Life of General Lafayette, with a critical estimate of his character and public acts;

Bayard Tuckerman

Sujets

• France
• Lafayette
• United States

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 17
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 9 Mo

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iiiiiiTHE LIBRARY
OF
THEUNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOSANGELESLIFE
General Lafayette
WITH A CRITICAL ESTIMATE OF HIS
CHARACTER AND PUBLIC ACTS
BAYARD TUCKERMAN
IN VOLUMESTWO
Vol. II
LONDON
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON
Limited
St. Dunstan's House, Fetter Lane, Fleet' Street, E.G.
i88q. —•
LXT?f
CONTENTS.
VOLUME II.
CHAPTER I
Work of the Assembly.— Lafayette's Excessive Spirit of In-
—novation.—His Relations with the Court. With Wirabeau.
— —Management of the National Guard. Political Position.
— Insurrection the most holy of Duties.—The Federation .
CHAPTER II.
— —Dangers of Lafayette's Position. Tumults in Paris. Growing
—Unpopularity of Louis XVI. The Journey to St. Cloud.
Lafayette's —Mistake. His Resignation and Resumption of
Office. His Ignorance of Human— Nature and the French
Character.— Flight of the King.— Lafayette's Vigorous
Action at the Champ de Mars.— Completion of the Con-
stitution and Final Resignation of Lafayette . . • 17
CHAPTER III.
—Lafayette called from Retirement to command an Army. His
Campaign. Decline of the Constitutional— Party and Rise of
—Power.— Lafayette's Letter.—The 20th ofJacobin June.
Lafayette returns to Paris to support King and Constitution.
— — —The loth of August. Jacobin Supremacy. Imprison-
—ment of the King. Lafayette rejects Jacobin Overtures and
—leaves France. End of his Revolutionary Career 84
156499.3———
"
IV CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
—Lafayette taken by the Allies. Imprisoned at Magdebourg
and Olmiitz.—The Reign of Terror France.— Bollmannin
Attempt Rescue.— Prisonand Huger's at Joined in by his
Wife and Daughters.—His Release —in 1797. Two Years
Exileof 92
CHAPTER V.
—The Revolution of Brumaire.— Lafayette returns to France.
Intercourse with Bonaparte.— Retirement at Lagrange.
—Settlement of his Debts. Death of his Wife.—His Atti-
tude toward the Consulate and the Empire • . . 127
CHAPTER VI.
—1814. Fall of Napoleon, and Restoration of the Bourbons.
—The Hundred Days. Course of Lafayette in the Representa-
—tive Assembly of 1815. Napoleon's Second Abdication.
The Second Restoration of Louis XVIII. by the Allied
-Armies.— Course of Lafayette towards the Government . 177
CHAPTER VII.
Last Visit of Lafayette to the United States, in 1824 . . . 212
CHAPTER VIII.
The Revolution of 1830 224
CHAPTER IX.
—Death of Lafayette, in His Descendants.— His Char-1834.
acter . 251LIFE OF GENERAL LAFAYETTE.
CHAPTER I.
Work of the Assembly.—Lafayette's Excessive Spirit of Innovation.
— — —His Relations with the Court. With Mirabeau. Manage-
— —ment of the National Guard. Political Position. Insurrection
—the most holy of Duties. The Federation.
In October began the second emigration, and for
two years the nobiUty continued to oppose the prog-
exile.ress of the Revolution by going into voluntary
kingOnly an honorable few remained with the to
efforts of theshare his trials, or took part in the
Assembly to establish a constitutional monarchy.
the con-Abandoned by what should have been
the Frenchservative element in the community, peo-
up new State asple continued the work of building a
The Assemblydifferent as possible from the old.
France, but its in-had become the sole authority in
wascapacity for the exercise of executive power evi-
members,dent from the first. The great number of its
and excitabilitythe extreme disorder, lack of system,
with the progressof its meetings, interfered fatally
interruptions continually tookof business. Ridiculous
silly deputations broke in on the mostplace, and
with long addresses. The specta-serious discussions2 LIFE OF GENERAL LAFAYETTE.
tors in the galleries frequently dictated the subjects to
influencedbe considered and the votes by applause
and threats. For some months almost nothing was
destroy what remained the oldattempted but to of
destruction went precipitatelyregime ; and the on so
as to involve the good with the bad. A vast number
