The interview between Washington and the French commanders at Newport was made the occasion of an interesting expression of the sentiments of confidence and good-will which existed between the allied powers, and also of the feelings of joy, gratitude, and pride with which their presence was contemplated by the inhabitants of Rhode Island in general, and Newport in particular. An address was delivered to Washington by the citizens of that place, to which he replied as follows:

"To Christopher Ellery, William Channing, William Taggart, Solomon Southwick, and others, inhabitants of Newport.

"March, 1781.

"GENTLEMEN,-Among the distinguished honors, which have a claim to my gratitude since my arrival, I have seen with peculiar satisfaction those effusions of esteem and attachment, which have manifested themselves in the citizens of this ancient town. My happiness is complete in a moment that unites the expressions of their sentiments for me with their suffrages in favor of our allies. The conduct of the French army and fleet, of which the inhabitants testify so grateful and so affectionate a sense, at the same time that it evinces the wisdom of the commanders and the discipline of the troops, is a new proof of the magnanimity of the nation. It is a further demonstration of that generous zeal and concern for the happiness of America, which brought them to our assistance, a happy presage of future harmony, a pleasing evidence that an intercourse between the two nations will more and more cement the union, by the solid and lasting ties of mutual affection.

"I sincerely sympathize with you, gentlemen, in lamenting the depredations suffered by the town while in possession of the enemy, and heartily join you in those liberal wishes, the accomplishment of which would soon more than restore it to its former flourishing condition.

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Accept my acknowledgements for the polite and obliging manner, in which you have been pleased to communicate to me the sentiments of your fellow-citizens,

and the assurances of my warmest esteem for them and for you personally. I am, gentlemen, &c."

There was a splendid military exhibition on the occa sion. When Washington landed with his suite, at the end of Long-wharf, he was received by the French commanders, at the head of seven thousand troops. It was a brilliant and imposing spectacle. An aged person now living (1839) gives the following glowing description of the pageant:

"I never felt the solid earth tremble under me before. The firing from the French ships, that lined the harbor, was tremendous; it was one continued roar, and looked as though the very river was on fire.

"Never will the scene be erased from my memory. The attitude of the nobles, their deep obeisance, the lifting of hats and caps, the waving of standards, the sea of plumes, the long line of French soldiers, and the general disposition of their arms, unique to us, separating to the right and left, the Chief, with Count Rochambeau on his left, unbonneted, walked through. The French nobles,

commanders, and their under officers followed in the walk. Count Rochambeau was a small, keen-looking man, not handsome, as was his son, afterwards Governor of Martinico. Count Noailles looked like, what he was, a great man. He made a noble appearance there, as did also a Prussian Baron and Polish Count, officers of high standing in the army, who walked next. But the resplendent beauty of the two Viomenils eclipsed all the rest. They were brothers, and one of them a general in the army, who bore the title of Count too. Newport never saw any thing so handsome as those two young brothers.

"I thought, as the breeze of morning lifted the shining curls from the fair forehead of the elder Viomenil, and discovered the sparkling eyes and blooming cheeks, and wonderfully fine mouth, that nothing could surpass him; but when I looked at his brother I was puzzled to tell which was the handsomest. Both were of commanding height and well proportioned, as were very many of those who accompanied them. But we the populace were the

only ones that looked at them, for the eye of every Frenchman was directed to Washington.

"Calm and unmoved by all the honors that surrounded him, the voice of adulation nor the din of battle had never disturbed the equanimity of his deportment. Ever dignified, he wore on this day the same saint-like expression that always characterized him. There were other officers too, of inferior grade, that followed, and I afterwards saw them all on horseback, but they did not sit on a horse like Washington.

They proceeded to the Court or State House, and from thence to the lodgings of Count Rochambeau, down what is now called Spring-street, preceded by the 'Pioneers,' a company armed only with axes, held up straight before their faces, with the edge outwards. It was amusing to see how far these fellows would roll their eyes to catch a glimpse of Washington, for they dared as well die as turn their heads one inch."

The aged writer of the foregoing description concludes his enthusiastic narrative by declaring that it was "a proud day for Newport.”*

* Biographies of General Barton and Captain Olney, by Mrs. Williams of Providence, p. 307.-Another venerable witness bears a similar testimony in reference to the impression made by Washington's appearance on this occasion. The Hon. Asher Robbins was a spectator of the scene. The circumstances which led him to allude to it are explained in the following article from the National Intelligencer. The whole of Mr. Robbins's speech is here given, as it not only illustrates the feeling which was excited by Washington's presence and appearance at Newport, but confirms, in general, the views, given of his character and person, in this biography.

"THE CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON.

"The beautiful effusion which the reader will find below, is the production of the chaste and classic mind of the late venerable and distinguished Senator from Rhode Island, Mr. Robbins, and was occasioned by the following circumstances: During the session of 1837-8, Mr. Webster entertained a large party of friends at dinner; among them, the venerable Senator we have named. The evening passed off with much hilarity, enlivened with wit and sentiment; but, during the greater part of the time, Mr. Robbins maintained that grave but placid silence which was his habit. While thus apparently abstracted, some one suddenly called on him for a toast, which cal was seconded by the company. He rose, and in his surprise asked if

"To the Marquis de Lafayette.

