The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-09-11
CURRENT COMMENT


The Marquis de La Fayette, the ami
versary of whose birth America cele-
brates to-day, is entitled to that honor
for more reasons than one. He came to
our shores in l777, an american expedi-
tionary force" all his own, for he had
himself purchased and fitted out the ship
that brought him, and he carried with
him several other young officers; and he
remained faithful to our cause, and
power in it, though never brilliant
general, to the end. II was not without
reason in history, as well as in the senti-
ment of gratitude that is ingrained in
every Americans heart, that the leaders
of our expeditionary force in France
made it one of their first duties to visit
| the tomb of this great Frenchman, or
that they were moved there to utter the
cry now famous Here we are, La Fay
ette" The service of France to America
| in the Revolutionary war was personal
self.sacrificing record Of the young Mar
quis de La Fayette, between the years
l777 and 1881. His famous visit to the
United States in 1924 fixed in the public
mind forever the nature and the impor-
lance of that service, and had the effect
to endear him the more completely to
the American people. He is one of our
national heroes, and deserves to be.
! But there is another basis for the hon
or we owe to La Fayette's birthday than
the remembrance of our debt to him. It
is the thought of what he did for
! France, and the position which he holds
purely in the history Of the great repub-
| lie with which our fortunes are now SO
closely joined. La Fayette, nobleman
Of highest rank and ancient line, and
closely associated with the ruling caste
in that country, went back TO France
permeated by the democratic ideas of
our republic. He became, in fact, the
leader of the French revolution--but its
leader only so long as it remained true
to the real principles of democracy. He
stood for moderation and duty as well
as for liberty His services to the French
republic were no less brilliant and self.
sacrificing than those which he had rem.
dered to the United States, and though
when the revolution went off into wild
excesses he no longer followed its de-
scending course, he never for a moment
became the partisan of reaction. He
scorned the Establishments of Napoleon.
He spent five years in Prussian and Aus
trian prisons, and when the monarchy
was restored in France he stood as the
guardian of the popular rights through
every exigency. No Frenchman, prob
ably, was ever so continuously believed
in and trusted by so many men of so
many different parties and classes as La
Fayette, and when his name is men
toned in connection with French af-
fairs, it suggests not only liberty, equal
ity and fraternity, but wisdom, balance
humanity, moderation. His name and in.
fuence admirably represent the French
republic of to-day, so radical in many
ways, so fully pledged to still further
advances along the line Of popular priv
ilege, but keeping on an even course OF
decent respect to the opinions of man.
kind, nevertheless.
The name Of La Fayette has, in the
present terrible crisis of the affairs OF
France, won new honor and credit from
Frenchmen themselves, because il de.
notes steadiness as well as courage in
the hot lists Of fate; and it is proper