Evening star., 1943-11-14
Capital Sidelights
By viii P. Kennedu.

The floating and reftting for war
service Of the former transatlantic
speed queen, the Normandie, after 10
months OF salvage work, reminds his
torians at the Capitol OF the U. S. frig-
ate Brandywine, which sailed from New
York Harbor on September Z, 1925, bear
ing Lafayette back to his home country
after tour of this Nation that he had
helped establish nearly a half century
before. That frigate was named as a
last recognition of the blood he had
shed for the liberation of America at
Brandywine Creek. All of the then
United States Wed in honoring him,
Washington's heirs gave Lafayette
miniature portrait Of the general with
lock Of his hair, cut on his bier, to be
given to this special friend. Congress
accorded him an ovation on December
H., 1924, when Speaker Henry Clay,
in the name Of 10000 900 Americans, ex-
pressed "the deep gratitude to you which
every child in America bears in his
heart. Congress unanimously passed a
resolution authorizing gift to him Of
100000 and an entire township Of
land $4,000 acres). On the last night
of the year Lafayette was rendered
farewell banquet by the highest officials
OF state. He remained to celebrate his
68th birthday on American SOIL Sep
tember s, 1925. The guns Of the fort
named after him thundered their sa-
lutte.
Turning back the pages of history the
statesmen Of today find that the young
hotspur Marquis de Lafayette, at the
romantic age Of II, heard the Ameri-
can Declaration Of Independence read
by the Duke of Gloucester and "en-
rolled my heart" he wrote in his Jour.
nal.
At the age of 20, after having had an
audience with King Louis XVI and
shaken hands with Lord Cornwallis
at gala affair at Covent Garden, the
young French zealot threw himself
into the American Revolution. He pur-
chased a ship, named it Victoire,
loaded it with munitions of war, en-
listed the assistance of Baron de Kalb,
and came to this country, offering his
sword in the cause of freedom and JUS
tice and "the future of humanity
and had an important part in forcing
CORVALLIS to surrender.
There was only one difference in the
contract Of Baron de Kalb and that Of
Lafayette. Both were to be major gen.
erals, but "the marquis enters the
service of the Congress army without
payment"
The Victoire dropped anchor in q
small creek not far from the present city
Of Charleston, S. c.. on the evening Of
June Is, 1777-more than 166 years
ago. After slashing their way through
a jungle they first were shot at as Ger
man mercenary deserters and then
warmly welcomed to the soil of freedom
at the home of Maj. Huger.
Maj. Huger's 5-year-old son ad-
mired Lafayette's gold lace as though
he were fairy prince who had sprung
out of the ocean in the darkness Of
night. The marquis stopped down, pat
ted the boys cheek and made conquest
of his heart. Twenty years later,
when Lafayette was helpless in prison
at Olmutz, that boy, grown into medi-
cal student at the University of Vien-
ma, joined with Dr. Justus Erich Boil
mann in daring attempt to rescue
the Marquis from the imperial fort
ress.
Lafayette was set free, but later was
captured with his nberator. Young
Huger was in irons for three months
and imprisoned for nearly q year. On
his return to America he became al
most a national figure. He had estab-
lished one of the proud traditions of
South Carolina
Lafayette's first son came as q Christ
mas gift, December "a, Ito, and was
christened on Christmas Day-Georges
Washington. This son was the only
member Of his family who escaped hard
ship and imprisonment during the
French Revolution His tutor brought
him to America and he lived peacefully
In the childless home Of his godfather,
the aging George Warrington, assim-
Hating the atmosphere Of freedom.
It was Field Marshal Jan smuts who
drst drafted the. plan for . League Of