To George Washington from La Luzerne, 1788
From La Luzerne
[1788]
Sir,
Permit me to recommend to you Monsr Lattin, an Irish Gentleman in the French service, he intends visiting the United States, & particularly Your Excellency, he cannot return until he has rendered homage to your talents & virtue; I dare promise myself that your friendship for me will lead you to pay attention to Monsr Lattin.1 I wish you to be persuaded of the sentiments of Attachment & respect with which I have the honor to be Yr Excellency’s Most Hbe & most Obedt Servt
de la Luzerne2
Translation, DLC:GW; ALS, in French, DLC:GW. The text of this letter is taken from a translation prepared for GW. The original letter is printed in note 2.
Anne-César, chevalier de La Luzerne (1741–1791), was French minister plenipotentiary to the United States from 1779 to 1784. After leaving the United States in 1784 he was appointed minister to Great Britain, a post he held until his death.
1. La Luzerne probably is referring to Patrick Lattin (1762–1839), who was born in county Kildare, Ireland, and was educated in Paris and the University of Turin. Entering the French army he served in Dillon’s Regiment commanded by his cousin Theobald Dillon. Lattin went to Ireland in 1792 after the assassination of Dillon by his troops at Lille but returned to France upon the advent of Napoleon, settling in Paris where he translated Voltaire’s works and produced several political pamphlets.
2. The original letter reads: “permettes moi je vous recommander monsieur de lattin, gentilhomme Irlandois au service de france, son projet est de visiter les differens etats unis il se propose surtout de faire sa cour a votre eccellence, il n’est aucun françois, aucun etranger, qui osat retourner dans sa patrie sans avoir rendu cet hommage a vos talens, et a vos vertus j’ose esperer de vos bontés pour moi, que vous voudres bien les faire rejaillir sur mr de lattin. j’en seroi infiniment reconnaissant soyez en bien persuadé ainsi que des sentimens dattachement et de respect avec les quels jai lhonneur detre. . . .”