CHAPTER XI.
La Fayette and his Son sail for America—Ruse of the French Police—La Fayette’s arrival in America—His Reception in New York—Meeting his Old Companions in Arms—Various Cities visited—Public Dinner at Westchester—Reception at Albany—Address of the Mayor—The General’s Reply—La Fayette received by Congress—Welcome by Mr. Clay—La Fayette’s Fitting Answer—An Incident—M. Levasseur recounts their Visit to Ex-President Monroe—La Fayette visits General Jackson—The Renowned Pistols—La Fayette’s Interesting Comments—Old Hickory’s Enthusiastic Declaration—Scene at the Tomb of Washington—La Fayette pays Homage to the Ashes of the Illustrious Dead—Dinner given by Congress in Honor of La Fayette—Visit of a Committee from Both Houses—Act of Congress concerning him—Address of the Committee—General La Fayette’s Reply.
“Yes; to this thought I hold with firm persistence;The last result of wisdom stamps it true;He only earns his freedom and existenceWho daily conquers them anew.”—Goethe.
“Yes; to this thought I hold with firm persistence;The last result of wisdom stamps it true;He only earns his freedom and existenceWho daily conquers them anew.”—Goethe.
“Yes; to this thought I hold with firm persistence;The last result of wisdom stamps it true;He only earns his freedom and existenceWho daily conquers them anew.”—Goethe.
“Yes; to this thought I hold with firm persistence;
The last result of wisdom stamps it true;
He only earns his freedom and existence
Who daily conquers them anew.”—Goethe.
ON the 12th of July, 1824, La Fayette, accompanied by his son, George Washington, and his private secretary, M. Levasseur, set sail from Havre for his last visit to America. When the fact became known that La Fayette contemplated this journey, the French police immediately endeavored to spy out his motives for so doing, to discover if they had any political significance.
This incident is taken from a French paper:—
“As soon as it was known that M. de La Fayette was going to the United States, M. Delavau became anxious tofind out what preparations he was making for his departure, and everything that passed in his hotel. For this purpose a list of subscribers for the relief of an old officer was forged, and to it were attached the names of Messrs. Ternaux, Lafitte, Benjamin Constant, and other deputies. A police officer named Placi was employed on this occasion; and he called at the house of M. de La Fayette, and saw M. Levasseur, his secretary, who questioned him with great caution; and from the awkward answers of the policeman discovered the trick. M. Levasseur told him that M. de La Fayette was not within at that moment, and if he would return in half an hour he would be sure of meeting the general, who, no doubt, would afford him every assistance in his power. The policeman, confident of the success of his visit, returned many thanks, and promised to come back at the appointed time.
“M. Levasseur ordered a servant to follow him, and he was traced to a house where other police agents were assembled; and they were heard congratulating each other upon the capital breakfast which they could eat the next morning at the expense of General La Fayette. The policeman returned in half an hour, and was introduced to M. de La Fayette, who received him in the kindest manner, and addressed him thus:—
“‘Well, sir, what are you?’
“‘I am, sir,’ said the policeman, ‘an old officer, who has been greatly persecuted.’
“‘Probably,’ said the general, ‘you belong to M. Delavau’s regiment?’
“‘No,’ said Placi.
“‘Well,’ continued the general, ‘as you will not tell the truth, I will try and force you to do so.’
“The general, then addressing himself to his secretary,told him to order up the servants and direct them to tie the policeman in a chaise, and carry him to his château in the country and burn him. They obeyed the general’s orders, and fastened Placi with cords in the post-chaise; but soon as he saw it was no joke (not being able to move hand or foot), he begged to be allowed to speak a few words to the general; and on being brought before him, threw himself upon his knees, and asked for pardon, and at the same time delivering up the paper which he had received as instructions. M. de La Fayette granted him his liberty, and transmitted the instructions, with a letter to M. Delavau, which the latter (of course, through modesty) has not thought proper to publish in the newspapers.”
The following account of the arrival of La Fayette in America is taken from the files of theNiles Register, a newspaper published in Baltimore at that time. The date is August, 1824.
“It is with feelings of the utmost pleasure we announce the arrival of this distinguished soldier and patriot of the Revolution. He came a passenger in theCadmusfrom Havre, accompanied by his son, George Washington La Fayette, and arrived at the quarantine ground, near New York, on the 15th inst. He landed from theCadmusat an early hour in the morning, and repaired to the dwelling of the Vice-President on Staten Island.
