Smith, George

Américain. Il sollicita auprès du roi une pension et la décoration, en récompense de sa conduite pendant les journées de Juillet. La lettre qu’il lui adressa était ainsi rédigée : « To his majesty Louis-Philippe, roi des Français. Deign to permit a most unfortunate english gentleman to depose at the feet of Your Majesty his just complaints and misfortuned, certain to obtain justice from your Majesty. He had not presumed to trouble Your Majesty untill all his endearvours to obtain redress from the Commission des récompenses nationales have failed and he has no other resource at present but to appeal to Your Majesty, confident that appeal will not be in vain that Your Majesty will entend your royal benevolence and save him and his unfortunately family from perishing. I am not, Sire, unacquainted with the unbounder humanity benevolence et generosity which Your Majesty has always shown to my distressed county men on every occasion, when Your Majesty was duke of Orléans a …. of nine years in Paris has impressed on my heart admiration gratitude and veneration as an Englishman for Your Majesty for the numerous acts of benevolence and charity Your Majesty has continelly customed on distressed strangers of every nation. How much then in Your Majesty feel and sympathize for the unhappy writer of these lines when Your Majesty is acquainted by the expose inclosed that he has been the victim of a furious mistaken and over jalous populace on the next memorables glorious day of Thursday July 29 1830. Victim of a most atrocious and violent outrage he has been robbed of a large property struck repiatedly with a sabre, his cloaths torn from his back, tied with a cord, marcher throw the streets in that ignominous manner and imprisoned the whole day and to complete the melancholy ans unfortunate transaction he has receveid a cowardly, unmanly blow from a brute or rather sauvage which has terminate in a complaint incurable and lamed him for life such Sire, is the treatment an englishman has received and after ten months of suffering enormous expence ans almost daily application to the Commission des récompenses nationales he can obtain no redress whatever and his last and only resource is to throw himself on Your Majesty well known love of justice and goodness of heart that Your Majesty will condescend to permit the within exposé and documents to hear his tale of sorrow and to extend your hand in Mercy to relive him. Your Majesty will no doubt be astoneshed grieved and surprised to read the cruel, inhumant and barbarous treatment he has received during the terrible but glorious struggle for liberty. I have, Sire, combatted the whole day of Wednesday 28 July, at the barricades faubourg Saint-Antoine in the sacred cause of liberty and France and if I had not been made a prisoner and treated in the infamous maner before staled on Thursday 29. I flatter myself my conduct on that decisive day would have been conspicuous in the glorious cause so as to decerne the thanks of Frenchmen. I would have merited the cross of July on perished by the side of the brave Parisiens. I have presumed, Sire, to inclose copies of several letters to the Commission des récompenses nationales, those letters and the exposé will fully acquaint Your Majesty with my dreadful situation. The Commission have refused to grant me either succours, recompense or pension because my ??? was not received in combatting but, Sire, I have received that fatal Blow which has lamed for life when I was unarmed defence like prisoner among a desesperate body of armed man after having risqued my life on Wednesday the 28. In consequence I lost all the benefits all the advantage all the merit arising from my exertions and I have greater claim to the pity compassion and benevolence of the Commission who have made every inquiry and examination necessary and are fully satisfied with the touch and correctness of my exposé. I have been, Sire, obliged by dreadful necessity to sell or pledge at the Mont-de-Piété all the meany apparel linen and even the terrible of my belond ??? wife and daughters as well as my own clothes to pay the enormous expences of my avoué, traducteur and to procure the common necessary of life, but we are now entirely exhausted all is gone and we have nothing more left to raise money. We are this day in the deepest distress and suffering the greatest privations, we ??? large sums of money for our apartments and to different marchands for food. We can obtain no more credit and we are on the brink of perishing. Your Majesty will see by the copy of the inclosed leter to the Commission that I have implored in vain for the trifleing pitance of fifty francs which was humanity granted to each of the wonded person on the threes immortal days of July that they might rejoint the happy at the anniversary of their heroic ??? but, Sire, they refused me that trifle. I applict also to the mairie of the 8th arrondissement for the Bounty of bread, wine and meat, give to the indigent people on those three days but that was refused me also and while that Your Majesty subjects were enjoing the benevolence of Your Majesty the french nation the poor unhappy writer of these lines hid