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ORIGINAL ANECDOTES AND REMARKS 
EMINENT 
OF 
PERSONS. 
{This article is devoted to the reception of Biographical Anecdotes, Papers, Letters, Se, ana 
qwe requefi the Communications of fuch of our Readers as can afift us in ibefe objcéts. | 
ANECDOTESOF PERSONS CONNECTED. 
WITH THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 
LA FAYETTE. 
A MONG thofe popular characters 
who principally diftinguifked them- 
felves as the firft promoters and fupport- 
ers of the French revolution, there is 
hardly one who has occafioned more con- 
tradi€tory opinions’ than General La 
PaYveETTEs, even among the friends of 
freedom. Flow far thofe different fenti- 
ments have been reconciled in his own 
country, and his conduct juftified by 
fubfequent events, may be inferred from 
his having now recovered his former po- 
pularity with the French people; from 
his having excited among all defcriptions 
of his countrymen the itrongeft fympa- 
thy for his misfortunes, and his reckon= 
ing at prefent no other enemies than the 
partifans of. defpotifm and anarchy. 
Were not the unparalleled treatment he 
kas experienced from the defpots them - 
felves a fufficient argument in his favour, 
the following circumftances of his poli- 
tical life would fufficiently evince what 
opinion fhould be entertained of his prin- 
‘ciples and character. 
La FAYETTE was nineteen years old 
when he determined to take an a€iive 
part in the American ftruggle for liber- 
ty, and to go-to America. Io power 
had yet dared openly efpoufe their caufe, 
although they rejoiced at the revolt of 
the American colonies, and the profpect 
it opened of their future feparation from 
the mother-country ; yet the French 
rulers were rather backward in giv- 
ing fupport to their claims, and 
ftill more to the principles on which 
they were founded; they confequently 
hefitated and witheld their -athftance. 
Mortified to obferve that theit wavering 
policy might be fufpe@ted, and them- 
felves unwillingly engaged’ in the con- 
teft through the youthful ardour of La 
Fayette, they fent meffengers to thofe 
ports where he was the moft likely to 
embark, with orders to ftop him; but 
he having efcaped their refearches, they 
fecretly advifed the congrefs not-to em- 
ploy him ;* formally declaring, at the 
fame .time, to the Englith court, that 
Montruity Mac. No. XVI. 
they had no hand whatever in his pro- 
ceeding, and that they left him entirely 
to his fate. La Fayette having fecretly 
concerted his meafures with the Ameri~- 
can agents in France, was on the point 
of his departure, when they received 
freth advices from America, that the af- 
fairs of the revolted colonies were in the 
moft deplorable fituation. On their re- 
prefentation that they thought it a duty 
incurmbent on them to diffuade him from 
his attempt in fo critical. a moment, as 
he could not fail to involve himfelf in 
their ruin: ** If 7s fo much the move incum- 
Benton me,” anfwered he, ** fo bafiem my 
departure?’ Vt is well known how much 
this ffep of his contributed to retrieve 
the American affairs ; what fupport his 
military and political fervices gave to 
their revolution, what eleétrical influ- 
ence his refolution and his fuccefles had 
upon public opinion in France, which 
determined at laft the court of Verfail- 
les to grant their alliance and protection 
to the congrefs. To that fingle circum- 
ftance, perhaps, we’ might trace the firft 
origin of the French revolution, and 
aferibe its natural and neceflary confe- 
quences on the political and econormt- 
cal fyftem of Europe. 
It is unneceflary here to enlarge upon 
his pecuniary facrifices in the American 
caufe; upon his having returned to France 
for the exprefs purpofe of procuring 
them {uccours in fhips, men, money, mili- 
tary flores, 8c. upon his having refufed 
all command, till his blood, fhed on the 
field of battle, and his military fucceffes, 
had entitled him-to it. But it would be un- 
jutt to pafs over a charaéteriftic anecdote, 
which is a fufficient anfwer to thofe who 
accufe him of an: inordinate ambition : 
during the winterof 1777 to 1778, a cabal 
was farmed in-the Congrefs againft the 
commander inchief; they wifhed to take 
from him his young friend, whofe popu- 
larity was daily encreafing, “The con- 
queror of Burgoyne. GaTEs, lately . 
made war minitter, propofed to La Fa- 
yette, inthe name of the Congrefs, and 
with circumftances likely to be difagrea- 
ble to Wafhington, the chief command 
of the northern army; which in render- 
ing him, at twenty years of age, inde- 
Fy 8) pendans 