“Immediately on his arrival being known, he was waited on by a committee of the corporation of New York and a great number of distinguished citizens. He is in excellent health, full of conversation, and rejoiced beyond measure in having his foot upon American ground. On the following day he was conducted to the city, amidst every demonstration of joy that a grateful people could bestow, reflecting the highest credit on thepatriotic citizens of New York, and a just tribute to the veteran whose blood and treasure so essentially contributed to the enjoyment of our present blessings.”
The following interesting particulars are extracted from the New YorkCommercial Advertiser:—
“The committee, having chartered the steamshipRobert Fultonand the steamboatsChancellor Livingston,Oliver Ellsworth,Henry Eckford,Connecticut,Bellona,Olive Branch,Nautilus, etc., they were all superbly dressed with flags and streamers of every nation, and directed to meet and form an aquatic escort between the south part of the Battery and Governor’s Island, and thence proceed in order to Staten Island. The squadron, bearing six thousand of our fellow-citizens, majestically took its course toward Staten Island, there to take on board our long-expected and honored guest. At one o’clock the fleet arrived at Staten Island, and in a few minutes a landau was seen approaching the hotel near the ferry. The general, the Vice-President, and ex-governor Ogden of New Jersey having alighted, a procession was formed, and the venerable stranger, supported by these gentlemen, followed by all the officers of the island and a crowd of citizens, passed through a triumphal arch, round which was tastefully entwined the French and American colors. He was here met by the committee of the common council, who conducted him on board theChancellor. On entering this splendid vessel, the marines paid him military honors. He was now introduced to the committees from most of our honored associations and the general officers representing the infantry. The West Point band all this time were playing, ‘See! the conquering hero comes,’ ‘Ou peut on être mieux,’ ‘Hail Columbia,’ and the ‘Marseillaise Hymn.’
“The steamship now fired a salute, and the wholesquadron got under way for the city. Decidedly the most interesting sight was the reception of the general by his old companions in arms, Colonel Marinus Willet, now in his eighty-fifth year, General Van Cortland, General Clarkson, and other Revolutionary worthies. He knew and remembered them all. It was a reunion of a long-separated family.
“After the ceremony of embracing and congratulations were over, he sat down alongside of Colonel Willet, who grew young again and fought all his battles over. ‘Do you remember,’ said he, ‘at the battle of Monmouth I was a volunteer aid to General Scott? I saw you in the heat of battle. You were but a boy; but you were a serious and sedate lad.’ ‘Aye, aye; I remember well. And on the Mohawk I sent you fifty Indians; and you wrote that they set up such a yell that they frightened the British horse, and they ran one way and the Indians another.’ No person who witnessed this interview will ever forget it; many an honest tear was shed on the occasion.
“La Fayette landed amidst the cheers and acclamations of 30,000 people, who filled the Castle, Battery, and surrounding grounds within sight. After partaking of some refreshment, the whole cavalcade moved in the direction of the City Hall. The general rode uncovered, and received the unceasing shouts and the congratulations of 50,000 freemen, with tears and smiles, which bespoke how deeply he felt the pride and glory of the occasion.
“After the ceremonies of presentation at the City Hall, he was conducted to his lodgings at the City Hotel; and he had the extraordinary condescension and good feeling to come out and shake hands with six or seven hundred American youths, the future conservatorsof his fame. This circumstance has planted in the minds of these little ones the strongest affection for the man, which will go with them through life and endure till its close.
“Such is a faint outline of the proceedings of a day which shines proudly in the annals of our country; proceedings which were more brilliant than any that have ever been witnessed in America, and which will rarely, if ever, be equalled.”
Deputations from various cities called upon La Fayette: among them was a deputation from the corporation of Baltimore, to whose greeting La Fayette replied in expressive terms. “Ah, Baltimore!” he exclaimed; “well do I recollect Baltimore, and with feelings of peculiar gratitude; for to the merchants of Baltimore, and particularly to the ladies of Baltimore, I was indebted for assistance which enabled me to open the Virginia campaign. Without them, I do not know what I could have done.”
General La Fayette visited the following places during his triumphal journey through America, between the time of his arrival in August, 1824, and his departure in September, 1825, being received everywhere with the warmest enthusiasm and honored with the most distinguished attentions. At New York, Boston, Providence, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington,—and, in fact, everywhere,—he was honored with such ovations as the country had never before witnessed. We can only name the various cities which were honored by his presence, and a few incidents which occurred. After his reception at New York, he visited successively the following places: Providence, Boston; then returned to New York; and having been again received by crowds of people whose desire to behold him was unabated, heattended a splendid civicfêteat Castle Garden, and then proceeded to visit West Point, Newburg, Poughkeepsie, Clermont, Catskill, Hudson, Albany, Troy, Jersey City, Newark, Elizabethtown, New Brunswick, Princeton, Trenton, Morrisville, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Frenchtown, Baltimore, Washington, Alexandria, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Norfolk, Richmond, Fredericksburg, Monticello, Charlottesville, Annapolis, from whence he returned to Washington and Baltimore.
