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Show LATAYETTE MEMORIAL. Americans Do Honor to a Hero's Memory Addresses Made by Gen. Porter, Hon. Clark E. Carr, Ferdinand Ferd-inand W. Peck, and Marquis de Lafayette. From Paris edition New York Times, May 33, 1900: Year after year, when Decoration Day comes around, the Americans in Paris decorate the tomb of Lafayette in the Cemetery of Picpus, and listen i to addresses eulogizing the "hero of two worlds." Yesterday afternoon, in spite of the chilly weather and cloudy skies, about three hundred persons gathered around the tomb of Lafayette to attend the memorial celebration. These were not all Americans, for there are Frenchmen French-men also who join in this yearly ceremony. cere-mony. The Cemetery of Picpus is near the Place de la Nation. It is small and secluded. Here lie buried hundreds of the victims of the French Revolution, and today only those are buried there who are descendants of the men and women who perished during that eventful period. In the southeast corner cor-ner is the tomb of Lafayette. A large United States tlag yesterday concealed the slab and its inscription. Upon this flag had been placed wreaths and flowers flow-ers in profusion. Conspicuous among these was the beautiful wreath of roses presented by the Society of Colonial Dames. The General Society of the Daughters of the Revolution also sent a fine decoration. A wreath of pansies from Maine and of, roses arid fieur de lis from the Post Lafayette, Grand Army of the Republic, of New York, with a floral ornament from the Sons of the American Revolution in Paris, signified the honor in which the hero's memory is held by those societies. General Horace Porter, United States Ambassador, presided, and made the opening address. He said: "On this, our Memorial Day, consecrated conse-crated to the memory of the heroic dead, -we make our usual annual pilgrimage pil-grimage to this quiet historic cemetery to lay our tribute -o? .,,."Mng flowers upon the tomb of a -Uem who battl-.sl gallantly for American independence and whose name Avill remain green as long as human gratitude endures or heroic deeds are honored. .Lafayette was the personification of magnanimity, magnanim-ity, the. embodiment of true chivalry. There is much in his life that strikes the fancy, appeals to our finer senti-. ments and fascinates all who read the story of his remarkable career. "We find him a beardless boy scarcely out of his teens, with name, family, title, wealth, a charming home, , every hope of preferment in life, a young and affectionate girl-wife. In the ; midst of this happiness he hears mes- sages which came across the sea of a brave oppressed people struggling valiantly val-iantly for their liberty, and right to establish a government of their own. His generous young heart was touched, his sense of chivalry was aroused. He hastened to quit the luxuries of the Old World and cast his fortune with the New. He fitted out a ship at his own expense to carry him across the ocean; he equipped the troops of his first command out of his own private means; he refused to accept any compensation; he generously gener-ously shed his young blood at the battle bat-tle of Brandywine', and devoted the best years of his life to befriending a great principle in a land of strangers. Returning to his home, meanwhile, he co-operated with the sage Franklin in procuring a loan from France and in urging his country to dispatch an army and a fleet to aid the rebellious Colonies at the most critical period of their struggle. "The story of his deeds rises to the sublimity of an epic; the history of of the ages. We gladly repair to his last resting place to lay our garlands upon his tomb in accordance with a resolve of our people that ' no soldier vvio fought for American independence shall lie in a grave undecorated, un-honored un-honored or unwept. The flowers will fade, his memory will be fadeless." . General Porter then introduced the Hon. Clark E. Carr, former United States minister to Denmark, who spoke j I of the services that Lafayette had , rendered to his own country and to the I American nation. "The Nation," he said, "has honored the conciueror with a magnificent tomb typical of his splendid achievements, and characteristic character-istic of his bold nature, but I love to think that here in this quiet cemetery amid the beautiful flowers lies the man whose career is typical of the acts of peace. Lafayette never did an unjust act, never caused a pang to a single human soul. He was a just man and j righteous in his dealings. For the services that he has rendered to us Americans, never shall we forget him, until the rivers begin to run backward iii their courses, the shadows shall cease to haunt the mountain slopes, and the stars no longer stud the firmament firma-ment above." Ferdinand Wr. Peck, United States commissioner general to the Paris exposition, ex-position, was the next speaker, and he also dwelt on the sense of justice that characterized Lafayette. The Marquis de Lafayette, a representative repre-sentative of the family, spoke next in grateful acknowledgment of the memorial memo-rial ceremonies in honor of his ancestor. an-cestor. In a few well-chosen words he thanked the Americans for these ceremonies cere-monies and for the spirit that prompted prompt-ed the yearly celebrations. At the close of the address the audience audi-ence sang "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." A spirit of solemnity characterized the proceedings, and this, with the seclusion seclu-sion of the place and the sombre light, made a deep impression on all who were present. Count de Rochambeau was an intevr-ested intevr-ested spectator at the ceremony. Among the Americans present were General G. M. Dodge and General James A. Williamson or lowa; j. v. "Woodward, assistant commissioner general; J. W. Oothout, Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Hulbert, New York; Mr. and Miss Baron of Brooklyn, Mrs. D. Cotton Cot-ton and Miss Martin of Wrashington, Dr. C. R. Weld of Baltimore, Edward P. MacLean, vice and deputy consul general of the United States at Paris, Mr. Robert de H. Homer, commissioner of Wyoming, Mrs. Harry Bispham, and William Hathaway McNeil. |