Description:

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
Paris, France, March 10, 1830
Marquis de Lafayette PSA NM-MT 8 LS Just Days Before His Correspondent Signed the Address of the 221, A No-Confidence Vote Leading To July Revolution!
MLS

A 1p manuscript letter in French signed by Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834), then a delegate in the Chambre des Députés, as "Lafayette" at center. March 10, 1830. Paris, France. Secretarially inscribed on paper. Encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified and graded NM-MT 8. Expected wear including even toning, flattened transmittal folds, a few extra wrinkles, and some negligible chipped edges. A printed French-language catalog description has been affixed to the center of the page well below Lafayette's signature. Else near fine and very legible. The sight size of the document is 7.375" x 8.875" while overall the slab measures 9.625" x 13.125" x .25." Accompanied by a complete English translation. Provenance: Ex-William Burger, 1964.

Lafayette's letter reads, translated in full:

"Paris, March 10, 1830

I have received, my dear Colleague, a letter from M. Evrard, of Avesne [sic], who is sorry to have not received a written response from you regarding his discovery. It is not up to me to judge its merits; but to aid your memory, I send you a fragment from his letter where you will find his address [not included in this lot] We will chat at the Chamber, & until then, I renew all my warm regards

[signed] Lafayette."

Lafayette's correspondent was Pierre Charles François Dupin (1784-1873), a fellow delegate in the Chambre des Députés, as well as an accomplished mathematician, engineer, and economist. In the letter, Lafayette reminded Dupin to reply to someone named Evrard, who lived in Avesnes, France, located in the northernmost tip near the Belgian border. The identity of this Evrard is unclear, but two things point to his being a man of science like Dupin. First, Lafayette uses the word "discovery" ["découverte"] to describe Evrard's work, suggesting that perhaps it was a scientific treatise or other expository essay. Second, Lafayette dismisses his ability to understand its content ["Il ne m'appartiens pas d'en juger le mérite"], again suggesting that it related to an obscure or esoteric subject, probably scientific in nature.

The historical context of this letter makes it extremely interesting: it was written just four months before the Revolution of 1830, and barely a week before the controversial "Address of the 221" was adopted by the majority of parliamentary delegates in the same "Chamber" where the Marquis de Lafayette mentions he is looking forward to talking with Dupin soon!

In March 1830, just after the opening of the legislative session, delegates of the Chambre des Députés seized the opportunity to draft a document known as the "Address of the 221." This Address - a formal complaint letter which was basically a no-confidence vote in the ultra-royalist minister Jules de Polignac - was approved and signed by 221 delegates on March 16, 1830. The signed Address was given to the king on March 18, 1830. This document containing legislators' grievances arguably led to the king's dissolution of that parliamentary body four months later. Charles X's decision to revoke the Chambre des Députés was one of three authoritarian actions leading directly to the "Trois Glorieuses" (July 27-29, 1830). The Revolution of 1830 resulted in the ouster of Charles X.

Both the Marquis de Lafayette and his correspondent Charles Dupin were liberal members of the Chambre des Députés in 1830; specifically, Lafayette, representing Seine-et-Marne, sat on the "Côté Gauche," or "Left Side" of the chamber, while Dupin, of the Tarn and later the Seine electoral arrondissement, sat among members of the "Centre Gauche" or "Center Left." But whereas Dupin is confirmed to have signed the "Address of the 221," it cannot be confirmed whether Lafayette did or not. Lafayette later played a significant role in the Revolution of 1830. Although ideologically opposed to monarchy and no stranger to revolutionary zeal, Lafayette exerted a stabilizing influence on the leaders of the Revolution of 1830.

As a delegate in the Chambre des Députés, Charles Dupin took an active interest in the French economy and infrastructure, especially its roadways, bridges, canals, and waterways. He lobbied for the use of scientific tools - like the choropleth maps he developed in 1826 - to understand features of a population in a designated geographical area.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: slabbed: 9.625" x 13.125" x .25"
  • Medium: MLS

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