TheMagazine of American Historyof December, 1887, quotes the following description, taken from the New YorkEvening Postof 1824, regarding the brilliantfêtegiven at Castle Garden on the 14th of September, 1824, in honor of the nation’s guest, General La Fayette:—
“We hazard nothing in saying it was the most magnificentfêtegiven under cover in the world. It was a festival that realizes all that we read of in the Persian tales or Arabian Nights, which dazzled the eye and bewildered the imagination, and which produced so many powerful combinations by magnificent preparations as to set description almost at defiance. We never saw ladies more brilliantly dressed; everything that fashion and elegance could devise was used on the occasion. Their head-dresses were principally of flowers, with ornamented combs, and some with plumes of ostrich feathers. White and black lace dresses over satin were mostly worn, with a profusion of steel ornaments, and neck chains of gold and silver, suspended to which were beautiful gold and silver badge medals bearing a likeness of La Fayette, manufactured for the occasion. The gentlemen had suspended from the button-holes of their coats a similar likeness, and with the ladies, had the same stamped on their gloves. A belt or sash with the likeness of thegeneral, and entwined with a chaplet of roses, also formed part of the dress of the ladies.
“Foreigners who were present admitted that they had never seen anything equal to thisfêtein the several countries from which they came, the blaze of light and beauty, the decorations of the military officers, the combination of rich colors which met the eye at every glance, the brilliant circle of fashion in the galleries,—everything in the range of sight being inexpressibly beautiful, and doing great credit and honor to the managers and all engaged in this novel spectacle. The guests numbered several thousands; but there was abundant room for the dancing, which commenced at an early hour and was kept up until about three o’clock in the morning.”
At a public dinner given to General La Fayette at Westchester, Dr. Darlington, late member of Congress from that district, offered the following classic toast:—
“The Fields of Brandywine!... irrigated on theCadmeansystem of agriculture, with the blood of revolutionary patriots ... the teeming harvest must ever beindependent freemen.”
TheNiles Register, of Baltimore, gives the following interesting descriptions of the reception of La Fayette at Albany, and the memorable public welcome given him by Congress:—
“On alighting at the capitol, the general was conducted to the senate chamber, where he was received by the mayor and the members of the corporation. He was addressed by the mayor of Albany, as follows:—
“‘Your visit in this country is received with universal and heart-felt joy. Your claims upon the gratitude and friendship of this nation arise from your heroic devotion to its freedom, and your uniform assertion of the rights of man. The progress of time has attested thepurity of your character and the lustre of your heroism, and the whole course of your life has evinced those exalted virtues which were first displayed in favor of the independence and liberty of America.
“‘In the hour of difficulty and peril, when America, without allies, without credit, with an enfeebled government, and with scanty means of resistance, confiding in the justice of her cause, and the protection of Heaven, was combating for her liberties against a nation powerful in resources and all the materials of war, when our prospects of success were considered by many more than doubtful, if not desperate, you devoted all your energies and all your means to our defence; and, after witnessing our triumphant success, your life has been consecrated to the vindication of the liberties of the Old World.
“‘When Franklin, the wisest man of the age, pronounced you the most distinguished person he ever knew; when Washington, the illustrious hero of the New World, honored you with friendship the most sincere, and with confidence the most unlimited, they evinced their just discernment of character, and foresaw the further display of faculties and virtues which would identify your name with liberty, and demonstrate your well-founded claims to the gratitude, the love, and the admiration of mankind.
“‘The few surviving statesmen and soldiers of the Revolution have gathered around you as a friend and a brother; the generation that has risen up since your departure cherish the same feelings; and those that will appear in the successive future ages will hail you as the benefactor of America and the hero of liberty. In every heart you have a friend, and your eulogium is pronounced by every tongue. I salute you as an illustrious benefactor of our country; and I supplicate the blessingsof Heaven on a life sanctified in the sublime cause of heroic virtue and disinterested benevolence.’”