onof monopolies, injurious privileges, restrictions
unjust taxes Thetrade, and were done away with.
against the Protestants were repealed,oppressive laws
effort made reform the criminal systemand an to ;
changes sudden and sweeping. Withbut the were too
other ancient institutions went the Church, whose
interfered with,property was confiscated and worship
religious,leaving the people without a as it was
political, guide. The passion foralready without a
nation. A generalinnovation pervaded the whole
for the everything old,demand called destruction of
but no two men could agree upon the necessary sub-
stitutes.
Assembly.Two distinct parties formed in the On
Cazal^s, the Abb^the right, under the leadership of
Montlosier, sat the con-Maury, and the Comte de
servative deputies who wished to establish on a sound
begun, and who opposedbasis the reforms already
further innovations. Charles de Lameth,On the left,
and Talleyrand led the more radicalBarnave, Duport,
party, whose opinions, though advanced, were con-
servative compared to those destined in the future to
rule that side of the house. Mirabeau belonged at
first to the left was the only man of eminent; but heLIFE GENERAL LAFAYETTE.OF 3
abilities to appreciate the dangers toward which the
country was drifting, and this foresight inchned him
more and more to take the conservative side.
During the winter of Lafayette's duties as1789-90,
the commander of the National Guard, and as the
virtual chief of police, prevented his taking any im-
portant part in the deliberations of the Assembly.
For the task of preserving order, he was much more
fitted than for that of making a constitution. Like
the rest of his countrymen, he was unfamiliar with the
principles of practical statesmanship. He had never
had any mental training likely to assist him in the
solution of political problems. His education had
been that of a gentilhomme and a soldier. His en-
thusiasm for free institutions, untempered by expe-
rience, caused him to follow easily in the rush for
innovation. He fully sympathized in the work of the
Assembly, and had unbounded confidence in the con-
stitution then framing. The genuineness of his repub-
lican principles, and the precipitancy with which he
was ready to adopt new measures in accordance with
them, is illustrated by a scene in the Assembly in
which he took a prominent part. The deputies, as
usual, were discussing a trivial matter, while important
ones remained untouched. The subject was the re-
moval theof some figures of slaves from the base of
statue Louis Lambel sud-of XIV. A deputy named
denly that notinterrupted the discussion by shouting
only all statues all monumentsshould be removed, but
pride, such suggestionof as titles of nobility. TheLAFAYETTE.LIFE OF GENERAL4
with enthusiasm by his hearers. Lafay-was received
immediately second the motion. Anotherette rose to
cooler than his companions, objected thatdeputy,
should have its recompense, and asked whatmerit
" onecould be put in the place of the words, Such a
saved thehas been made noble and count for having
" SuppressState on such a day." Lafayette replied,
;
' *only, Suchthe words made noble and count ' say
seems toa one saved the State on such a day.' It
Americanme that these words have something of an
character, precious fruit of the New World, which
ought to aid much in rejuvenating the old one." On
car-such recommendations this serious measure was
ried by acclamation. Lafayette was as hasty and in-
considerate in his revolutionary progress as the rest
andof the Assembly ; but he was thoroughly sincere,
never shrank from the results of his actions. After
the fever of the Revolution, all titles were resumed as
a matter of course. But Lafayette never suffered
himself to be addressed as marquis, and was known
""only as general to the day of his death.
The relations of Lafayette with the king and queeil
during the winter of 789-90 were necessarily strained,1
Lafayette seems to have done what he could tobut
make the king's position easier. The royal family
could not look upon the commander of the National
Guard with pleasure. He held his office indepen-
dently of the crown, and his duty compelled him to
watch as well as to guard the court. Two annoyances
suffered the king were unjustly ascribed to Lafay-by