The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-01
WASHINGTON TO FRENCH EYES.


A paper by Edmund Lowell Dana on
the Chevalier de la Luzerne, for whom
/ I.uzerne county, Pa, was named, was
published recently by the Wyoming
Historical Society. 1t contains an esti-
mate of the character of Washington
which Luzerne intended as confiden-
tial communication to his king.
Mr.. 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 it to his father, who made 1t pub
lie for the first time.
| Luzerne was the second French min
| lister sent to this country and was mucn
esteemed by Washington. The follow
| ing letter gave presumably the cheva-
| lier's real impressions of Washington
based on a short-range study of the
subject.
PHILADELPHIA, rs August. 17SS
This is perhaps, Sire, the proper &C.
casion to give you sketch Of the char
acter of Gen. Washington, such as the
frequent occasions that have had to
treat with him permit me to under
stand 1T.
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 vigor which tenn
perance and exercise have augmented,
and the fatigues of war and office work
-. y IL icI,
He was from birth impetuous and
violent, and the murder of M. de Ju-
knoxville, committed by his orders near
ly thirty years ago, proves how little
command he had over himself at that
time. Reflection and age have moder-
ated 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
confirmed the belief that he possesses a
great genius for war; but he is a good
judge of talents, and he willingly lis
tens to the counsels of men whose ex-
pcrience is known to him. He is, never
theless, jealous of the glory of execu-
ton, and his most intimate confidants
have ceased to be such as soon as he
was led to believe that the public at
tribueed to them whatever was good in
his own conduct.
He is naturally undecided, and he
has been known in critical moments
unable to take a resolution and to have
allowed himself to be agitated by the
cor Trajectory advice of those surround
ing him. He loves glory, and, still
more, transient applause 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 de-
lay in the operations which were to
bring suceor to Virginia.
But these spots were effaced
great qualities. If he has not rapid in
sight and promptitude, he has at least
healthy judgment, and he foresees
with sufficient sagacity, and when he
has time for reflection and examination
1t is rare that he is mistaken.
His bravery is worthy of remark,
because it is calm and such as should
belong to a general, although at the be-
ginning Of the war it exceeded the
limits of prudence. Although general
of an army that is scarcely organized,
commander of raw soldiers without ex-
perienee, making war among people
who are jealous of their liberty and of
their property, as we'll as miserly in re-
gard to the succor which the war de-
mands, not even the slightest murmur
has ever been raised against him.
Political passions and civil dissen-
10 he HIGHEST
pitch, but his character and reputation
have preserved him from every attack.
Having become the most powerful
among his fellow citizens he has shown
himself to be the most obedient subject
and the most faithful Of the orders of
his superiors.
IF those who have known him init
nately deny him all these rare and
precious qualities which constitute a
great man, they cannot, however, deny
that it would be difficult to unite in
more eminent degree the most of those
qualities which should belong to his po-
sition and which were necessary for
conducting the revolution to happy
end
The so-called murder of NJ de Ju-
knoxville" occurred in May, 1854, and NJ
de Junl0nNllle, Wlln nine OIDSTS, mad the
misfortune to be killed because Wash
irgton surprised them near Fort Neces-
sity when they were on their way to
attack him. Washington then was
lieutenant colonel and in command of
an expedition ordered by Gov Dinwid-
die to drive the French and Indians
away from the Ohio river
Jumonville commanded a 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 Washington took twenty
| two prisoners.
! Luzerne is equally inaccurate in his
charge that Washington endeavored to
| throw on the French the blame for de-
lay in getting away from Newport to
! Virginia. So far from that being the
case Washington endeavored in every
way to heal the irritation between the
French and American officers because
| of that delay.-New York Sun.
sssss e :: 5: Z :; < :;s XIX z ~ s:a
/ the canary-colored chairs and sofas
which can still be seen in one of the
rooms of the dilapidated Malmaison,