To which the general returned the following reply:—
“Sir: The enjoyments of my visit to the beautiful country and happy shores of the North River cannot but be highly enhanced by the affectionate reception and the civic testimonies of esteem which are conferred upon me in this city, and the manner in which you are pleased to express sentiments so gratifying to my heart. Not half a century has elapsed since this place, ancient, but small, was my headquarters, on the frontiers of an extensive wilderness, since, as commander in the northern department, I had to receive the oath of renunciation to a royal distant government, of allegiance to the more legitimate sovereignty of the people of the United States.
“Now, sir, Albany, become a considerable city, is the central seat of the authorities of the state of New York. Those wildernesses rank among the most populous and best cultivated parts of the Union. The rising generation has, in two glorious wars, and still more so in her admirable institutions, asserted an indisputable superiority over the proud pretender to a control upon her.
“To these happy recollections, sir, you have the goodness to add remembrances of my early admission among the sons and soldiers of America, of friendships the most honorable and dear to me. I will not attempt to express the feelings that crowd on my mind, and shall only beg you, sir, and the gentlemen of the corporation to accept the tribute of my respectful and devoted gratitude.”
The reception of La Fayette by Congress, in the Hall of Representatives, was peculiarly flattering and gratifying.
“At an early hour the galleries began to fill with spectators; and soon after eleven o’clock, many ladies entered the hall and took possession of the sofas and seats which were appropriated for their reception. The doors were afterwards thrown open, and the Senate entered in procession and took seats on the right side of the chair.
“At one o’clock, George Washington La Fayette and Colonel Levasseur, the general’s secretary, entered the house, and took their seats on one of the sofas by the side of the Secretary of State.
“In a few moments General La Fayette entered the house, supported on his right by Mr. Mitchell, the chairman of the select committee, and on his left by Mr. Livingston, and followed by the committee. The speaker and members then arose, and the procession advanced towards the centre of the house. Mr. Mitchell introduced La Fayette in the following words:—
“‘Mr. Speaker: The select committee, appointed for that purpose, have the honor to introduce General La Fayette to the House of Representatives.’
“The general was then conducted to the sofa placed for his reception, when the speaker, Mr. Clay, addressed him in the following words:—
“‘General: The House of Representatives of the United States, impelled alike by its own feelings and by those of the whole American people, could not have assigned to me a more gratifying duty than that of presenting to you cordial congratulations upon the occasion of your recent arrival in the United States, in compliance with the wishes of Congress; and to assure you of the very high satisfaction which your presence affords on this early theatre of your glory and renown. Although but few of the members who compose this body shared with you in the war of our Revolution, all have,from impartial history, or from faithful tradition, a knowledge of the perils, the sufferings, and the sacrifices which you voluntarily encountered, and the signal services, in America and in Europe, which you performed for an infant, a distant, and an alien people; and all feel and own the very great extent of the obligations under which you have placed our country. But the relations in which you have ever stood to the United States, interesting and important as they have been, do not constitute the only motive of the respect and admiration which the House of Representatives entertain for you. Your consistency of character, your uniform devotion to regulated liberty, in all the vicissitudes of a long and arduous life, also commands its admiration. During all the recent convulsions of Europe, amidst, as after the dispersion of every political storm, the people of the United States have beheld you, true to your old principles, firm and erect, cheering and animating, with your well-known voice, the votaries of liberty, its faithful and fearless champion, ready to shed the last drop of that blood which here you so freely and nobly spilt in the same holy cause.
“‘The vain wish has been sometimes indulged that Providence would allow the patriot after death to return to his country and to contemplate the intermediate changes which had taken place,—to view the forests felled, the cities built, the mountains levelled, the canals cut, the highways constructed, the progress of the arts, the advancement of learning, and the increase of population. General, your present visit to the United States is a realization of the consoling object of that wish. You are in the midst of posterity. Everywhere you must have been struck with the great changes, physical and moral, which have occurred since you left us. Even thisvery city, bearing a venerated name, alike endeared to you and to us, has since emerged from the forest which then covered its site. In one respect you behold us unaltered, and this is in the sentiment of continued devotion to liberty, and of ardent affection and profound gratitude to your departed friend, the father of his country, and to you, and to your illustrious associates in the field and the cabinet, for the multiplied blessings which surround us, and for the very privilege of addressing you which I now exercise. This sentiment, now fondly cherished by more than ten millions of people, will be transmitted, with unabated vigor, down the tide of time through the countless millions who are destined to inhabit the continent to the latest posterity.’
