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.

234 HISTORY OF THE
ing popularity of a day, the opinions which I considered as
most useful in promoting their good.""
On the seventh of June, general Lafayette afforded a signal proof of the disinterestedness of his principles, when
some anxiety was either felt, or feigned, at his command
over so vast an army as the whole national guard of the kingdom. He mounted the tribune, and proposed a decree that
no individual should command more than one department
of the national guards at a time; and this, too, when fourteen thousand deputies of four millions of armed citizens
were about to entreat him to become their chief. It is such
traits in the life and character of a man which ought especially to be recorded.t
Lafayette had, since its establishment, uniformly declared
himself against the Jacobin clubt and its projects. With
Bailly, the mayor of Paris, he had organised an opposing
club, and the victory between the two parties was doubtful
for more than a year and a half. The position in which Lafayette was placed during the contest, was extremely embarrassing and dangerous. He was obliged to oppose the unprincipled purposes of the Jacobins, without retreating toward the principles of the ancient despotism; and it is
greatly to his honour, that he did it most faithfully and consistently. When, therefore, on the twentieth of June, 1:790,
a proposition was suddenly made in the convention to abolish
all titles of nobility, La Fayette, true to his principles, rose
to second it. This proposition emanated'from a member of
the minority of the noblesse. A short discussion followed.
Lafayette observed that the suppression of titles was a necessary consequence of the constitution which had been
adopted. " What!" exclaimed M. Foucault, who opposed the
motion, " would you deprive man of the most powerful, and
the most noble motive, of emulation?-What. would you
* Mem. Hist. p. 197-8, 9.-Toulong. Hist. i, 208.
t Biog. Not. p. 9.-Toulong. i. 214 —Mem. Hist. Pref. xv.
t The first meeting of this club was held on the sixth of October, 1789.