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.

154 HISTORY OF TILE
bargain that the residue, i. e. the most precious part, might
be left out. I very much wish Wadsworth and you may undertake it, as I think there is a profit to be made. The passports, I will send by the next packet. Mr. Adams is to show
you, and Mr. Wadsworth is to send you by express, the copy
of the proposals. So much for one time; but am not so
sanguine for the future, except this invoice is very satisfactory, and the national attempt does not meet with success.
" I worked very hard to bring this about; and am happy
at having, at last, obtained a point which may be agreeable
to New England, and the people of Boston. I wish they
may, at large, know I did not neglect their affairs; and, although this is a kind of private bargain, yet as it amounts to
a value of about eight hundred thousand French livres, and
government have been prevailed upon to take off all duties,
it can be considered as a matter of importance."
On the twenty-eighth of June, M. de Calonne officially announced to the farmer general and to M. de Lafayette, the
total exemption from duty on the specified quantity of oil,
if imported previous to the first day -of June, 1786-the proceeds of the oil to be invested in the produce or manufactures of France.
These continued and valuable marks of his affection for
this country could not fail to make a general and lasting impression on the minds of the American community. No
wonder, then, that his progress through the United States in
the year 1784, resembled, in its best features, a Roman triumph. We cannot omit, in this place, as connected with
the subject which has just been treated upon, the singular
mode of testifying their gratitude, adopted by the inhabitants
of Nantucket, who had become extremely impoverished by
the long war, by which their common- means of subsistence
had been totally destroyed. This novelty is described in
the following letter, dated Nantucket, nineteenth September,
1786, and published in the New Plymouth Gazette of the
twenty-seventh of the same month.