himself from the eyes of man kind and spent the days seecluded from tye world in the bitter agony of grief and despair himself and unfortunate family subsisting upon dry bread and salad. Those three days of feasts and rejoicings were of happiness to Your Majesty subjects to me they were days of sorrow and mounings. If Your Majesty will deign to read the certificate of M. Lacy my surgeon and the several testimonials to my character at the end of my exposé Your Majesty will be convinced of the truth and correctness of this statement. Permit, Sire, to state before the fatal days to me but glorious for France Thursday July 29 1830. I was a profesor of the english language and gained 250 francs per month. I was happy, comfortable and contented but in consequence of my complaint and long confinement to my bed I lost all my scholars and have been ever since that period reduced to the detress and misery already desirelest to Your Majesty. Such is the situation an unfortunate englishman is reduced to life as a burther my belond family alone binks me to this earth or long ags. I believe my sufferings would have ended. I ??? to that almighty being who has never yet foraken me in all my sorr ?? and afflictions for strengh and for litsike to hear my hard fate. I hope and trust he will never abandon me. Your Majesty unbounded benevolence affability and consideration in listening to the complaints of Your Majesty subjects has enthroned Your Majesty in their hearts the unfortunate stranger who now addresses Your Majesty presumes to solicite some reliquat at this critical moment when himself and family have not the means to procure the necessaries of life. They are totally destitute of everything and their distress is insteed beyond description. Permit me, Sire, to say that having combatted at the barricades o Wednesday the 28 July against the ennemies of France in the sacred cause of liberty and the country and the incurable wound received on Thursday 29 althos not on the fields of battle but from a cowardly assassin and the cruel inhuman treatment robbery and imprisonment from the affects of which I suffer every moment and which will no doubt short my days and bear me more speedly to the tomb from there united uses. I humbly conceive myself entitled to be treated by ty the Commission des récompenses nationales in the same manners as the same persons wounded ont the Three Immortal days of July and to the trifling pension awarded the and also to the decoration of the cross of July that glorious token of triuphant liberty which if granted him will reconcile ont to my unmerited sufferings, smooth my passage to the tomb and vender my few remaining days peaceful and contented. The noble illustrious general Lafayette has taken a most lively interest in my infortunate case, as Your Majesty will see by the copies of the inclosed letters the general know my grandfather (american) one of the members of Congress who signed the Act of independance and who fought by the side of general Lafayette in that war, this fact Your Majesty will see by the copy of a letter from him, dated Melun 13 May last, addressed to general Fabvier, president of the Commission des récompenses nationales. Perdon me, Sire, for presuming to state my complaints at such lenght and to introduce on Your Majesties valuable time and attention but wellknowing Your Majesty benevolent and humane heart he also well knowns Your Majesty will deign to peverse this letter with a deep interest all my hopes all my confident repose on Your Majesty. I have no other resource but to throw myself at Your Majesty feet and to implore most earnestly Your Majesty will save myself and unfortunate family from total ruin. I am, Sire, Your Majesty’s most obedient, most devoted humble servant, George Smith. » Le président de la Commission des récompenses nationales, dans une lettre adressée au ministre de l’Intérieur, en date du 30 septembre 1831, donnait les indications suivantes : « Le sieur Georges Smitt (sic) s’est présenté à l’ancienne Commission, se prévalant d’une blessure reçue en juillet, du titre de citoyen américain et porteur en outre d’une lettre de M. Lafayette. Quoique le travail fût fort avancé et que le délai fixé au 15 avril pour toute espèce de réclamation eût été expiré, le sieur Smith, objet d’égards, a été appelé pour être examiné par le jury médical, convoqué extraordinairement. Mais au premier aspect, il a été déclaré par les habiles praticiens composant le jury que le sieur Smith, atteint d’une double hernie, dont la date devait au moins remonter à une quinzaine d’années, ne pouvait, avec toute la bonne volonté possible, être considéré comme blessé dans les événements de Juillet. J’ajouterai, monsieur le ministre, que le certificat délivré par le sieur Henry Miles Godlding, chirurgien, au réclamant, pour être produit au jury médical, ayant paru mériter un blâme sévère, ces messieurs avaient engagé le secrétaire de la Commission à le conserver pour l’envoyer à qui de droit. Le sieur Georges Smith ayant été chassé comme un imposteur, cette affaire n’a pas eu de suite. » George Smith demeurait 191, rue Saint-Antoine, face au temple protestant en 1831. Archives nationales F/1dIII/76.