Lafayette, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de (1757-1834). French aristocrat, statesman and soldier; major general in the American Revolutionary War and close friend of George Washington; commander-in-chief of the French national guard; lifelong proponent of human rights and liberty. Letter signed "Lafayette" as president of the Polish Committee, one page, 8 x 10¼ in., in French, Paris, Feb. 12, 1831. To the Notaries of Paris and of the Departments soliciting funds in support of the Poles. Fine condition; light toning. Lafayette writes that the Poles had been "constant friends of France," that they had spilled so much blood for the French in their national wars and had been deceived by the promises of despotism and by the coalition Congress. The Poles had made the heroic resolution, in the most dangerous situation, to follow the French example and to recover their rights.
Lafayette supported freedom everywhere, including Poland's uprising against the Russian Empire. He gave speeches in the Chamber of Deputies, gave financial support, hid Polish patriots at his estate and became a founding member of the Polish Committee, but by October 1831, the Polish uprising was crushed by the Russians. Estimated Value $400 - 600
American Revolutionary War
