Norwich bulletin., 1920-03-30

six-foot, broad shouldered. raw-boned ooy of Is, and left William and Marv's college to enter the Revolution, Mon roe remained in the public service un- III tS2o, when he retired from the Whlte House wrinkled, care bent. i'm poVerlshed old man. In those 49 years he had been minor military officer under Washington; repeatedly a mem per Of the legislature, a member of the Continental congress and of the Ma tlonal Senate; twice governor of Vlr- glnia; minister to France, England and Spaln; secretary of state and war at the same time and finally president for two terms.
 Without wealth or family influence. with slow, commonplace mind. with no gifts as a speaker; with a modest. awkward presence and plain, uhpol- ished manner, this very ordinary man plodded up the ladder of ambition to | it's topmest rung. How? By sheer force of his rugged, cours geous, in- dustrious honest, loyal character-a triumph of the homely common virtues
 Although he failed in some of his most important tasks, Monroe's fail- ures were forgiven because they were honest mistakes. The fidicuie and the disgrace brought upon him by the most spectacular episode of his un- dramatic life would have buried for ever man more brilliant and less sin cere.
 This remarkable scene was enacted on the highly theatrical stage of. the National convention at Paris directly after the Reign of Terror and the fall of Robespierre, when France was the outcast among nations. At that moment, Monroe appeared as the en- Il yoy of the only sister republic and. to let all the, world see that the Revolu- tion had at least one friend left on earth, the president of the convention melodramatically folded the rustic tVrginian in his arms.
 As an ardent believer in republic anism, it is true that he had Beer specially chosen by Washington to , soothe the savage breast of the Rev olution. But in that fratefnal em- brace the new minister was somewhat infected by the Gallic fervor of his welcome. Regardless of England anc other jealous monarchies, which wer, at grips with the 'revolutionists, h, overstepped the bounds of neutralit, by warmly applauding France and he armies and, as if the countries wert open allies, he presented an American flag to be hung on the walls of tn, l convention by the side of the tri E eolor-red flag Of revolt in that day
 Washington and the conservative
 were outraged by the cordiality witt
 Which Citizen Monroe" had taken tn red hand of revolutionary France
 Many were so unreasoning as to cen
 sures him even for an act of mere A whisn only did credit to his hear
 Having found Thomas Paine ;n tn shadow of the guillotine, he had take \ that friend of our own revolution fror \ prison into the American legation where he nursed him back to health M After two years he was recalled fo his zeal and came home in a rage (
 indignation. Passing by the gate ( i- Mount Vernon without paying his re
 spects to Washington, he paid thei
 instead in 800 pages which he ptt
 lished in defense of himself and in de inunciation of the administration
 Nevertheless, the discredited diplom;
 was sent to Paris again by Presider
 Jefferson in a few years. when I
 came away covered with success ar
 with the treaty for the purchase
 Louisiana under his arm by a fittir
 prelude to the Monroe doctrine, twen-
 years later.
 There is a most interesting souver;
 of Monroe, in Paris Like Madison. ]
 had fallen in love while member
 congress and had married Elizabe
 Kortright of New York. Two childr
 having been born to them, one of |
 girls was placed in the famous Fren
 school of Mime. Campan. where s K formed friendship with Horten as Beauharnals that outlasted the ma es vicissitudes of Josephine's daughter ne Recently the notable figures in { a. court of the-frst consul of Malmais
 were modelled and grouped about N IS, poleon for a celebrated wax wor