The Elbert County tribune., 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 feet 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 .
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 France7 Washington and Frank
lin believed not Fifty years nfterward when
the question was asked of Charles Carroll OF
Carrollton. then the only man alive who had
signed the Declaration of Independence, that
venerable Christian and statesman replied:
at Gods WILL
1t will always be much-vexed question how
much financial aid France rendered America. 1t
seems impossible to straighten out the account.
Professor Marion of the College Of France has
expressed the opinion that the total expenditures
fully 2O00.000.0O0 livres Much information
will be found In his "Histoire Financiere de Ia
France depuis 1715." Fiske in his Critical
Period" puts the expenditure of France at 1,40O-
100000 francs. Treveyan states the following
In a note to his american Revolution" "It was
calculated that between the years 1778 and 17S3
the with England cost the French treasury
f48.000,0OO. 1t was the main cause of those finan
cial difficulties which led Immediately up to the
Revolution of 17S9." This would be equivalent
to 200 100000 livres (francs). $2400O0.0OO. al
a time when the purchasing power OF money was
nearly three times what 1t Is In our day.
When ectory was ours Lafayette went home
to France. He back for a short time In
1884. Then came the French revolution. Lafay
cite from first to last consistently advocated q
limited constitutional monarchy for France. His
experiences were many. including five years In
an Austrian prison. from which he was released
by Napoleon In 1897.
In 1924, when Lafayette was slxty-seven he wal
invited by President Monroe to visit the United
States. He the guest of the nation in
pursuance of unanimous resolution passed by
congress. The occasion was the dedication OF
Bunker Hill monument. He made triumphh
tour of the twenty-four states of the UnioI,
Every possible honor was showered upon him
Probably the most moving event In the whole toul
was his visit to the tomb OF Washington. The
climax the ceremony at Bunker Hill.
Lafayette lived ten years longer. When Pres
ident Andrew Jackson heard the news of his death
I'm 1884, 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 were observed upon the deceast
of Washington the Father Of His Country. and
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 war-worn French sol
diers. 1t has wept the deported, enslaved
and outraged women of his native land-over the
slaughter of the innocents. And who may doubt
that his soul called across the ocean,
"Hep u.s. Americai Help us as helped you 80
At first we did not hear, If hearing, did moi
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 thankfulness:
'-rhe Americans coming!'
We arrived-young, husky, smiling larSinG
fighting men. The French loved us for our looks
and ways. But could we fight? Then came
June and Chateau-Thierry, when stopped the
flower of the German shock troops In their tracks
attncked In turn, put the Hun the and
kept him running No wonder all France went
delirous with joy.
That was what promised through ''Blacb
Jack" Pershsng. when he saluted at the tomb in
the little cemetery of Picpus In Paris and said:
Lafayette. we here"
And we made the promise good. He and his
young. husky smiling larking fighting men struck
the finishing blow which guaranteed that French
men may 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
for which men can generously live and gloriously
de-
"The liberty we hold secure,
The soil on which we tread,
That air of freedom that we breathe,
The flag that floats o'erhead;
That nation on whose history
The sun shall never set--
All that we have and hold we