The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-06-27

chief of the American armies; and how, when
Washington did arrive Lafayette was one of the
very first to lead storming party; how Admiral
de Grasses fleet did all and more than could be
expected of 1t. until Lord CORVALLIS and his
army had surrendered and been disarmed. are
facts that every good American knows.
In this final struggle the whole force Of the
colonies consisted of 1000 men of Washington's
army. 5000 under Rochambeau and 5000 Of De
Grasses French marines and sailors
Would It have been possible for us to win with.
out the aid of France? Washington and Frank
lin believed not. Fifty years afterward when
the question asked of Charles Carroll of
Carrollton then the only man alive who had
signed the Declaration of Independence, THAI
venerable Christian and statesman replied:
1T Gods WILL"
1t will always be a much-vexed question how
much financial aid France rendered America II
impossible to straighten out the account
Professor Marion of the College of France has
expressed the opinion that the total expenditures
were fully 2OO0OO0,OO0 livres. Much Information
will be found in his "Histore Financiere de la
France depuis 1715." Ffske in his Critical
Period" puts the expenditure of France at 1,4OO.-
100000 francs. Trevelyan states the following
in a note TO his american Revolution: :" ut was
calculated that between the years 171S and lTS3
the war with England cost the French treasury
f4soOOOOO. 1t the main cause of those finan-
ciaI difficulties which led Immediately up to the
Revolution of 1889" This would be equivalent
to 12OOOOoOOO livres (francs), s2400o0,0Oo. at
a time when the purchasing power of money was
nearly three times what 1t Is In our day
When victory was ours Lafayette went home
to France. He came back for a short time In
1884. Then the French revolution. Lafay
ette from first last consistently advocated a
limited constitutional monarchy for France. HIS
experiences many. including five years In
an Austrian prison. from which he was released
by Napoleon In 1897.
In 1924 when Lafayette sixty-seven, he was
invited by President Monroe to visit the United
States. He the guest Of the nation in
pursuance of an unanimous resolution passed by
congress- The occasion the dedication OF
Bunker Hill monument He made triumphfi
tour of the twenty-four states Of the Union
Every possible honor showered upon HIM
Probably the most moving event in the whole tour
was his visit to the tomb Of Washington The
climax was the ceremony at Bunker HILL
Lafayette lived ten years longer. When Pres
ident Andrew Jackson heard the news of his death
in 1894 he ordered on behalf of the whole Ameri-
can people that the same honors be rendered
upon this occasion at the different military and
naval stations as were observed upon the deceasc
of Washington, the Father of HIS country anu
his contemporary in arms
Lafayette has been dead So years His clay is
dust But his soul still lives. 1t has breathed
courage into the breasts of warworn French SOL
diers. 1t has wept over the deported ensiayed
and outraged of his native land-oVer the
slaughter of the innocents. And who may doubt
that his soul called across the ocean;
.'Help u.s. America Help helped you ~
At first we did not hear, or If hearing, did not
answer But at last we heard and needed and
went The fighting men of France, staggering
with wounds dizzy with fatigue, and the women
of France white with horror impending
fate worse than death, the Star-Spangled
Banner afar and cried In thankfuness:
1.-The Americans comingi
We arrived-young husky, smiling, larking
fighting men, The French loved US for looks
and our ways But could fight? Then came
June and Chateau Thierry. when stopped the
flower of the German shock troops in their tracks,
attacked in turn put the Hun the and
kept him running! No wonder all France went
derious with JOY.
That was what we promised through BLACK
Jack" Persh.ng when he saluted at the tomb in
the little cemetery of Picpus In Paris and said:
Lafayette, we are here.
And we made the promise good He and his
Young. husky smiling, larking fighting men struck
tho finishing blow which guaranteed that French
men NAV pursue their honest toll In peace and
that French women, with babe at breast, may
sleep at night without fear of the Beast
Such was Lafayette great soul. gallant
SOUL the living embodiment Of the noblest ideal
for which men can generously live and gloriously
die
.The liberty we hold secure,
The soil on which tread
That air of freedom that we breathe,
The flag that floats o'erhead;
That nation whose history
The sun shall never set
All that we have and hold we owe
To France--and LAFAYETTE"