize the advan-
tascs that we owe to the French fleet
and to tho zeal of its commander, but in
II republican government yOn cannot
,, suppress the voice of the many: every
body talks as he thinks, or, rather, with
out thinking, and consequently Judges
results wrongly"
TO supplement- the opinion of Wash
| inston it Is proper to recall Il passage
from a letter written by him to I4afaycL-
tc several years later: II admit that it
is to be regretted that 1t is always ncccs-
snry for democratic states to feed before
being able to decide; that is why all
these governments are slow to act
When the distrust and the dislike of
congress for mlitariSm became positive
]y injurious, and caused it to refuse to
| grant the sums necessary for the main
| tcnancc of the army, Washington lost
! patience.
''rhc sentiments Of congress arc as un-
just rs they are mnp0liic," cXclaims The
GcncraI-in- chief. ''Thcrc does not exist
in history an example Of an army sub
jcctcd to such extraordinary suffering
and toll, and which has borne them with
| so much patience and courage.
40 see men who lack clothes, prGvs-
ions and often shoes (for their marGl
might have been followed by the blood
that ran from their fccD take up winter
quarters on Christmas eve less than u
days march from the enemy, is a spec
| tacle Of sclf-abnegation almost unique.
'"rhc army, it is true, has made some
| rcmonstrnnces to congress, but we
should be slaves if this right were re-
fused us"
When the English. discouraged by the
resistance of the Americans, tried to dis
arm them by fair promises, Washington.
| who understood the Anglo SnXons thor
oughly, put his fcllow-citizcns on guard
| against this attempt.
"If Great Britain" he says, found a
i