LA FAYETTE (Gilbert Du Motier de). Autograph letter signed t - Lot 78

LA FAYETTE (Gilbert Du Motier de). Autograph letter signed to Romain Joseph de Brigode. La Grange, June 29, 1830. One p. 1/3 in-8 square in fine tight handwriting, address on spine; small tear to address leaf due to opening without affecting text. Beautiful, long letter evoking the American national holiday, and dealing with the explosive French political and institutional situation: King Charles X had just dissolved the Chamber of Deputies and would see his supporters lose the elections (June-July 1830), which would lead him to restrict the right of the press and provoke the revolution in which the Marquis de La Fayette (elected deputy in July) would play a prominent role. " ... Honor to the Nord department, my dear friend! I bless it on two counts, for the public good, and for you [the Comte de Brigode had just been re-elected deputy for the Nord in the Liberal ranks]... I am not yet allowed to call you my colleague; we are among the departments banned until July 12. This concept, attributed to Monsieur Peyronet [Minister of the Interior, Pierre-Denis Peyronnet], caused quite a stir, particularly in the election towns, where all preparations had been made to receive the electors. The government feared that the numerous and pronounced choices in Paris and the surrounding area would encourage the departmental colleges to frustrate the intentions of the double vote, for we cannot believe that it would have occurred to them to enter into session without the deputies of such a large and populous part of France. So here we are, on August 3 and, if you like, August 16, with a large recognized majority; what will they do then? We have to choose between... coups d'état, which would take them further than us, and a change in the ministry, which I hope would not prevent us from demanding guarantees, without which... it would always be a case of starting over. It is said that the congregation feels its defeat, and that elsewhere there is only ANGER; it SHOULD ESPECIALLY BE BENT ON THOSE WHO THROWN THE KING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ELECTORAL BATTLE : AS REPUBLICAN AS I AM, AND AS POPULAR AS MY FRIENDS AND I WERE IN OUR DEALINGS WITH THE THRONE, WE WERE MORE DELICATE ABOUT NOT COMPROMISING THE MONARCH'S DIGNITY AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE PROCESS... Our agricultural work is severely hampered by the rains. We have some of Alva's family at La Grange and WE ARE EXPECTING AMERICAN VISITS THERE. Mr de Tracy and Augustine are here [the philosopher Antoine d'Estutt de Tracy, and his daughter Augustine, whose brother had married the eldest son of La Fayette]: you judge well that I shall only leave for the July 4 dinner [on the occasion of the American national holiday], if it takes place, and for the elections. THE JOURNALS WILL REPORT ON THE EXPEDITION FROM ALGIERS: the main difficulty, that of the landing, has fortunately been overcome. The others will also be overcome. It remains to be seen what fruit will be harvested from a war that was obviously waged for the sake of domestic politics, and for COMBINATIONS FOREIGN TO NATIONAL HONOR...". The French army had just landed in Algeria on June 14, and would take control of Algiers on July 5. On Romain-Joseph de Brigode, a member of the de La Fayette family, see no. 77 above.