Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-04
WASHINGTON TO FRENCH EYES.
Secret Sketch Sent by the Chevalier de
la Luzerne to the French King.

la Luzerne to the French King.
From the New York Sum-
A paper by Edmund Lowell Dana on the
Chevalier de la Luzerne for whom Luzerne
county. Pa. was named, was published
recently by the Wyoming Historical So
ciety. 1t contains an estimate of the char
acter OF Washington which Luzerne in
tended as confidential communication to
his king.
MI Dana's son, while In Paris some years
ago. ran across the document in the state
archives and by the courtesy of the French
government copied 1t and sent 1t to his
father, who made it public for the first
time.
Luzerne was the second French minister
sent to this country and was much esteem
ed by Washington. The following letter
gave presumably the chevalier's real i'm
pressions of Washington based on a short
range study Of the subject.
PHILADELPHIA % August, 17S3.
This Is perhaps, Sire the proper occa-
sion to give you sketch of the character
of Gen. Washington. such as the frequent
occasions that l have had to treat with
him permit me to understand it.
This man. whom his country. and perhaps
posterity, will elevate to the rank of the
greatest of heroes, does not appear to me
to merit neither SO much glory nor so little
praise. He received from nature bodily
vlgor which temperance and exercise have
office work have not been able to diminish.
He was from birth impetuous and vio-
lent. and the murder of NJ. de JumNviile,
committed by his orders nearly thirty years
ago. proves how little command he had
over himself at that time. Reflection and
age have moderated his passions, and If
his primitive character still gets the better
of him sometimes, the public is ignorant of
his storms, and only those who live near
him witness them.
'Seven years of command have not con-
firmed the belief that he possesses a great
genius for war; but he is a good judge of
talents. and he willingly listens to the
counselS of men whose experience is known
to him. He is. nevertheless, jealous of the
glory of execution, and his most intimate
confidants have ceased to be such as soon
as he was led to believe that the public
attributed to them whatever was good in
his own conduct.
been known In critical moments unable
to take resolution and to have allowed
+ himself to be agitated by the contradictory
advice of those surrounding him. He
loves glory, and. stil more transient APP
plause and popular favor.
Sometimes to secure the latter he has
sacrificed truth, and it was thus that he
endeavored to throw back upon the French
army the blame of the delay in the opera
tions which were to bring succor to Nir-
ginia.
But these spots were effaced by great
qualities If he has not rapid insight and
promptitude he has at least a healthy
Judgment, and he foresees with sufficient
sagacity. and when he has time for re-
Election and examination 1t Is rare that
he is mistaken.
His bravery is worthy of remark. be-
cause it is calm and such as should belong
to a general, although at the beginning of
the war it exceeded the limits Of prudence.
Although general of an army that is
scarcely organized, commander Of raw
soldiers without experience. making war
among people who are jealous OF their
liberty and Of their property, as well as
misery in regard to the succor which the
war demands, not even the slightest muir
muir has ever been raised against him.
Political passions and civil dissensions
have been reused to the highest pitch, but
his character and reputation have pre-
served him from every attack. Having
become the most powerful among his Fellow
citizens he has shown himself to be the
most obedent subject and the most faith
full to the orders of his superiors.
IF those who have known him init
mately deny him all these rare and precious
qualities which constitute great man,
they cannot, however, deny that 1t would
be difficult to unite in more eminent
degree the most of those qualities which
should belong to his position and which
were necessary for conducting the reVoiu-
ton to happy end"
The so-called murder of NJ. de Jumon-
ville' occurred in May, 11a4, and M. de
Jumcnville, with nine others had the mis-
fortune to be killed because Washington
surprised them near Fort Necessity when
they were on their way to attack him.
Washington then was a lieutenant colonel
and in command of an expedition ordered
by Gov Dinwiddle to drive the French and
Indians away from the Ohio river
Jumonville commanded counter French
expedition and was 'murdered' just as
any other person is murdered who is killed
on the field Of battle in time of war. In
addition to killing ten of the enemy WASH
ington took twenty-five prisoners.
LuZerne is equally inaccurate IN MS
charge that Washington endeavored to
throw on the French the blame for delay
in getting away from Newport to Virginia.
So far from that being the case Washing
ton endeavored in every way to. heal the
irritation between the French and Ameri-
can officers because Of that delay.