Beschreibung:

WASHINGTON, George. Autograph letter signed ("G o :Washington") as President, to George Washington de Lafayette, Philadelphia, 28 February 1796. 1 p, 4to , fine. PRESIDENT WASHINGTON INVITES HIS GODSON, THE SON OF THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE, FOR A VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA. A warm, affectionate letter, addressed by Washington to "My dear young friend," in which he invites the son of his former comrade in arms, and his namesake, to visit him in Philadelphia. The Marquis de Lafayette, inspired by the American war in the name of liberty, left his homeland of France to volunteer his services to the Continental Army. He was only 19 when Washington first met him in Philadelphia and, despite the General's suspicions of the many foreigners who sought commissions in the American army, he took an immediate liking to the young man: "It was apparent immediately that this volunteer was not the impoverished, grasping seeker after honors that had tried the soul of Congress. Lafayette appeared to be modest, tactful, admiring and not at all inclined to tell the Americans how to manage their affairs" (Freeman, George Washington , IV, p. 450). Their relationship, despite being defined by rank, quickly reflected a mutual affection: "they established an ideal father-and-son relationship which satisfied deep emotional lacks they both felt" (Flexner, Washington: The Indispensable Man , p. 102). Their shared perseverance of the rigors of war forged a lasting bond which could not be broken by the younger man's return to France at the conclusion of the war. The influential role that Washington played in Lafayette's life encouraged him to name a son after the esteemed general. The young nobleman's popularity reached dramatic heights in France after his return and he emerged as a key military leader during the French Revolution. However, the ascendance of Jacobin leaders and the initiation of the Revolution's radical phase forced Lafayette to flee. He was captured by the Austrians and imprisoned for five years until finally released by Napoleon in 1797. Fearing imprisonment and possibly even execution at the guillotine, George Washington de Lafayette decided the shores of America would be safer and made a hasty departure for New York. Upon his arrival in America at the age of 15, the young Lafayette sought the guidance and protection of his godfather. He wrote on August 31, 1795, that he was desirous of coming to Philadelphia. Washington longed to see and help his godson; "Washington felt personally and deeply responsible for the welfare of this boy...Just as Lafayette had been like a son to the General, Lafayette's child was almost like a grandson to him" (Freeman, vol 7, p 304). The political climate of the period, which which was fraught with quarrels over the nation's relationship with France, made bringing the young Lafayette into his household a troubling dilemma. Alexander Hamilton told the President that giving protection to the young Frenchman might alienate a substantial number of Federalists. Finally, in later February, eight months after Lafayette's arrival, Washington decided that he could safely invite his godson and his tutor to join him. He writes: "My desire to see you is such, that I request that you, and Ms. Testal, will make me a visit about the first of April at this City; by that time the weather will be settled, the roads good and the travelling pleasant. Col o . [Alexander] Hamilton will be the channel thro' which this letter will be conveyed to you; and my wish is, that you and Ms. Testal would come by way of New York to this City, and there make necessary arrangements with that Gentleman with respect to your proceedings. Any thing of which you may stand in need, will be furnished by Col o . Hamilton on my behalf. With best wishes, and the most affectionate regard." Lafayette arrived by April 11 and remained sheltered and entertained within the president's household until October 12, 1797, when word that his father had been releas