The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-25
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the housetops, heard our national airs played through all the streets and witt messed the touching demonstrations of pressive of their sympathy for America, felt that the effect of the treaty of friendship and alliance made a century good.
 Upon returning from the land of Ro- chamheau. 1t is an especial pleasure to participate in the inauguration of his countries claim a share in the glory which illumined his career. His remains repose on the banks of the Loire; 1t is fleeing that his statue should stand on the banks of the Potomac.
 In the heart of the nationals capital. in presence of this vast assemblage of rep resentative citizens of the old world and the new in memory of contest In which French and American blood moistened the same soil in battling for a. common cause; we meet to dedicate a statue in honor of hero of two continents-the illustrious Rochambeau. ...
 Its purpose is to recall the record of tmperishable deeds, to testify that his name is not a dead memory but a living reality: to quicken our sense of apprecia- tion and emphasize the fidelity of our af- lection. In erecting wonder statute in honor of this great representative soldier America has raised constructively, a mon umept to, the memory of every French man who fought for the cause of her na- tional independence. Its dedication cele- brates the joint victory which terminated a struggle .hat gave freedom tc the the new world eventually to liberty and the rights of man.
 To fully appreciate the genuineness of Rochambeaus character as exemplified In his American campaign, we must rec olleet. that he was a member of the old French nobility and the wearer of deco rations bestowed by royal hands, yet coming here to gain battles in the in taFpHt of advanced raniThltoan oi,>Ia It was not his own country for which he was fighting; he had no intention of re- maining here to share in the prosperity which would follow succ ,ss; he therefore did not have the powerful stimulus of patriotism to animate him. He came to our shores with proud army, hand somely equipped. brilliantly uniformed and disciplined in the rigid school of a leading military power of the ola world. to find himself associated with the mod est yeomanry of the colonies who consti- tuted the American forces, who were not supplied with clothing enough to cover their honorable wounds, and the march of whose shoelSss battalions could be traced by the blood which flowed from their lacerated feet Frequent communica- tion with France was impossible and Rochambeau had been given almost un- restricted liberty of action. Under these circumstances d man with less modesty and magninimity of character and less earnest spirit of accommodation, might have been overbearing. arrogant and in disposed to look with favor upon plans presented by the American commander but he manifested from the outset an un- disguised willingness ko adopt all meas ures which might facilitate the joint military operations upon this difficult theatre of war and sank all considera- tions other than those which would con duce to the complete success of the all lied armies.
 Confirmatory of the perfect cordiality which marked the relations between these two renowned comma nders. there is among the unpublished correspondence fin the French War Department d letter written by Washington to Roehambeau soon after the close of the war which. contains this touching phrase:
 We have been contemporaries and com panion in the lahors of the war for the