Lafayette And Arnold's Treason

But the event of this viait of mine to Paris was my introduotion, by Francis Wright, to General Lafayette. Of all uien living he was the ono I most ! iastically admired, and the one I most ! earnestly longed to see. These feelings had gained frèsb. fervor in the United States. Just two months before I landed in New York Lat'ayette had retnrned home in the Brandy winc, aftor a year's sojourn in the land which ho had aided to libérate, and b}' which he had been welcomed as never nation, until tben had welcomed a man. I heard his praiso 011 overy tongue, I 'ound love and gratitude toward him n very heart. My admiration and Bympatby were no oubt tninsparent, and these muy have von for me, from ouo of the most genial f men, a hoarty reception At all events ie devotcd himuelftosatisfy my uuriosity, with au overñowing goed nature and a winning kindness and siinplicity tliat I hall remember to my dying day. A few items of our conversation I still most distinctly ïecollect. One incident, epresonting the Pather of his Country n a rare aspect, ever recalls to me, when . think of it, the tondor eyes and tho graious loving inanner which made the rand old Prenchman tlie idol of all oung peoplo wlio shared his friendship. It was just bef ore the umnaskingof the ole traitor who looined up during the evolution, in ono of tho most oventful ays in all that eventful period, and more han iour years after the immortal Declaition had been read trom the steps of he old Philadelphia State House - itwas he 25th of September, 1780. On the af;ernoon of the precoding day, Washingon, after dining at Fishkill, had set out vith his suite intending to reach Arnold's ïeadquarters, IS miles distant, that evenng. What would have happened had he arried out his intention, wo can now only conjecture. What men cali a chanco - a ■asnal meeting near Fishkill witli the ?rench Minister De Luzerne - induced íim to remaiu there that night. Next norning ofter sending notice to Avnold that he might expoct him to breaKfast, he again changed his intention, turning oif to visit some redoubts on the Hudson, opposite West Poin', and sending two aides-de-oamp to apologize. It was while these oflioers were at breakfust with the family that Arnold received tho dispatch which announced Andre's' capture, and caused his [Arnold's] instant ílight, on protence, to bis visitors, of a cali from West Point. Some hours later, Washington arrived with Generáis Knox and Lafayette, and finding Arnold gone, followod him, as he supposed, across the river, and learning he had not been to West Point, returned to dinner. As Washington approached the house, his aide, Colonel Hamilton, who had remained behind, carne hurriedly to meet him, and placed n his hands a dispatch wliich, as a conidential staff-officer, he had already opened, and which disolosed Arnold's treachery. Washingtoncominunicated its con;ents, doubtless bêfore dmner, to General Knox, and to him alone, with the brief and significant words, ' Whom can we ;rust now'r" The usual version is that he thus comnunicated this portentous news to General Knox and Lafayette jointly ; hut that is an error. The statement made to me by ;he latter, during our journey to Lajrrange, surprised and iuterested me at ;he time, has reniained indelibly impressed on my memory. It was this : When Washington sat down to dinñer, no unusual emotion was visible on his countenance. He w%s grave and silent, aut not more so than often happened when reeent tidings trom the ariny ocoupiedhis thoughts. At the close of the iiieal he beckoned Lafayette to follow 3Í111, passed to an inner apartment, turned to his triend without uttering a syllable, placed the fatal dispatch in his hands, ind thfin, giving way to an ungovornablo burst of feeling, fel! on his neck and sobbed aloud. The effect produoed on the young French marquis, aecustomed to j ;ard his general (cold and dignifled iu [lis usual manner) as devoid of the mon weaknoss of humanity, muy bo j agined, " I bolicve," said Lafayette to me in relating this iinecdote, " that this is the only occasion throughout that long j and hepeless struggle, that Washington ever gave way, even for a moment, under a reverse of fortune ; and porhaps I am the only human being who over witnessed a human exhibition so foreign to his temperament. As it was, he had recovered himselt' before 1 hd perused the communication that had given rise to his excitememt, and when we roturued to his staff not a trace remained in his or either oí' rnef or (trspomicni-v.