Show LAFAYETTE HIS SERVICES AND HIS TOMB other young men about the court had asked peral assion to joan the american forces and had been refused lafayette after a visit to london which greatly increased his desire to go to america made all his to set sail immediately but sent first a letter requesting the permission of his government the letter was never answered but he remarked that silence meant assent absent and started landing at georgetown S C in june and going from there to philadelphia by horseback a journey which he was more than a mouth month in making when he be reached there he was at first received coldly by congress which had already had bad more than enough of young european adventurers but when he offered to serve as an a volunteer and without pay they realized that here was a man of different stuff and he was immediately givers given high rank in the army serving as we all know with great bravery and honor through the war spending of his own private fortune in the cause and helping helpin awl through the great inal influence bence of his family and friends to secure the aid of france as a nation aid without which our struggle might have ended less successfully cess fully than rt it did after his work was over here he went baek back to his own country and after only one week eek of exile from the court ordered more inore tor for the sake of appear appearances appearance anc es than anything else he went back into court life once more but he was soon to see great changes in his own country the desire for liberty spreads fast and grows rapidly and the french soldiers who had been sent to america helped to stir up the revolution which had been brewing at home though we are aie all more or less familiar with all that the marquis de lafayette did with us during our great struggle for liberty and his life and deeds during that time comparatively litt littleto littfe lelo Is known of no bis life before and after that he came of a french family who had been distinguished in french history tor for more than three centuries and when he left france to join the army in this country he fie was mas not moved by the spirit of 4 astere mere adventurers adventure re or the hopes for advancement 1 indeed he sacrificed more in prance france than he could ever hope to gain in america and came here prepared to give not only his services but his fortune in the cause of liberty he was only 19 years old when he left h his s beautiful young wife the pleasures of the grayest gayest court of europe and sure political oal advancement and against the wishes of his government set aal tor for america he had known from the first what difficulties he be would have to encounter during duang the dreadful scenes which followed lafayette came out in his bis noblest colors lie he was with the revolutionists in their fight for liberty against them in their desire for carnage he commanded the military and had their thedr confidence fi and at one time succeeded in giving the country a constitution approximating towards republicanism but the times soon became too bloody he could not and would not countenance the wild deeds of the jacobins and when they finally forced the national assembly to yield to them he was proscribed and a price set upon his head we he saw that he could do no more to help his own country he resolved to fly to the united states and with seven friends started on his journey but before their flight was scarcely begun they were captured by the who in turn delivered them to the austrians Aust rians now at hta atal t time the greatest enemy to liberty of any kind was the emperor of austria for years he had hated lafayette for the principles for which his name had stood and now that he had him in bis power he meant to keep him there out of the way of more liberty making if possible and to anger of other nations lafayette was cast into prison at and treated with the most moot horrible neglect suffering buffering so eo much from cold and hunger that at one time it was feared that he might dle adde the question of his bla imprisonment and release was brought up in the english parliament bind and in our own congress but the emperor was inexorable h his Is pr prey should not escape him and lafayette remained in prison pr teon for five years acif after ter me hia flight his wife had been imprisoned in france Fra ance but she was soon released and with her two daughters started to where her husband was confined but when they reached there she was told that if they went dm din at all they would not poe be allowed to come out again mine lafayette never hesitated buit with her two daughters entered the dreary prison and did all in her power to help and cheer her husband the presence of the three ma made de la fayettes fay ettes imprisonment seem still more dreadful but nothing could be done for their relief until the all conquering bonaparte had brought things to such a pase pam that he was in a position posidio to d demand en what he wished from the haughty emperor empe por when he immediately asked for the release of all french prisoners held in austria even then the emperor tried to make special conditions concerning Da gayette asking that he be in some way restrained through his atter life but bonaparte would listen to none of it and lafayette and his family were set entirely free but as he had refused to aid the jacobins so he refused the honors which Bora bonaparte parte would trave have given him thereby getting himself called a noodle by that great conqueror for his pains buta noodle or not he succeeded in living happily and holding the respect and love coif his own country and ours until his bis death wh which edh was more than bonaparte with all we hla greatness great nesa could do but to us ua Is the most moat late chapter ot of hla his ufe afe took place in 1824 1825 his second visit to america the invitation was iwas extended to him by president monroe with the unald unanimous desire desare and consent of ea and he gladly accepted it setting sail from havre on an july 12 1824 and wens ling ing fourteen months traveling through the country which had grown and so wonderfully since the dal days wehen anen he had been there last his progress through the country wa like a triumphal march all the people loved him and were were deeply grateful to hirn him ifor for his services 64 to them and sympathetic tor for the tron trios ble and hardship which he had since been through and they were only ta glad to be able to show him their