"Newport, ten o'clock, P. M., 8 March, 1781.

"DEAR MARQUIS,-I have the pleasure to inform you, that the whole fleet went out with a fair wind this

they were serious in making such a demand of so old a man ; and being assured that they were, he said, if they would suspend their hilarity for a few moments, he would give them a toast, and preface it with a few observations. Having thus secured a breathless stillness, he went on to remark, that they were then on the verge of the 22d of February, the anniversary of the birth of the great patriot and statesman of our country, whom all delighted to remember and to honor; and he hoped he might be allowed the privilege of an aged man to recur, for a few moments, to past events connected with his character and history. He then proceeded, and delivered in the most happy and impressive manner the beautiful speech which now graces our columns. The whole company were electrified by his patriotic enthusiasm; and one of the guests, before they separated, begged that he would take the trouble to put on paper what he had so happily expressed, and furnish a copy for publication. Mr. R. obligingly complied with this request on the following day, but by some accident the manuscript got mislaid, and eluded all search for it until a few days ago, when it was unexpectedly recovered, and is now presented to our readers. "On the near approach of that calendar-day which gave birth to Washington, I feel rekindling within me some of those emotions always connected with the recollection of that hallowed name. Permit me to indulge them, on this occasion, for a moment, in a few remarks, as preliminary to a sentiment which I shall beg leave to propose. "I consider it as one of the consolations of my age, that I am old enough and fortunate enough to have seen that wonderful man. This happiness is still common to so many yet among the living, that less is thought of it now than will be in after-times; but it is no less a happiness to me on that account.

"While a boy at school, I saw him for the first time; it was when he was passing through New England, to take the command-in-chief of the American armies at Cambridge. Never shall I forget the impression his imposing presence then made upon my young imagination; so superior did he seem to me to all that I had seen or imagined of the human form for striking effect. I remember with what delight, in my after studies, I came to the line in Virgil that expressed all the enthusiasm of my own feelings, as inspired by that presence, and which I could not often enough repeat:

'Credo equidem, nec vana fides, genus esse deorum."*

"I saw him again at his interview with Rochambeau, when they met to settle the plan of combined operations between the French fleet and the American armies, against the British on the Chesapeake ; and then I saw the immense crowd drawn together from all the neighboring towns, to get, if possible, one look at the man who had throned * [I verily believe, nor is my confidence unfounded, that he is of Divine descent.]

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evening about sunset. You may possibly hear of their arrival in the Chesapeake before this letter reaches you; should you not, you will have every thing prepared for

himself in every heart. Not one of that immense crowd doubted the final triumph of his country in her arduous conflict; for every one saw, or thought he saw, in Washington, her guardian angel, commissioned by Heaven to insure her that triumph. Nil desperandum' was the motto with every one.

'Nil desperandum, Teucro duce, et auspice Teucro."*

"In after-life, when the judgement corrects the extravagance of early impressions, I saw him on several occasions, but saw nothing to admonish me of any extravagance in my early impressions. The impression was still the same; I had the same overpowering sense of being in the presence of some superior being.

"It is indeed remarkable, and I believe unique in the history of men, that Washington made the same impression upon all minds, at all places, and at once. When his fame first broke upon the world, it spread at once over the whole world. By the consent of mankind, by the universal sentiment, he was placed at the head of the human species; above all envy, because above all emulation; for no one then pretended, or has pretended to be-at least who has been allowed to be the co-rival of Washington in fame.

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When the great Frederick of Prussia sent his portrait to Washington, with this inscription upon it,- From the oldest General in Europe to the greatest General in the world,' he did but echo the sentiment of all the chivalry of Europe. Nor was the sentiment confined to Europe, nor to the bounds of civilization; for the Arab of the desert talked of Washington in his tent; his name wandered with the wandering Scythian, and was cherished by him as a household word in all his migrations. No clime was so barbarous as to be a stranger to the name; but every where, and by all men, that name was placed at the same point of elevation, and above compeer. As it was in the beginning, so it is now; of the future we cannot speak with certainty. Some future age, in the endless revolutions of time, may produce another Washington; but the greater probability is that he is destined to remain for ever, as he now is, the Phoenix of human kind.

"What a possession to his country is such a fame! Such a

'Clarum et venerabile nomen

Gentibus t

"To all his countrymen it gives, and for ever will give, a passport to respect wherever they go, to whatever part of the globe, for his country is in every other identified with that fame.

“What, then, is incumbent upon us, his countrymen? Why, to be such a people as shall be worthy of such a fame-a people of whom it shall be said, 'No wonder such a people have produced such a man as Washington.' I give you, therefore, this sentiment:

"The memory of Washington: May his countrymen prove them

selves a people worthy of his fame.'"

* [Let us never despair, with Teucer to lead us, and under Teucer's auspices.] [A name, illustrious and venerable among the nations !]