“While the speaker was addressing him, General La Fayette was very visibly affected. At the close of the address he seated himself for a moment to regain composure, and then rose, and in tones made thrilling by intense feeling, he made the following reply:—
“‘Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: While the people of the United States and their honorable representatives in Congress have deigned to make a choice of me, one of the American veterans, to signify in his person their esteem for our joint services and their attachment to the principles for which we have had the honor to fight and bleed, I am proud and happy to share those extraordinary favors with my dear Revolutionary companions; yet it would be, on my part, uncandid and ungrateful not to acknowledge my personal share in those testimonies of kindness, as they excite in my breast emotions which no words are adequate to express.
“‘My obligations to the United States, sir, far exceed any merit I might claim; they date from the time whenI had the happiness to be adopted as a young soldier a favored son of America; they have been continued to me during almost a half-century of constant affection and confidence; and now, sir, thanks to your most gratifying invitation, I find myself greeted by a series of welcomes, one hour of which would more than compensate for the public exertions and sufferings of a whole life.
“‘The approbation of the American people and their representatives for my conduct during the vicissitudes of the European revolution is the highest reward I could receive. Well may Istand firm and erect, when in their names, and by you, Mr. Speaker, I am declared to have in every instance been faithful to those American principles of liberty, equality, and true social order, the devotion to which, as it has been from my earliest youth, so it shall continue to be to my latest breath.
“‘You have been pleased, Mr. Speaker, to allude to the peculiar felicity of my situation, when, after so long an absence, I am called to witness the immense improvements, the admirable communications, the prodigious creations, of which we find an example in this city, whose name itself is a venerated palladium. In a word, all the grandeur and prosperity of those happy United States, who, at the same time they nobly secure the complete assertion of American independence, reflect on every part of the world the light of a far superior civilization.
“‘What better pledge can be given of a persevering national love of liberty, when those blessings are evidently the result of a virtuous resistance to oppression, and institutions founded on the rights of men and the republican principle of self-government?
“‘No, Mr. Speaker, posterity has not begun for me, since, in the sons of my companions and friends I find the same public feelings, and, permit me to add, the samefeelings in my behalf which I have had the happiness to experience in their fathers.
“‘Sir, I have been allowed, forty years ago, before a committee of a congress of thirteen states, to express the fond wishes of an American heart; on this day I have the honor and enjoy the delight to congratulate the representatives of the Union, so vastly enlarged, on the realization of those wishes, even beyond every human expectation, and upon the almost infinite prospects we can with certainty anticipate; permit me, Mr. Speaker, and gentlemen of the House of Representatives, to join to the expression of those sentiments a tribute of my lively gratitude, affectionate devotion, and profound respect.’
“Both the address of the speaker of the House, and the reply of General La Fayette, were listened to with the most intense and admiring attention. As soon as the general had concluded his reply, Mr. Mitchell moved that the House should adjourn. After the adjournment, the speaker left his chair, and advancing to General La Fayette, offered his personal congratulations, while shaking him warmly by the hand. The members of the House were then introduced individually to their honored guest, by the speaker, and after some time spent in receiving and shaking hands with those who pressed forward to claim the honor of thus welcoming personally the distinguished guest of the nation, General La Fayette retired, bearing with him the admiring devotion and profoundest love of the people of his adopted country.”
Regarding an incident which occurred during La Fayette’s last journey in America, theNiles Registersays:—
“To preserve, in some small degree, an account of thefeelingswhich the arrival of our venerable friend has elicited, we have noticed a few of the exhibitions of it thathave taken place, but every narrative of them falls far short of the reality of what has happened. The people are wild with joy, and the gratitude and love of all persons, of every age, sex, and condition, seems hardly to be restrained within the bounds of propriety—as if it would cause many to forget what was due to themselves and the general, whom they delight to honor. At one place they failed so far in self-respect as to contend withhorsesfor the privilege of drawing the Revolutionary chief in his carriage! It is hoped that the general will not be thusinsultedagain—for insulted he must be, when he sees the sovereigns of this great and glorious country aiming at the most magnificent destinies, converted into asses or other beasts of burden. It is his desire to be treated like aman, not as a titled knave or brainless dandy. Let him be hugged to the heart of all who can approach him, so far as not to endanger his health, and incur the risk of ‘killing him with kindness’—let the trumpet to the cannon speak, the cannon to the heavens, and the ardent prayers of free millions ascend to the throne of the Omnipotent, that blessings may be heaped upon him; but, in all this, let us remember that we aremenlike unto himself andrepublicans.”
Among the many interesting incidents of La Fayette’s tour in America given by his secretary, M. Levasseur, in a work entitled “La Fayette in America,” we have space for only three or four. M. Levasseur thus recounts an incident of their visit to Ex-President Monroe:—
“General La Fayette was daily making preparations for his return to Europe, but before leaving the soil of America he was anxious to revisit some of his old friends in Virginia, and especially he desired to see him who, as chief magistrate, had received him at the seat of government, and who, now retired to private life,continued in cultivating his moderate patrimonial estate, to give his fellow-citizens an example of every virtue. The general mentioned his wish to President Adams, who immediately offered to accompany him in the visit, saying that ‘he would gladly avail himself of such an occasion to go and offer to his predecessor his tribute of respect and attachment.’
“On the 6th of August, accordingly, we started for Oak-hill, the residence of Mr. Monroe, thirty-seven miles from Washington. Mr. Adams took the general in his carriage, together with George La Fayette and one of his friends; I followed in a tilbury with a son of the President, and thus, without suite or escort, we left the city.
“At the bridge over the Potomac we stopped to pay toll—the toll-gatherer, after counting the number of persons and horses, received from the President the sum required and we went on; scarcely, however, had we proceeded a few steps when we heard behind us a voice, saying, ‘Mr. President, Mr. President, you have paid me a shilling short!’ and immediately the toll-gatherer came running up with the money in his hand, explaining how the mistake arose. The President heard him attentively, went over the calculation with him, and finding that the man was right, put his hand out to pay him, when all at once the toll-gatherer recognized General La Fayette in the carriage, and forthwith insisted upon returning the amount of his toll, saying, ‘All bridges and all gates are free to the Guest of the Nation.’
“Mr. Adams, however, observed that on this occasion the general was not travelling officially nor as the Guest of the Nation, but simply as an individual and a friend of the President, which character gave him no title to exemption. This reasoning struck the toll-gatherer as just: he took the money and withdrew. Thus duringthe whole course of his travels in the United States the general was once only subject to the customary tolls, and that was precisely on the occasion when he was accompanied by the chief magistrate of the nation—a circumstance which in any other country would probably have insured him the privilege of exemption.”
Regarding this incident a writer remarks:—
“We do not know how this simple narrative may strike others, but to us it affords a more remarkable illustration of the simplicity and real equality resulting from our institutions than the most elaborate argument could do.”
M. Levasseur also thus relates the visit of La Fayette to General Jackson at the Hermitage:—
“At one o’clock we embarked with a numerous company to go to dine with General Jackson, residing at the distance of some miles up the river. We there found many ladies and neighboring farmers who had been invited by Mrs. Jackson to come and take part in thefêteshe had prepared.
“The first thing that struck me on arriving at the residence of General Jackson was the simplicity of his habitation. Still a little governed by my European habits, I demanded if this could really be the dwelling of the most popular man in the United States; of him whom the country proclaimed one of its most illustrious defenders; and in fine, of him who, by the will of the people, had been on the point of arriving at the supreme magistracy!
“General Jackson showed us, in all their details, his garden and his farm, which appeared to be cultivated with the greatest intelligence. We remarked everywhere the greatest order and the most perfect prosperity, and might readily have believed ourselves with one of the richest and most skilful farmers of Germany.
Andrew Jackson
“On re-entering the house, some friends of General Jackson, who probably had not seen him for a long time, begged him to show them the arms that he had received after the last war. He yielded with a good grace to their request, and caused to be placed on the table a sabre, a sword, and a pair of pistols. The sword was presented to him by Congress, and the sabre, I believe, by the body of the army who fought under his orders at New Orleans. These two arms of American manufacture are remarkable for the elegance of the workmanship, and yet more for the honorable inscriptions with which they are covered. But it was particularly to the pistols that the general wished to draw our attention. He presented them to General La Fayette, and asked if he recollected them. The latter, after some moments of attentive examination, answered that he did remember them to be those which he had offered in 1778 to his paternal friend Washington, and that he experienced sincere satisfaction in now finding them in the hands of a man so worthy of such an inheritance. At these words the countenance of Old Hickory was suffused with a modest blush, and his eyes sparkled as in the days of victory.
“‘Yes,’ said he, ‘I believe myself worthy of it’ (pressing at the same time to his bosom his pistols and the hands of La Fayette), ‘if not for what I have done, at least for what I desire to do for my country.’
“All the citizens applauded this noble confidence of the patriot-hero, and felt convinced that the arms of Washington could not be in better hands than those of Jackson.”
