Page 60
History of Orange County
Town of Newburgh
Page 60
General La Fayette was then introduced to a great number of ladies and gentlemen in attendance, and as soon as an opportunity offered Johannes Miller, Esq., president of the Agricultural Society of the county of Orange, presented him a diploma of that society, with the following address:
General—The Agricultural Society of Orange County have directed me in their name, to congratulate you on your arrival to this country. Your recollection will bring to view the battles of Minisink and Fort Montgomery in our struggles for national independence. The ashes of those patriots who fell in the memorable contest, have been prolific in producing a stock of heroes ten-fold in number, of equal valor with those of the Revolution. When you left this country in your early years, after she had achieved her independence, you left her citizens under peaceful shades without an enemy.— They have since turned their weapons of war into implements of husbandry and agriculture, and they have had a continual jubilee. Your presence among them increases their joy, and excites feelings which cannot be suppressed. You will permit me to add my individual expressions of joy and congratulations to those of the society, and to pray that your days may be prolonged to see the nations of the earth emancipated from the shackles of tyranny and oppression.
General La Fayette,—In token of their respect, the society has also directed me to present you this diploma constituting you a member thereof.
The General appeared highly gratified with this mark of esteem. He said he had always been pleased with the art of husbandry, and that he was himself a farmer, and that he cordially joined in the wishes of the society that the nations of the earth might be soon freed from the shackles of tyranny and oppression.
The General then appeared on the balcony in front of the Orange Hotel, under a large civic Arch, and received the cheers and congratulations of the immense crowd which filled the street—but we regret, that notwithstanding the brilliant illuminations of the two hotels, which were opposite, the view of the General was imperfect and not satisfactory to the people. Attempts were made to obtain a place for him on the platform below, but the press of the populace to get into the house, rendered that impracticable, and he appeared a second time on the balcony, expressing a great desire to gratify the wishes of the people.
About 9 o’clock, a deputation from Hiram Lodge invited and accompanied the General, his son, M. Levasseur, and the Masonic gentlemen who attended them to the elegant Lodge Room in the Orange Hotel, where he was received with Masonic honors and the Rev. Mr. Brown, delivered to him the following address:
General La Fayette—I have been deputed by the brethren of this Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, to offer you their felicitations on your appearance among them. Having been, through a long and useful life, the steady and undeviating friend of those rational principles of civil and religious liberty, inculcated by the precepts of our order, we esteem one of the most interesting and joyous events of our life to receive you within these walls as a brother. Although, as Masons, "we meet upon the Level,” yet we are taught to reverence the distinctions of virtue and goodness with devoted affection. We greet you, therefore, revered sir, not only as a Mason, but as a patriot, a statesman, a philanthropist, and the benefactor of mankind. We welcome you again to this soil, the scene of your early labors in achieving the independence of our beloved country. We offer you the homage of our sincere gratitude for your early zeal in the cause of our revolutionary struggle, and for your unparalleled sacrifice of treasure and ease, in purchasing the blessings we this day enjoy. And it is peculiarly gratifying to associate the name of La Fayette with that of Washington, and the many other worthies of both ancient and modern days, who by their labors and their virtues, have been the brightest ornaments in the Temple of Masonry. The brethren, justly appreciating the lustre of your example, have assembled to acknowledge their obligation.
Suffer me, in my own name, as well as that of the fraternity, to offer you our gratitude. Long may you enjoy the warm attachment of the American people. Long may you enjoy the satisfaction of having contributed by your labor and blood to establish our liberties. Long may you wear the laurels you so justly merit: and may the happiness of your declining years exceed even the usefulness of their meridian. Elevated by the brightness of your course to the pinnacle of the earthly temple, may you in due time be exalted to a seat in that Temple which is above, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
To which the General made an elegant and appropriate answer. After an introduction to his Masonic brethren, be retired to the rooms provided for him by the committee of arrangements and took some refreshment. He appeared to be much fatigued, and on being introduced to Col. Brodhead, he requested him to tender his thanks to the cavalry under his command for their attention.
The clamor of thousands of people in the streets to see him, induced him again to show himself on the balcony, and he expressed to them his regret that unforseen events had prevented him from arriving by daylight in the village of Newburgh, where he experienced such a kind and marked attention.
While the supper was preparing the General, with some of the gentlemen of the Cincinnati Society and the Corporation of New-York, visited the ladies in the ball room at Crawford’s Hotel, with the decorations of which he appeared to be much pleased. Declining a superb seat prepared for him, he walked through the room amongst the ladies and affectionately took the hands of all. On his returning he expressed to one of the committee his great happiness in this short visit, and that “there were many beautiful ladies in Newburgh.”