Evening star., 1934-05-21
Text of Roosevelt's Address
President Praises ''the Distinguished Friend Of the
United States, Washington and Liberty"
Before Joint Session Of Congress.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The text of President Roosevelts
address to the joint session of Con-
gress commemorating the one hun
dredth anniversary of the death of
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La
fayette, follows:
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr..
Ambassador, members Of the Con-
gresS, gentlemen Of the Supreme
Court, my friends: A century ago
President Andrew Jackson, in COM
municating the melancholy news of
the death of Lafayette to the Con-
gress of the United States, called it
affecting intelligence" And SO it
was. 1t made more than one nation
mourn, none more than our own. The
Marquis de Lafayette was referred to
in a general order to our Army and
Navy as ''the distinguished friend of
the United States" and the Congress,
with rare felicity, added to this the
phrase ''the friend Of Washington
and the friend of liberty"
Enshrined in Our Hearts.
In this three-fold role of friendship
we, the people of this Nation, have
enshrined him in our hearts, and to-
day we cherish his memory above
that of any citizen of foreign coun-
try 1t is as one of our Nations peer
less heroes that we hail him, just as
his beloved France enshrined him in
the pantheon Of her immortal sons.
Many generations later, more than
100000 American boys, backed by
the solidarity of great Nation, went
TO France. Those soldiers and sailors
were repaying the debt of gratitude
we owe to Lafayette and at the same
time they were seeking to preserve
those fundamentals of liberty and
democracy to which in a previous age
he had dedicated his life
There is no higher tribute we can
pay to his memory than this we pay
today. In communicating his death
to the Nation, President jackson or
dered that "the same honors be rem
dered him as were observed upon the
deceaSe of Washington" Jackson was
moved by the tenderness Of personal
friendship-moved, as he said, ''by per-
sonal as by public considerations" to
direct that every honor be paid "the
last major general of the Revolution
ary Army"
Exquisite Relationship.
We know the exquisite relationship
which existed between Washington and
Lafayette, and I am indeed pleased
that the Ambassador of the French
Republic has referred to this friend
ship. 1t was that Of father and son.
For the great Virginian the French
man had a veneration and love which
approached homage. To him Wash
ington was an ideal-almoSt more than
human.
With Andrew Jackson, the friend
ship bore perhaps more personal and
intimate cast, because the two were
more of an age. Both were mere
youngsters at the outbreak of the
Revolutionary War. Jackson, a boy
Of 10 in 1777, first saw Lafayette when
he landed in Charleston and before
he started northward to meet the Con-
gress. The sight of the gallant young
Frenchman was so deeply engraved in
the heart of Andrew Jackson that half
century later it was as vivid as the
day 1t was etched. Jackson himself,
even In boyhood, was to contribute his
mite "to shake off the yoke of tyranny,
and to build up the fabric OF free
government" And when Lafayette
visited our shores again in 1924, jack
son wrote him pean Of welcome, In
which he referred to the state Of his
"own youthful feelings on the occa-
then, he said, aroused every patriot
from state of despair to that of con-
fidence in our bleeding cause, while the
shout of victory or death was sung
through the welking. 1t inspired an
enthusiasm becoming the people who
had resolved to be free"
Greets Hero of New Orleans.
When they met here in Washington
LAFAYETTE said this to the hero of
New Orleans: Had you witnessed
my anxiety, when on a sudden all
Europe was pacified, and the flower of
the British Army were on their way
to Louisiana, you would still better
Judge what felt Of relief, JOY and
pride on receiving the glorious ac-
count of your victory. have long
anticipated the pleasure to take you
by the hand, and whatever be your
future movements I will not leave
the United States before I have
seeked and found opportunity to ex-
press in person my high regard and
sincere friendship"
This first meeting was as simple
and genuine as their natures. Jack
son had come to Washington for the
session Of the Congress, as Senator
from Tennessee. He put up with
his old friend, John Gadsby, at the
Franklin House, and Immediately
learned that Lafayette was a guest
in the same inn. The mayor of
Washington had informed the Presi-
dent of the United States that "the
friend of the people Gafayette) must
be the guest. of the people, and could
not stay at the White House."
1t was a memorable Congress that