feel ings he visited every one of the states and when his sixty elgarh birthday came it was celebrated in the white house as though chough it had been an eveet everi fc of great national rejoicing but one incident of his visit OU oc which few of at us have ever heard aia particularly interesting lnig as showing ng the character of the man at that time there was in Aj Americ merlei tL 1 just one select female seminary one being situated in albany N X and under the charge of mrs emana willard a woman of refinement and aind ea er uc atlon mrs willard had an admiration fos for great men which amounted almost ta t extravagance and this merged wyit ww her ardent patriotism made her receda rec edv the great lafayette with a perfect i t ovation regarding garding Te nis his visit to M 1 school as one of the greatest bonom lionora lio 10 her life lc the me was decorated in hu his hon hoa or his path was strewn with flow and mrs willard wrote the A A lines which were sung by a c chorus w y 1 s young ladies e l and art thou then dear hero come and do our eyes behold the man ys nerved his arm and bared ht atle breast for us ere yet our life began tl for us and for foi our native land S thy youthful valor dared the war 5 and now in winter of thine age i choust come and left thy loved ones oneil fax far then deep and dear thy welcome be 7 nor think thy daughters fax far f fraba thee columbian Colum bias daughters lo 10 we bend and claim to call thee father frien frienda dJ but wast our count rys right alone s impelled fayette to freedoms vant van i no the love ot of human kind t it was the sacred cause of man ta it was benevolence sublime like that which sways the eternal mind and benefactor of the world he shed his blood for all mankind r then deep and dear thy welcome bixl ixl nor think thy daughters far fy 5 thee daughters of human kind we bend and claim to call thee father frienza frien fc 1 1 A life of mrs willard which tells the incident says the general much affected and at the close of t i singing with 6 yes eyes suffused with te tea he said 1 I cannot express what I 1 on this occasion but will you m mad present me with three copies of t tl lines to be given by me as from yb to my three daughters the addal papers of the day add many details H the visit of lafayette fayette L a to troy whets wh etC he received an unusually ei i welcome but there was nothing beautiful than the arbor of evergreen 2 feet long ivsich valc h the pe seminary er erett eret T ed in a night and the parade og 0 girls all dressed in white carrying prop banners each girl wore also a silk badge bear g the words welcome Welcom 6 lafayette nd d below a picture of the well known idler the words the nations quest guest As may be imagined these badges bere ere treasured by the gris who were bern em and some are still in existence ne e in this city now worn and faded aut carefully framed and an illustration of which is given below lafay iotte te enjoyed and appreciated the visit mad d the honor shown him as he plain f showed by the honors he paid to irs rs willard when about ten years iter er she made a visit to france he as then at the height of his power it t still he found time to call to see her 1 great and unexpected honor from busy a man and all through her iy ay his daughters held themselves at r service taking her with them to art rt festi festivals to receptions and balls id d enabling her to meet the best and tightest Ight est people of the day lafayette id d done much to secure the throne to buis Is phillipe and so was in high favor court and was universally beloved the people french woman speaking ot of him to rs willard said without him we td d been lost when his arrival in ris was known cnown everybody burst into are rs his sympathy in the grief of vate families touched the people laps aps even more than his public sers es he visited after three days 1 individual of the thousands who re ire wounded and all the many cami 0 of the slain aphis his was in 1830 and it was well for ps willard that she made her visit ten n she did for the great man nad much longer to live ian n february of 1834 he was taken busly III with a disease of the kid ye 9 and though he partially recovered the ath of may he was taken worse aln n and grew gradually weaker un the when he died though celled to keep to his room all rough ugh his illness lafayette remained kerful erful liked to talk with such friends were allowed to see him and read the journals and pamphlets of the y wrote or dictated letters and was such ch more interested in the affairs of he country and his friends than he was ft chis bis own ahe always thought and spoke a great of america and the amert ameri people and was grieved at any g that went wrong with the atry itry which he considered his ugh ough the love he felt for it and the he had given it behe efte doctor who had attended him ring ng his illness has left a very inter ang ng account of his last days he ye four br or five days previous to i death lafayette felt oppressed and came me melancholy A few moments fore he breathed his last lafayette led ed his eyes and fixed them with a of affection on his children who the bed as if to bless them bid the an eternal adieu he led ed my hand convulsively drew in deep and lengthened breath which f followed by a last sigh his pulse ed to beat the general had ceased st his countenance resumed a expression that odd peaceful er r his end was that of a good i who abandons the world without or remorse no sooner had lattes I 1 death been made public than same expressions of grief were where here manifested all the dis shed residents in paris as well very poorest of the citizens were it t at his funeral in great num 1 wy try man wished to approach the remains of the general and to touch at least his shroud as a last token of respect and regret the tomb of lafayette which Is surrounded by an iron rad railing lIng Is but little higher than the ground and is composed of two large black marble tablets slightly inclined and forming a very oblique angle upon this angle is a little cross the lateral branches of which extend on both sides of the monument that covers the remains of both husband and wife as with a roof behind the wall next to Lafay ettes tomb are cy presses and some pop ulars the tomb of lafayette unostentatious like those of his friends washington and franklin is dally visited by many who honor his memo ryby strangers who had known him and by those who regret that they were deprived of that happl happiness ness |