Evening star., 1934-04-21
To the Editor OF The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
There has been some discussion in
he press recently as to whether a
commemorative stamp should be is
sued in honor Of the Marquis de La
fayette The centennial anniversary
Of his death will be observed on the
goth Of May. The writer has been
interested In philately for the past Is
years and specializes in issues of the
United States.
Lafayette was 10 and a captain Of
dragons at the time the English
colonies proclaimed their independ-
ence. "At the first news of the
quarrel" he wrote in his memoirs,
my heart was enrolled in it,"
Upon the demand of the British
Ambassador at Versailles, orders were
issued to seize the Victoire, vessel
he was secretly fitting out at Bordeaux,
and Lafayette was placed under sur
veillance He escaped and embarked
from Los PASSAGES, Spain. evading two
British cruisers sent in pursuit. After
a rough voyage lasting 81 days he
landed on the coast of South Caro-
lima, about so miles from Charleston.
The overland journey was begun in
carriages over corduroy roads, through
swamps, in sitting heat. In few
days the carriages were broken in
splinters. so the party proceeded on
horseback, but as the horses either
died or became lame, they trudged
along the rest of the way on foot.
Upon arrival in Philadelphia,
fatigued and worn. Lafayette was ig-
nored by the Continental Congress.
The French were regarded with sus-
picion by the colonists. Later he was
given an honorary appointment as
major general, but in his first battle.
at Brandywine, showed his military
ardor and bravery as he was carried
off the field wounded. Shortly
thereafter he was placed in command
of division on the recommendation
of Gen. Washington. Lafayette
played a distinguished part during
the American Revolution, and through
his influence at the French court was
instrumental in securing military and
naval reinforcements which made the
ultimate success at Yorktown pos
sible.
After he returned to France Lafay-
cite had to submit to the horrors OF
the French Revolution. Internal
events moved rapidly and, seeing that
the lives of the King and Queen
were in danger, he opposed the Jaco-
bian party on humanitarian grounds
and attempted to use the army to
restore limited monarchy. Lafayette
was declared a traitor and his prop
erty confiscated. He took refuge in
neutral territory. near Liege, but was
captured and held prisoner of state
and remained in Prussian and later
an Austrian prison for five years and
one month. Napoleon, although re-
garding him as his chief political ad-
versary, stipulated for his release in
a treaty negotiated during 1897.
President John Quincy Adams
wrote: I'm the armament Of heaven
that rolls over our heads there. Is,
among the stars of first magnitude,
one SO pre-eminent in splendor, as, in
the opinion of astronomers, to con-
SClCuUe CLASS ny lGSSAl, ~, III eAiC
fourteen hundred years of French
monarchy, among the multitude OF
great and mighty men which it has
evolved, the name of Lafayette stands
unrivaled in the solitude of glory"
Commemorative stamps have been
issued by the United States in honor
of John Ericsson, Won Steuben, Pu-
laski, Rochambeau, De Grasse and
Kosciuszko, also in honor of the Graf
Zeppelin. During the American Le-
gion Convention in France, in Sep
tember, 1927, the French government
issued two stamps that contained the
proflles of Washington and Lafayette.
In the humble opinion Of the writer,
the matter should not be delayed any
longer and the suggestion ID respect