Y 
292 Original Anecdotess—La Fayette. 
pendant of that general, opened alfo to 
him the profpeét: of a glorious expedi- 
tion. But La Fayette, faithful to friend- 
fhip, and aware of the’ fatal confe- 
quences of fuch intrigues, would 2*ept 
the command only with the agreement, 
and on condition of being under the or- 
ders, of Wafhington. 
The notice of a few circumftances 
will exculpate him from the hacknied 
reproach of perfonal ambition. When 
on the eve of an expedition, from which 
he might have expected a confiderable 
fhare of glory, he confented to under- 
fake ajourney to Bofton, in order tokeep 
-up a good underitanding between the 
American army and the {quadron of the 
-Count d’Eftaing, which did not prevent. 
his returning in ume to fhare in the 
,merit of the retreat, rendered neceifary 
by the departure of the French squadron, 
and in the eulogium of General Sullivan 
on that account. In the campaign of 
17$1, La Fayette diflinguithed himfelf 
in as eminent a degree as he had done 
in the preceding campaign, by his aéti- 
vity and his 7kill in manceuvring. He was 
fent to Virginia, wt) tae recommendation 
af leaving thofe flates.only whenreduced to 
the laff exiremities, Lord Cornwallis, the 
moft fkillful of the Englith generals, 
confiding in his fuperior numbers, had 
rformed the Britith cabinet, that the boy 
could mot efcape bim: ot aiter a very 
active campaign, of more than fix 
months, the Englifh found themtelves 
driven to a pofition on the fea coa, the 
moft favourable for a co-operation agreed 
upon with the Admiral Count de Grafle. 
‘She Americanarmy,; from an inexpug- 
nable flation, prevented the enemy from 
extricating themfelves: foon after the 
French admiral arrived in Chetapeak 
Bay, and the divifion of the Antilles 
formed their junction with La Fayette, to 
ferve under hisordets. The Maréchal 
de camp, St. Simon, prefled his young 
weneral to ftorm the entrenchments of 
York Town, which were not yet finith- 
ed; the admiral joined his folicitations to 
_.thofe of the commander-of the land 
forces, offering new reinforcements 
from his fleet; and both reprefented 
how much glory it would refleét on him, 
were the affair concluded before the. ar- 
rival of Wathington, who, with the ge- 
nerals Rochambeau and Lincoln, both 
his elders, was. marching from the 
North River, at the head of French and 
American troops: but it being always 
the leading principle of La Fayette, to 
£ 
[April, 
{pare as much as poffible the blood of his 
foldiers, and feeing the capture of Corn- 
waillis inevitable, he conftantly anfwered, 
that he would not run the hazard of a 
bloody engagement, whilft they were 
certain, after the union of the other 
troops, of gaining the propofed end with. 
a comparatively trifiing lofs. . 
Two or three inftances may be cited, 
to prove that the ambition of promoting 
the facred caufe of freedom, together 
with the improvement and happinefs of 
his country, was the only one by which 
he ever was actuated. Although diftin- 
guifhed by what was accounted arr illuf- 
trious birth, although poffeffed of a large 
fortune and confiderable family interef 
at court, and intitled by his fervices i 
America to any preferments, he is 
known to have conftantly refufed thofe 
places, fo much fought for under the old 
government; alledging that he only 
wifhed for the opportunity of being 
ufeful to his country, and principally 
of promoting a reform m its economical 
and political fyitem. When placed at 
the head of the Parifian national guaras, 
and poffefiing confiderable influence im 
the revolutionary governmens’, he, more 
than any other, preffed for the organiza- 
tion of the new conftitution, which was 
to fupercede the revolutionary authori- 
ties. Being informed that the deputies 
of the confederated national guards of 
France, then at Paris, deffgned to inveft 
him with che title of their generaliflimo, 
be mounted the tribune to propofe that 
the National Affembly fhould decree ix 
-uncon#icational to command the nation- 
al guards of more than one diftri€t: and 
when fifteen thoufand of thofe confede- 
rated national guards furrounded him, 
rending the air with their acclamations, 
in 2 fpeech which he then delivered, he 
made ufe of thefe words: ‘* Notwith- 
ftanding my gratitude to you for your 
alfeétion, [ cannot refrain from an emo- 
tion of terror: referve that enthufiafm 
for the caufe of liberty, and that un- 
bounded attachment only for the laws.” 
As foon as the conftitution was finifhed, 
he refigned the immenfe power with 
which he had been entrufted; retired to 
his eitate three hundred and fixty miles 
from the capital, refifting all folicitations ; 
and could not be prevailed on to leave 
his retirement, until the breaking out of 
the war made it his duty to accept of the 
command which had been conferred on 
him by the unanimoys voice of the 
Ration, 
- MALESHERBES. 
