To George Washington from Ségur, 4 August 1796
From Ségur
Paris August the 4th. Thermidor the 17th
the 4th year of the Republic [1796]
Sir
I hope that your excellency will permit me to remember myself to you.1 you have so much accustomed my relations and myself to your kindnesses that I don’t fear to be troublesome in begging of you to be so kind as to forward the inclosed letter to Mr Lafayette my nephew. you are his second father, and I hope this motive will make you forgive the liberty which I take to put under your direction the letter which I write to him.2
I have received by an undirect way some news of his unfortunate father, his health is better, but his captivity does not soften at all, and his wife cannot obtain any thing from the Emperor. the passions which weaken and wear themselves out here, begin to let more than one influential person feel that it should be shameful to make peace without obtaining from the court of Vienna the liberation of the french men arrested for the cause of Liberty but this happy disposition is not as yet sufficiently general or pronounced. all what I desire is that it would be the wisdom and interest of the American government which would determine the french government to that measure. I know that my friend would doubly enjoy his liberty if he owed it to you. and it appears to me that the moment is arrived when the advice that I speak of, could be given to the directory without compromising the minister who would be entrusted with the commission.3 I beg you would permit me with your usual Kindness to assure you of the tender attachement and of the profound respect with which I have the honour to be Sir of your excellency the most humble and most obedient Servant
signed L. P. segur
Translation, DLC:GW; ALS, in French, PHi: Gratz Collection.
1. GW had written Ségur on 1 July 1790; see also Ségur to GW, 24 Aug. 1789, 30 Sept. 1791, and 8 Feb. 1795.
2. Ségur’s letter to George Washington Motier Lafayette has not been identified, but see n.3 below. Ségur had married Antoinette Daguesseau, Marquise de Lafayette’s aunt, making him a great-uncle to young Lafayette.
3. For other efforts to assist Lafayette, see Justus Erick Bollman to GW, 1 April; GW to Francis II (Holy Roman Emperor), 15 May; and La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt to GW, 25 July; see also Thomas Pinckney to GW, 31 July.
In his reply to Ségur written at Mount Vernon on 24 June 1797, GW apologized for his tardy response occasioned by the letter’s arrival “at a time when my official duties engrossed all my attention, to prepare for the Session of Congress which was then about to be held; and which, as was intended, closed the scene of my political career.” GW also related that Ségur’s letter for “Young La Fayette … was delivered immediately upon the receipt of it” and that he hoped “the joint efforts of Mr La Fayettes friends will be able to accomplish what neither my wishes, nor exertions have been able to do” ( 1:209–10).