Evening star., 1934-05-20
u. SIS First Gift to Lafayette
Was Romantic Honor S,vord
Tribute Today Recalls
Honor Paid French.
man, in I779.
Weapon Is Most Roman.
tic and Picturesque
Relic of NobIeman.
BY FRANK w. HUTCHINS.


Congress will meet today in Joint
session especially to honor, upon the
Tooth anniverSar'r of his death, the
memory of the Marquis de Lafayette.
This is a fitting time to recall q
great honor CongSess once paid to the
living Lafayette Then was given
him, in 1779, the historic "honor
sword" a gift detained to become the
most romantic sword in the world,
and today the Most picturesque relic
of Lafayette.
Twice that sword has been brought
for exhibition to america, being shown
once in Washington. Unfortunately,
although another of Lafayette's treas
ured swords is now on exhibition in
New York, the sword from the Ameri-
can Congress is not here for the La
fayette centenary.
Order Sword Be Made.
The story Of the sword begins back
in. the smoke of the American Revo-
luton. The Continental Congress
was watching doubtfully q young
French noble (scarcely more than a
boy and yet major generaD, fight
ing beside Washington. Next thing,
doubt all gone, Congress was seeking
an appropriate way to honor the boy.
then on leave of absence in France.
II adopted this resolution: That the
Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
States at the Court of Versailles be
directed to cause an elegant sword.
with proper devices, to be made and
presented in the name of the United
States to the Marquis de Lafayette"
Our Minitser Plenipotentiary to
France at that time was enjamin
Franklin. Congress had set the old
doctor task much to his liking and
fortunately had left him a free hand
It was his privilege to choose the kind
Of sword, his to determine all the
embellishing devices Franklin may
not have known much about swords,
but among his French friends were
mobiles qualified to advise him, while,
as to the devices. he had knack Of
his own along that line.
Liger Is Given Assignment.
In those days one of the most
famous sword cutters Of Paris was
Liger, down near the Palais Royal in
a narrow little cross-street, the Rue
Coquillere. To Liger, Franklin in
trusted the making of the sword. Con-
gress had said IAN elegant sword"
and an elegant one it was to be- No
pains were spared to make the gift
truly carry its story and its sentiment.
More than once Franklin's coach
came rolling into little Rue Coquil-
liere and deposited the gouty old doc
tor for conference with the famous
iger.
delegated the actual presentation of
it to his favorite young grandson,
Temple. And we have the marquis
word for it that the handsome sword
was presented handsomely. 1t was
strange scene-a scene of internation-
al signifcance-the actors two young
men. A few words, a golden hilt
passing from one young hand to an
other and it was all over.
But, in that moment, France and
America drew closer together. and
what had been but an elegant weapon
became the symbol of the struggle for
liberty. 1t was a symbol that had its
immediate value The news spread
fast that Lafayette had been presented
with an epee de honneur from the
Congress Of America Young French
officers gathered about him, congratu-
lating, questioning, each eagerly grasp
ing the glittering sword and feeling
the urge of its call to the American
crusade.
Sword Superb Weapon.
The sword was a superb weapon,
showing the perfection Just at that
time reached in sword designing;
slender, cleaning, viciously beautiful
thing. Upon the hilt of gold was
the work of the best artists Of Paris,
in line and in low relief Among the