LAFAYETTE IN BROOKLYN BY WALT WHITMAN 1904 o L3 LAFAYETTE IN BROOKLYN Of this book 250 copies have been printed at the Literary Collector Press, as follows : 15 copies on Imperial Japanese Vellum, and 235 copies on American Hand Made Paper. LAFAYETTE IN BROOKLYN BY WALT WHITMAN WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JOHN BURROUGHS GEORGE D. SMITH NEW YORK 1905 Copyright, 1905 BY GEORGE D. SMITH THE LITERARY COLLECTOR PRESS GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT CONTENTS Introduction By John Burroughs Lafayette in Brooklyn By Walt Whitman Notes PLATES Walt Whitman From a photograph by Cox Lafayette From the painting by S. F. B. Morse Facsimile of a part of Whitman's Manuscript The following paper is printed lit erally from an undated MS. prepared by Whitman for the printer, but never published. The minutes of the New England Historic Gene alogical Society mention two occa sions October 5, and December 7, 1 8 8 1 on which papers on Lafayette were read and followed by "remarks by several gentlemen." Whitman's name is not recorded in the minutes of either meeting. INTRODUCTION BY JOHN BURROUGHS INTRODUCTION I HAVE often heard Whitman speak of the incident of his childhood narrated in the following pages, and always with a feeling of pride and pleasure. It probably occurred in the fall of 1824 as Lafayette landed in this country in August of that year. He came in response to an invitation from Congress, made through President Monroe, and remained with us over a INTRODUCTION year, visiting all the principal cities and each of the twenty- four states. At this time the Whitman family had recently moved to Brooklyn from the country, and I fancy that Walt was a typical country boy of about five years, not at all "bright and smart" as city boys so often are, but ruddy, normal, healthy a bit of sound rural humanity, yet very im pressionable, as his vivid recol lection of the Lafayette incident, even to the color of the horses and of the barouche in which he came, clearly shows. In that casual incident of a moment, the French democracy of the eight eenth century, as exemplified by the life and character of one of its most noted representatives, embraced and caressed the heir INTRODUCTION of the new democracy of the nineteenth century its future poet and most complete and composite embodiment. There is something very significant, al most fateful, iti the incident. In all that crowd of children La fayette could have touched none other who was destined so to glorify and embody in imagina tive words the spirit of the coun try to whose service he had, in his young manhood, so freely offered his life. How much his memory of Lafayette influenced Whitman's liking for the French people, it would be impossible to deter mine. Certain it is that he al ways had a peculiarly warm feeling for that nation, more so I think than for any other Eu ropean country. There was some INTRODUCTION thing in that audacious revolu tionary spirit of the French that moved him; that struggle for liberty, Alone, among the sisters, thou, Giantess, didst rend the ones that shamed thee. He wrote two poems to France, the first on the French Revolution, published in 1860, in which he says Pale, silent, stern, what could I say to that long-accrued retribution ? Could I wish humanity different ? Could I wish the people made of wood and stone ? Or that there be no justice in destiny or time? The last poem in 1870 was sug gested by the defeat of France by the Germans. During this war I remember that Whitman's sympathies were as pronounced in favor of the French, as are our sympathies to-day, in favor of Japan as against Russia. The INTRODUCTION poem is entitled "O Star of France. " Dim, smitten star Orb not of France alone, pale symbol of my soul, its dearest hopes, The struggle and the daring, rage divine for liberty, Of aspirations toward the far ideal enthusiast's dream of brotherhood, Of terror to the tyrant and the priest. Truly there was something prophetic in this caress of the child Whitman by Lafayette. JOHN BURROUGHS. LAFAYETTE IN BROOKLYN BY WALT WHITMAN i ^}<U*~^ ' ^ ^ ,o^r... ^tttjrt j?fa^^^. 4*<J-*JSZ^ f f^^jf^- /i^Cj 4t* &4***sb<*^&c.< ^^\^^^/^^^ ^O ^3e^x^ ^ f^^, ^^^-^e^t^^ The following impromptu remin iscence of Lafayette's 'visit to this country in 182$, and his going over one day to Brooklyn, New York, was given some time since at a meeting of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, in Somerset street, Eos ton. Walt Whitman. LAFAYETTE IN BROOKLYN of the present day ; but was full as hearty & far less tedious. The people on this occasion all turned out and formed on both sides of a hollow lane nearly two miles long, thickly fringed with well- dress'd humanity, women as well as men, the children placed in front. That was about all, yet it was singularly effective. La fayette came over at Fulton Ferry, (then called the Old Ferry) in a large canary-colored open ba rouche, drawn by four magnifi cent white horses. I think there was no band of music, and I think no speechifying, (or if so, only a few brief words) but a marked profusion of young children, and old men, (several of the latter were revolutionary soldiers,) and a number of blacks freed from slavery by the then late New WALT WHITMAN York emancipation acts. These diversified the main assemblage which was composed of substantial Brooklyn citizens with their wives. Through all, the carriage of the noble Frenchman was very slowly driven. I remember that the fine horses and their impa tient action under the curb, at tracted my attention fully as much as the great visitor himself. The whole thing was curiously mag netic and quiet. Lafayette was evidently deeply pleased and af fected. Smiles and tears con tended on his homely yet most winning features. But the principal incident in my recollection is now to come. They were at that time just com mencing the foundation of the Brooklyn Apprentices Library, LAFAYETTE IN BROOKLYN and Lafayette had consented to lay the cornerstone with his own hands that is to grasp it per sonally. Some half a mile or over from the ferry, he stopt, got out of the barouche, and in the midst of the crowd, with other gentlemen, assisted in lift ing the children, amid the deep- cut excavation and heaps of stones, to safe spots where they could see the ceremony. Hap pening to stand near, I remember I was taken up by Lafayette in his arms and held a moment I remember that he press'd my cheek with a kiss as he set me down the childish wonder and nonchalance during the whole affair at the time, contrasting with the indescribable precious- ness of the reminiscence since. I remember quite well La- WALT WHITMAN fayette's looks, tall, brown, not handsome in the face, but of fine figure and the pattern of good nature, health, manliness, and human attraction. (A life size full length oil-painting exhibited years ago in Philadelphia, in 1877 I think, seems to me an admirable likeness as I recollect him at the time.) That beautiful sunshiny day, over sixty years since, the spon taneous effusion of all stages of humanity, and the occasion, made a picture, which time has con tinued to set deeper and deeper in my recollection. NOTES Whitman was born May 3 1 , 1819. Lafayette laid the corner-stone of the Apprentices' Library on July 4, 1 825. The Apprentices' Library Building was situated at Cranberry and Henry Streets. The building was pulled down some years ago, and the associ ation is now incorporated in the Brooklyn Institute. The portrait of Lafayette referred to by Whitman is the one painted by S. F. B. Morse, which now hangs in the Governor's room of the City Hall, New York. " Almost in this same neighbor hood [Broadway and Canal Streets, New York] I distinctly remembered seeing Lafayette on his visit to America in 1825." Whitman's "Ad dress on Lincoln." " Lafayette was at that time be tween sixty-five and seventy years of age, with a manly figure and a kind face." Whitman's "Goodbye, My Fancy." UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY Return to desk from which borrowed. This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 951 LD 21-100m-ll,'49(B7146sl6)476 R8774.1 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY