The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 08, No. 50, December, 1861

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Various. The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 08, No. 50, December, 1861

THE HOME OF LAFAYETTE

"LAFAYETTE."

LA GRANGE

EVERY-DAY LIFE AT LA GRANGE

MY FRENCH

THE GENERAL

A FIELD NIGHT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

A LEGEND OF THE LAKE

AGNES OF SORRENTO

CHAPTER XVI. ELSIE PUSHES HER SCHEME

CHAPTER XVII. THE MONK'S DEPARTURE

A NEW COUNTERBLAST

THE WOLVES

A STORY OF TO-DAY. PART III

HEALTH IN THE HOSPITAL

A STORY OF THANKSGIVING-TIME

SONG IN A DREAM

ENGLAND AND EMANCIPATION

UNION AND LIBERTY

HOW TO ROUGH IT

REVIEWS AND LITERARY NOTICES

RECENT AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THE EDITORS OF THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY

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After General Lafayette's visit to the United States, in 1824, every American who went to France went with a firm conviction that he had a right to take as much as he chose of the old gentleman's time and hospitality, at his own estimate of their value. Fortunately, the number of travellers was not great in those days, although a week seldom passed without bringing two or three new faces to the Rue d'Anjou or La Grange. It was well both for the purse and the patience of the kind-hearted old man that ocean steamers were still a doubtful problem, and first-class packets rarely over five hundred tons.

It could hardly be expected that a boy of sixteen should have more discretion than his elders; and following the universal example of my countrymen, the first use that I made of a Parisian cabriolet was to drive to No. 6, Rue d'Anjou. The porte cochère was open, and the porter in his lodge,—a brisk little Frenchman, somewhat past middle age, with just bows enough to prove his nationality, and very expressive gestures, which I understood much better than I did his words; for they said, or seemed to say,—"The General is out, and I will take charge of your letter and card." There was nothing else for me to do, and so, handing over my credentials, I gave the rest of the morning to sightseeing, and, being a novice at it and alone, soon got tired and returned to my hotel.

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Nevertheless, the public mind was deeply moved. The perils of such a precedent were evident enough to any thinking man. Although the unwearied exertions of Bright, Roebuck, and other leading Radicals, could not arouse the people to that state of unreasoning excitement in which these demagogues delight, yet the tone of the press and the spirit of the public meetings gave proof that the importance of the crisis was not wholly underrated. These meetings were frequent and largely attended; inflammatory speeches were made, strong resolutions passed, and many petitions numerously signed, protesting against the recent conduct of the Lords, were presented to the popular branch of Parliament.

In the House of Commons the action was prompt and decided. A committee was immediately appointed to search for precedents, and ascertain if such a proceeding was justified by Parliamentary history. The result of this investigation was anxiously awaited both by the Commons and the nation. To the disappointment of everybody, the committee, after patient and protracted research, submitted a report, giving no opinion whatever on the question, but merely reciting all the precedents that bore on the subject.

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