A complete history of the Marquis de Lafayette, major-general in the American army in the war of the revolution. Embracing an account of his tour through the United States, to the time of his departure, September, 1825. By an officer in the late army.

10 JHISTiTORY OF THIE
the principles of the French monarchy did not pernit the
encouragement'of what, according to these principles, must
be pronounced a revolt. Besides, France at that timne, had
no cause of complaint against England, and to enter on a
war wholly onl the ground of the habitual rivalship between
the t-wo countries, was bad policy in itsel, and mrore detrimental to France than to England: for France, possessing
greater natural resources, but being iiferior in naval power,
was certain of acquiring additional strength in peace, and
as certain of being weakened by a mnaritime war. iM.
Necker iaid before the kinwg the strozngest motives for the
cotiiuaince of peace, and he who has been charged with republican sentimlents, declared himirself hostile to a war, the
object of which, wa s the independence of a people. He
certainly wished every success to the noble cause of the
colonlists; but he felt on the one hand, that war ought never
to be declared without positive necessity, and on the other,
tlhat no possible concurrence of political resuLts could counterbailalce o 1'IraniCe, the loss she would sustain of the advaXntaes sihe niglt derive from her capital wasted in the
Happily f~ 4 Armerica, and happily for the common cause
of fiee ai(l enlightened principles, the majority of the
1'rIcneil peop1e were not disposed to consider as a waste of
capital tlose i-neans which were employed in the defence
of rationla! liberty, the humrblinlg of a haughty nation, and
tihe chastisement of a hereditary foe. The arguments of
Md. Necker proved unavailing: and the king decided for
war, Tlhe motives for this measure were undoubtedly
stron.g( alnd the government was exposed to great difficulties
eit either alternative. The time was approaching when the
words of Hume, in relation to Charles I., might have been
applied to Louis XVI. He found himself in a situation
wnere faults were irreparable; a condition too rigorous to
be imposed on weak lluman nature. Whether it be admitted
* o i Stael, Consin: irench S evw;on{Itil,, vol. i. ch. vii. p. 88