Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-03-05
MRS. JAMES MONROE
HOW SHE SAVED NINE. DE LAFAY
ETTE FROM THE GUILLOTINE.
HER HUSBAND REPROVED
An Interesting Incident During the
French Revolution, When Monroe
Was American Ministerial Touch
ing Episode Connected With Lafay-
cites Visit to Jefferson.

Because Of the present effort to have
the remains of Mrs Monroe, wife of
President James Monroe, removed to
Hollywood cemetry, Richmond, and
buried beside her husbands grave the
following narrative is especially inter
esting. 1t is taken from an article
by Murat Halstead, published in the
Cosmopolitan Magazine of October.
1897:
AS a heroine of the French revolu-
ton, Nine. de Lafayette suffered more
keenly, perhaps, than anyone. Admira-
ton for and loyalty to her husbands
principles; satisfaction. suspense,
agony, the whole gamut of emotions,
were lived over, day after day, month
after month, always dominated by an
answering devotion-happiest of all
when she was permitted to share his
less days when she in prison was
alone, separated from her children, in
absolute ignorance of her husbands
fate-with the knife of the guillotine
ever above her head. There was the
supreme agony of the time when she
learned her beloved mother, sister and
grandmother had been sacrificed be-
cause of the name of Lafayette.
James Monroe, Minister.
By the time the revolutionary war
was over and the government of the
United States had been organized at
New York the French revolution was
shocking the world. James Monroe,
a soldier and statesman, a man Of
fortune and intellect, had been dis
tinguished among the group of illus
trious Virginians as one who feared
that the republic might be so strong
under the constitution as to be mon
archical. He was a senator from his
state, the close friend Of Thomas JEFF
fersOn, and had married the beautiful
Tory belle, Miss Eliza Kortright,
daughter of Lawrence fortnight, who
had been a captain in the British
army Washington found Hamilton
and Jefferson the representative men
and leaders of opposing principles.
There was public occupation for both
and, feeling himself easily capable of
impartiality, he sent John Jay, the
friend of Hamilton, to England and
James Monroe, the friend of Jefferson,
to France.
The arrival of Monroe at Paris on
August 2, 1894, closely followed the
fall of Robespierre. The French ter
ror' had been such that the nations of
Europe were not represented in
France The position Of the Amer1-
can minister was consequently unique
in it's possibilities, demanding eX-
IRENE delicacy. Monroe was received
by the national assembly, before whom
he delivered an address which was in
broad sympathy with the French re-
public. and received a rapturOus wei
come.
This speech was destined to have a
great influence upon Monroe's career.
He awaited news from home with
some trepidation, and when it arrived
it was in the form of a reproof. Ed
mund Randolph, the secretary of state:
wrote that he did not perceive in the
instructions of the minister Of France
anything that imposed upon him the
expression of the extreme glow of
some parts Of his address,"
Monroe's Determination.
Three months after Monroe had
reached Paris he wrote: Il was eX-
treme1y concerned upon my arrival
here to find that our countryman, Mr.,
Paine (Thomas Paine), as likewise
Nine. de Lafayette, were in prison,
the former of whom had been confined
nearly nine months and the latter
about two. l was individually en-
treated by both to endeavor to obtain
their enlargement | assured them
of the concern Americans had in their