But the most impressive scene pictured by M. Levasseur is the following description of La Fayette’s visit to the tomb of Washington:—
“Leaving Washington and descending the Potomac,after a voyage of two hours, the guns of Fort Washington announced that we were approaching the last abode of the Father of his Country. At this solemn signal, to which the military band accompanying us responded by plaintive strains, we went on deck, and the venerable soil of Mount Vernon was before us; at this view an involuntary and spontaneous movement made us kneel. We landed in boats and trod upon the ground so often worn by the feet of Washington. A carriage received General La Fayette, and the other visitors silently ascended the precipitous path which conducted to the solitary habitation of Mount Vernon.
“Three nephews of General Washington took La Fayette, his son, and myself, to conduct us to the tomb of their uncle; our numerous companions remained in the house; in a few minutes after, the cannon of the fort, thundering anew, announced thatLa Fayetterendered homage to the ashes ofWashington. Simple and modest as he was during life, the tomb of the citizen-hero is scarcely perceived amid the sombre cypresses by which it is surrounded. A vault slightly elevated and sodded over, a wooden door without inscriptions, some withered and some green garlands, indicate to the traveller who visits this spot the place where rest in peace the puissant arms which broke the chains of his country. As we approached, the door was opened, La Fayette descended alone into the vault, and a few minutes after re-appeared with his eyes overflowing with tears. He took his son and me by the hand and led us into the tomb, where by a sign he indicated the coffin of his paternal friend, alongside of which was that of his companion in life, united to him in the grave. We knelt reverently near his coffin, which we respectfully saluted with our lips, and rising, threw ourselves into the arms of La Fayette, and mingled our tears with his.”
On the 1st of January, 1825, a dinner was given to General La Fayette by the members of both houses of Congress. The scene is thus described by one of the Washington papers:—
“At half-past four o’clock the front rooms of Williamson’s buildings, now occupied by private families, were thrown open for the company, having been politely tendered for that purpose. In about half an hour afterwards the President of the United States entered the room accompanied by his secretaries. At half-past five General La Fayette arrived attended by his son, Mr. George Washington La Fayette, and his secretary, M. Levasseur; and at six o’clock the company (which, including the invited guests, amounted to about two hundred) sat down to dinner. Mr. Gaillard, the presidentpro tem.of the Senate, and Mr. Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives, presided. On the right of Mr. Gaillard sat the President of the United States, and on his left General La Fayette,supported by his Revolutionary brethren. On the right of Mr. Clay sat the Secretary of State, and on his left the Secretary of War.
“The hall was adorned with pictures and flags arranged with elegance and taste. The flags from the war and navy departments were obtained for the occasion, and contributed to revive in the mind associations dear to the heart of every American.”
Among many toasts we can only mention the one to the memory of Washington, and the following to La Fayette:—
“General La Fayette, the great apostle of rational liberty. Unawed by the frowns of tyranny, uninfluenced by the blandishments of wealth, and unseduced by popular applause; the same in the castle of Olmütz, as in the active scenes of his labor and height of his renown.”
After this toast was drunk, General La Fayette rose and thus responded:—
“Gentlemen of both Houses: I want words to express the respectful, grateful sense I have of all the favors and kindnesses you are pleased to confer upon me. I hope you will do justice to the warm feelings of an American heart, and I beg leave to propose the following toast:—
“Perpetual union among the United States—it has saved us in our time of danger—it will save the world.”
This toast was received with the wildest enthusiasm, and after many others in behalf of the army, navy, people of America, free press, etc., the distinguished guests withdrew.
On the first day of January, 1825, a joint committee of both Houses waited upon General La Fayette, and presented to him a copy of the following act of Congress concerning him:—
“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled:—“That in consideration of the services and sacrifices of General La Fayette in the War of the Revolution, the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to pay to him the sum of two hundred thousand dollars, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.“Sec. 2.And be it further enacted, That there be granted to the said General La Fayette and his heirs one township of land; to be laid out and located under the authority of the President, on any of the unappropriated lands of the United States.“H. Clay,“Speaker of the House of Representatives.“John Gaillard,“President of the Senate,pro tempore.“Washington: Approved Dec. 28, 1824.“James Monroe.”
“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled:—
“That in consideration of the services and sacrifices of General La Fayette in the War of the Revolution, the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to pay to him the sum of two hundred thousand dollars, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
“Sec. 2.And be it further enacted, That there be granted to the said General La Fayette and his heirs one township of land; to be laid out and located under the authority of the President, on any of the unappropriated lands of the United States.
“H. Clay,“Speaker of the House of Representatives.“John Gaillard,“President of the Senate,pro tempore.
