The Diary and Letters of Gouverneur Morris, vol. 2 - Online Library of ...

Online Library of Liberty: The Diary and Letters of Gouverneur Morris, vol. 2
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CHAPTER XL.
Morris bids farewell to his friends in Europe. Returns to America. Difficulties of the
voyage. Rebuilds his house at Morrisania. Pressed by friends once more to enter
public life. Hamilton especially solicitous that he should do so. Death of Washington.
Morris pronounces his funeral oration. Elected United States Senator in April.
Journey to Northern New York. Niagara. Letter to James Parish. Enthusiastic
description of the climate and prospects of America.
The time Morris had fixed for his return to America drew near, and regretfully he
bade a final farewell to the society at Frankfort. “The Prince de Reusse, Mr. Crauford,
and M. Simolin call to take leave of me,” he says, June 14th. “The Prince and
Crauford, are strongly affected, and even Simolin is more so than I should have
suspected.”
From Frankfort he went to Altona, there to make preparations for crossing the
Atlantic; for it required time and much judgment to find and examine a ship, proper in
its appointments and condition, for so long and perilous a voyage. Madame Leray and
her children were to be Morris’s companions on shipboard—making the choice of a
vessel even more than ordinarily important. But although annoyed by much tiresome
preparation for his journey, Morris still continued the entries in his diary, recording
the public news, the kindness of friends, and various more or less interesting items of
gossip; among them, the news that Baron d’Escar “has married Madame de Nadaillac,
who has gone back to France, leaving the Baron at Hamburg.” “The Baron,” Morris
says, “tells me that the Court of Berlin will submit to anything rather than quarrel with
France.” “The French have taken Malta [July 12th], the news of which arrived
yesterday morning. There are flying reports that hostilities are to begin again in
Germany.”
“M. de Lafayette called on me [July 24th], and asked my advice whether he should go
out immediately to America, or stay a while longer. I tell him that he had made up his
mind to stay; this he blushingly acknowledges. I then tell him that it would have been
well to have gone out immediately, but as he has staid so long I don’t think it can
make any difference should he remain a little longer. He again consults me as to his
future motions, but as I know that this is more the effect of habit than anything else, I
take little heed as to the answer. Always declaring his resolution to lead a private life,
he sighs still for an opportunity of appearing again on the public theatre.”
“It is said [August 1st] that the news from Rastadt are pacific. The French Directory
seem a little alarmed at the state of things in America, and desirous of reconciliation.
There has been an embargo laid in France on American ships.”
“All the letters from Italy [August 10th] announce a victory over the French in the
Mediterranean.”
PLL v6.0 (generated September, 2011) 194 http://oll.libertyfund.org/title/1170