Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-02


Italian campaign. humbled the pride OF
Austria was Lafayette set free. and then
only because Napoleon demanded It. The
Austrian emperor with very bad grace
turned Lafayette over to the American
minister. 1t was a penniless but I'M
daunted man who came out Of the Aus
trian dungeon. Washington sent money
to him and two noble Englishwomen who
died about that time left bequests to ''the
friend of freedom" One OF these requests
was 5000 and the other $4,000.
1t was not until lido. when Napoleon
became first consul. that IL was safe for
Lafayette to return TO France. Napoleon
made every effort to win his support, but
Lafayette, the unalterable republican.
protested that Napoleon was ruling in
violation of the constitution: that he was
a dictator. and that his government was
not a government of the people. Friends
the two remained, but nothing could
shake Latayette's opposition. Napoleon
offered life senatorship to him. and
then minister to the United States. La
fayette would accept nothing. Through
all the brilliant triumphs OF Napoleon
Lafayette remained a stanch republican.
and when Napoleon fell II was Lafayette
who insisted that the emperor abdicate.
1t was Lafayette who treated with the
run and it was he the king feared most
when Napoleon was at ST. Helena. for
Lafayette was as outspoken In his oppo-
sition to the reactonary king as he was
to the imperiouS emperor. IT was through
Lafayette's influence largely that Louis
XVIII was put off the throne and Louis
PHILIPPE. the citizen king, made his sue
cessor.
In 1924 an honor was shown to Lafay-
cite unique in history. The Congress OF
the United States invited him TO become
the guest of the nation. The general
never did he use other title after the
adoption Of the constitution OF France)
was sixty-seven. A man-of-war was placed
at his disposal, but he preferred TO go in a
regular ship. August Is he arrived in New
York and began tour of the country.
Never was a more wonderful reception
given to a man. To most Americans he
was a tradition-the good young man
who had done SO much to free America"
The thirteen colonies had grown TO
twenty -four states and the population had
increased from 5000. 900 to $4,000. 0O0. He
went the nation over. People Travelled
hundreds Of miles to get a glimpse of
him. Every place he went his path was
strewn with flowers. Every surviving
soldier Of the revolution came forward
or was brought forward to embrace him.
At Bunker Hill Daniel Webster. In the
Grafton at the laying Of the corner stone
Of the famous monument, turned to him.
Fortunate, fortunate manr' he ex-
claimed with what measure of devotion
will you not thank God for the circum-
stances of your extraordinary life! You
are connected with both hemispheres and
with two generations. Heaven saw mt to
ordain that the electric spark of liberty
should be conducted through you from
the new world to the Old and We. who
are now here to perform the duty of pa
triotism, have all of us long ago received
it from our fathers to cherish your name
and your virtues You now behold the
fed the renown of which reached you I'm
the heart of France and caused thrill
in your ardent bosom. You see the lines
Of the little redoubt thrown up by the in
credible diligence Of Prescott. defended to
the last extremity by his lion-hearted
of our monument has now taken its posi-
ton. You see where Warren fell and
where Parker. Gardner, McCleary, Moore
and other patriots fell with him..
Those who survived that day and
whose lives have been prolonged to the
present hour are now around you. Some
OF them you have known in the trying
scenes OF war. Behold, they stretch forth
their feeble arms to embrace you! Be-
hold, they raise their trembling voices to
invoke the blessing of God on you and
yours forever
Lafayette went home in a frigate OF
war. Thereafter throughout France where
he went more honor was shown to him
than to the king. He died May 20. 1884.
at the age of seventy-seven. The day OF
his funeral the church bells were tolled
France, Belgium, Poland,
Switzerland and Great Britain, and in
America every member of Congress wore
a badge Of mourning for thirty days and
Congress recommended that all the peo-
pie OF the United States do the same.
Copyright. 1910, by Richard Spiilane.)