Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/89

 LACLOS LACORDAIRE 83 has a rolling surface, in some places well tim- bered, in others occupied by prairies. The Atlantic and Pacific railroad crosses the county. The chief productions in 1870 were 66,993 bushels of wheat, 317,154 of Indian corn, 57,- 855 of oats, 27,872 of potatoes, 31,750 Ibs. of tobacco, 16,773 of wool, 86,940 of butter, and 1,851 tons of hay. There were 2,854 horses, 2,065 milch cows, 4,005 other cattle, 7,980 sheep, and 12,362 swine ; 5 flour mills, and 2 saw mills. Capital, Lebanon. LACLOS, Pierre Ambroise Francois Choderlos de, a French writer and soldier, born in Amiens in 1741, died in Taranto in 1803. He en- tered the army at the age of 18, and reached the rank of captain in the corps of engineers in 1778. In 1782 he published a licentious novel, Les liaisons dangereuses, which nearly vied in point of popularity with Louvet's Faublas. After 30 years of military service he became secretary of the duke of Orleans, and thenceforth mingled in all the intrigues which aimed at the overthrow of Louis XVI. with the view of placing his own master on the throne. He became an ardent revolution- ist, a prominent member of the Jacobin club, conducted their journal, and was the first to call for the deposition of the king after his flight to the frontier. With Brissot, he wrote the petition for the same object which was to be signed at the Champ de Mars, July 17, 1791, and brought about the massacre with which Lafayette and Bailly were so bitterly reproached. For a time he served in Marshal Luckner's army in the north, and was made brigadier general, Sept. 22, 1792. The next year he was incarcerated, but was liberated on the 9th Thermidor. After commanding the artillery in the army of the Rhine, he was sent in the capacity of inspector general to the army in southern Italy, where he died. He was the author also of Poesies fugitives (1783), of a continuation of Vilate's Causes secretes de la revolution du 9 thermidor, and of several works on military tactics and fortifications. LACOMBE, Francis, a French author, born in Toulouse in 1817, died at Arcachon, Sept. 5, 1867. He was in 1848 politico-economical editor of the Assemblee nationale, and fought a duel with Charles Blanc, who had challenged him for writing against his brother Louis. A five-franc piece in his pocket saved his life. His principal works are : De ^organisation generate du travail (1848, and many new edi- tions) ; Histoire de la bourgeoisie de Paris (4 vols., 1851-'2) ; Histoire de la monarchic en Europe (4 vols., 1853-'5); and Histoire de la papaute (2 vols., 1867, unfinished). LA CONDAMOE. See CONDAMINE. LACONIA, Laeonica, or Lacedsemon, the south- easterly division of the ancient Peloponnesus, bordering on Messenia, Arcadia, and Argolis. The country comprised within its boundaries is a long valley shut in on three sides by mountain ranges, and open only on the south to the sea. On the north are the Arcadian mountains, from which stretch two parallel ranges, Taygetus on the west and Parnon on the east, the former terminating on the S. coast in the promontory of Tsenarum (now Cape Matapan), the most southerly point of the continent of Europe, the latter in the promon- tory of Malea. The principal summit of Tay- getus, Taletum (now St. Elias), is 7,900 ft. high; the highest point of Parnon is about 6,350 ft. Taygetus is covered with forests of green pine, which, abounding in ancient times with game, was reputed one of the favorite haunts of Diana. In the southern part are rich quarries of marble and iron. The Eurotas, the chief river (now called Iris or Vasilopota- mos), flows through the entire valley, is fed by several smaller streams, and empties into the gulf of Laconia. Lacedsemon or Sparta, the ancient capital, stood on its banks. There were no other towns of much importance. Amyclse, in the plain S. of Sparta, was the ancient residence of the Achasan kings, but had lost its consequence in the time of Pau- sanias. Helos, on the Laconian gulf, is sup- posed to have given the name to the Helots. Gythium, also on the gulf, was the naval station of the Spartans, but there are no very good iarbors on the coast. Laconia has much ara- ble land, but the soil in general is poor and difficult to plough. According to Pausanias, the Leleges were the earliest inhabitants. In the time of the Trojan war the Acha3an kings possessed the country. They were conquered by the Dorians, who became masters of all Laconia by the middle of the 8th century B. C. (See SPAKTA.) The modern Laconia, a nom- archy of the kingdom of Greece, occupies very nearly the same territory ; area, 1,678 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 105,851. It is divided into four ep- archies. Capital, Sparta, built since the revolu- tion on one of the five hills of the ancient city. LACORDAIRE. I. Jean Baptiste Henri, a French Roman Catholic divine, born at Recey-sur- Ource, C6te d'Or, May 12, 1802, died in So- reze, Nov. 22, 1861. He was the son of a physician who had served in America under Rochambeau, was educated at Dijon, followed the prevailing impulse that was animating young men against the tendencies of the res- toration, distinguished himself alike by the earnestness of his liberal opinions and by a peculiar obstinacy of character, and graduated in 1819 with the highest university honors. While studying the law at Dijon, he continued to attract notice by his intellectual power and anti-Catholic enthusiasm, especially as an ora- tor in the literary societies. In 1821 he went to Paris to practise as a stagiaire, and for 18 months was employed as assistant to an advo- cate at the court of cassation. He also pleaded several cases with great success. But suddenly he abandoned the bar to enter the seminary of Saint Sulpice as a student of theology. He explains this change by saying that the soul of a young man " demands only a great cause to serve with great devotion." His social theories,