The National tribune., 1900-10-18

| that Madam Monroe made the historic
visit to Madam Lafayette III prison. This
Nation adored Lafayette, and Mr.. Mon
roe decided to risk displeasure by send
ing his wife to see her i'll prison. The
carriage of the American Minister drew
up before the Jail. The keeper advanced
To know the object of her visit. Mrs.
Monroe. with quiet dignity, asked to see
Madam Lafayette. 1t was the wife OF
the American Minister who had made thi~
request, and il was complied with. Wheu
the MarchiOuess was brought out by the
Jail0T and she saw who it was before her
she sank at her feet. unable to manifest
her JOY from weakness. That afternoon
she was to have been beheaded, and had
waited through the long hours in expect
ancy of the eXecutiOner's orders to pre-
pare for execution. We can Judge of he
surprise and JOY that, instead Of the ex-
ecutiOnCr, she WIS summoned to see a
friend-that friend the wife of the Amer
lean Ambassador. This visit of the Min
ister's wife changed the plan of the off
cials. Mrs. Monroe, when she left the
prison, said to Madam Lafayette, in a
clear voice, II will be here tomorrow TO
see you" but before the morrow came
she was liberated She sent her son.
George Washington Lafayette, 10 Amer
ica to the care of Gen. George Washing
ton, and she accepted ''to share the cap
tivity OF her husband in all its details" "
After an imprisonment of FIVE years for
Lafayette and % months for Madam La
fayettc, through the influence of the two
most influential men in the world George
Washington and Napoleon BOnaparte
they were released. But not so well for
Monroe; England was angered at the po-
Sition taken by him, and he at last was
rebuked for his overt acts and hidden 10
return TO America.
Every heart in America must rejoice
at the action taken by the Minister and
his wife regarding Madam Lafayette and
yet, when the light. is turned on through
state papers, we have to confess that Mon
roe lacked the qualities of a diplomat
that Why's of wisdom would have sug-
gested other methods. Monroe's failure
was not altogether personal; it was rather
| a party failure.
We do not find among the state papers
of the Presidents. just published by Con
gress, edited by Mr.. Richardson, the let
ter Of Mr. Monroe's recall, although the
letter recalling Gouveneur Morris and
nominating James Monroe to fill his place
is among the Washington papers. Yet il
is a matter Of record that President Wash
ington, feeling that he could not longer ap-
prove him, recalled him August -. 17Si.
II is said that MIR. and Mrs Monroe
| turned their faces toward their native
| shores, hurt in their hearts" Others
say ''he reached home full of wrath
Jefferson and his friends gave him kind
| ly greeting. Washington wrote that he
had passed through to his home without
! calling on him. SO il seems that there
are men, even great men like John Adams
and james Monroe, who cannot rise above
| personal piques and put the ego behind
| them.
Monroe demanded Of Pickering the rea-
son of his recall and drew from the Sec
retary very explicit response; but the
most injudicious thing Monroe did was To
| publish n pamphlet called the View" in
which he essayed to show the diplomatic
| position and the attitude OF the Admins.
| tIation toward him.
| Washington, in his copy of the "View,,'
wrote his animadversions paragraph by
| paragraph. In conclusion, Washington
says "Mr. Monroe was cajoled, battered
and made to believe strange things. In
return he did or was disposed to do what
ever was pleasing to that Nation, reluct-
antly urging the rights Of his own"
| These notes We're long suppressed, but
were at length given to the world bv
Sparks, in his "Washington's Writings. y
When the view was published Re
publicans and Federalists damaged each
others reputation as much as they could
! in war Of newspaper articles, pamphlets
! etc. And yet the country survived. the
wheels of Government were not stopped,
and we soon find Monroe Governor of Vir-
| ginia. In due time Jefferson is Presi-
| dent, and Mr.. Monroe is sent back 10
| France TO negotiate. with Livingston, for
| the purchase of Louisiana. Within four
| teen days after his arrival in Paris they
| had purchased that entire territory, one
of tho most important and diplomatic acts
in the history Of this Republic.
Go be continued)