“H. Clay,“Speaker of the House of Representatives.“John Gaillard,“President of the Senate,pro tempore.
“H. Clay,“Speaker of the House of Representatives.“John Gaillard,“President of the Senate,pro tempore.
“H. Clay,
“Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“John Gaillard,
“President of the Senate,pro tempore.
“Washington: Approved Dec. 28, 1824.“James Monroe.”
“Washington: Approved Dec. 28, 1824.“James Monroe.”
“Washington: Approved Dec. 28, 1824.“James Monroe.”
“Washington: Approved Dec. 28, 1824.
“James Monroe.”
The address of the committee was as follows:—
“General: We are a committee of the Senate and House of Representatives charged with the office of informing you of the passage of an act, a copy of which we now present. You will perceive from this act, sir, that the two Houses of Congress, aware of the large pecuniary as well as other sacrifices which your long and arduous devotion to the cause of freedom has cost you, have deemed it their privilege to reimburse a portion of them, as having been incurred in part on account of the United States. The principles which have marked your character will not permit you to oppose any objection to the discharge of so much of the national obligation to you as admits of it. We are directed to express to you the confidence as well as request of the two Houses of Congress that you will, by an acquiescence in their wishes in this respect, add another to the many signal proofs you have afforded of your esteem for a people whose esteem for you can never cease until they have ceased to prize the liberty they enjoy, and to venerate the virtues by which it was acquired. We have only to subjoin an expression of our gratification in being the organs of this communication, and of the distinguished personal respect with which we are,“Your obedient servants,“S. Smith,“Robert Y. Hayne,“D. Bouligny,Committee of theSenate“W. S. Archer,“S. Van Rensselaer,“Philip S. Markly,Committee of theRepresentatives.Washington, Jan. 1, 1825.”
“General: We are a committee of the Senate and House of Representatives charged with the office of informing you of the passage of an act, a copy of which we now present. You will perceive from this act, sir, that the two Houses of Congress, aware of the large pecuniary as well as other sacrifices which your long and arduous devotion to the cause of freedom has cost you, have deemed it their privilege to reimburse a portion of them, as having been incurred in part on account of the United States. The principles which have marked your character will not permit you to oppose any objection to the discharge of so much of the national obligation to you as admits of it. We are directed to express to you the confidence as well as request of the two Houses of Congress that you will, by an acquiescence in their wishes in this respect, add another to the many signal proofs you have afforded of your esteem for a people whose esteem for you can never cease until they have ceased to prize the liberty they enjoy, and to venerate the virtues by which it was acquired. We have only to subjoin an expression of our gratification in being the organs of this communication, and of the distinguished personal respect with which we are,
“Your obedient servants,
Washington, Jan. 1, 1825.”
To this address of the committee the general returned the following answer:—
“Washington, Jan. 1, 1825.“Gentlemen of the Committee of both Houses of Congress:—“The immense and unexpected gift which, in addition to former and considerable bounties, it has pleased Congress to confer upon me calls for the warmest acknowledgments of an old American soldier and adopted son of the United States, two titles dearer to my heart than all the treasures in the world.“However proud I am of every sort of obligation received from the people of the United States, and their representatives in Congress, the large extent of this benefaction might have created in my mind feelings of hesitation, not inconsistent, I hope, with those of the most grateful reverence. But the so very kind resolutions of both Houses delivered by you, gentlemen, in terms of equal kindness, precludes all other sentiments except those of the lively and profound gratitude, of which, in respectfully accepting the munificent favor, I have the honor to beg you will be the organs.“Permit me, also, gentlemen, to join a tender of my affectionate personal thanks to the expression of the highest respect, with which I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,“La Fayette.”
“Washington, Jan. 1, 1825.
“Gentlemen of the Committee of both Houses of Congress:—
“The immense and unexpected gift which, in addition to former and considerable bounties, it has pleased Congress to confer upon me calls for the warmest acknowledgments of an old American soldier and adopted son of the United States, two titles dearer to my heart than all the treasures in the world.
“However proud I am of every sort of obligation received from the people of the United States, and their representatives in Congress, the large extent of this benefaction might have created in my mind feelings of hesitation, not inconsistent, I hope, with those of the most grateful reverence. But the so very kind resolutions of both Houses delivered by you, gentlemen, in terms of equal kindness, precludes all other sentiments except those of the lively and profound gratitude, of which, in respectfully accepting the munificent favor, I have the honor to beg you will be the organs.
“Permit me, also, gentlemen, to join a tender of my affectionate personal thanks to the expression of the highest respect, with which I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,
“La Fayette.”