Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/763

* LAFEBTE. 689 LA FOLLETTE. LAFERTE, la'farta', Victor. The pen-name of Cz;ir Alexander II.'s favorite, Yekaterina !Mikhailovna Dolgorukova (q.v.). LAFFITTE, hiffet', Jacques (1707-1844). A Frciicli tinancitT and statesman. He was born at Uayonne, October 24. 1707. son of a poor car- penter. Coming to Paris, he had the good for- tune to be employed by the banker Perregaux, whose confidential clerk he became. Soon he was taken into the firm, and in 1809 succeeded Perregaux and became a regent of the Bank of France, and in 1814 governor of that insti- tution. He was also president of the Cham- ber of Commerce, and his great wealth and higli I)prsonal qualities gave him a European reputa- tion. During the years 181415 he signalized himself by his patriotic generosity toward the people of Paris, and rendered important finan- cial services to both Louis XVIII. and Xapoleon. After the second Restoration he became one of the opposition in the Chamber of Deputies, and enjoyed the highest popularity in Paris, falling out of favor with the Court, however, during the last year of Charles X. When the Revolution of 1830 broke out he strongly supported the claims of Louis Philippe, and was instrumental in placing him on the throne, being president of the Chamber which decreed the erection of the .Tuly monarchy. He became a member of the first Ministry of the new King, and in November, 1830, was intrusted with the formation of a Cabinet, in which he was ^linister of Finance as well as Premier. Not finding himself in agree- ment with the other ministers, however, he re- signed his office !March 13, 1831, and was replaced by Casimir-Perier. ileanwhile his banking af- fairs had fallen into confusion, and he was obliged to sell all his property to pay his debts, amounting to 50.000.000 francs. A national sub- scription preserved him his house in Paris, and being again elected to the Chamber as a Deputy for Paris, he became a leader of the opposition. From the ruins of his fortune he founded a new discount bank in 1837. As the Goverinnent re- ceded further from the principles of the Revolu- tion of 1830. Lallitte became more active in oppo- sition. In 1843. to the great displeasure of the Court, he was elected president of the Chamber of Deputies. He died Jlay 26, 1844. Laffitte was the author of several pamphlets on finance and politics, but the work entitled Soucenirs de J. Laffitte, racoittcs par hii-mtmc (Paris, 1844) was in reality written by JIarchal. LAFITAtr, la'ff-'to'. Joseph Fr. (:ois (1070- 1740). A .lesuit missionary in America, born at Uordeaux, France. He lived anmng the Iroquois Indians from 1712 until 1717. when he returned to France and became a professor of literature. He wrote a number of books, the most impor- tant of which is Mccurs dcs sauvages amcri- Cains comparies aux mn-urs dcs premiers temps ( 1723), a work that was highly praised by Park- man. His other works are a Mcmoire concernant la prMeuse plantc <]iii-seng de Tartaric (1718), in which he describes the American ginseng, which he discovered, and which afterwards be- came a valuable article of export to CTiina : an nistoire dcs dfcouvcrtes et des eonquetes des Portiipais dans te nourcati monde (1733): and an nistoire de Jean de Brirnne. mi de J<'-rusa1em, empereur de Constantinople (1727). LAFITTE, a'Ut'. Chateau. The name of one of the finest of the old wines of France, so called from a chateau on the Gironde. LAFITTE, .Jean- ( 1780-C.1820). A noted pi- rate of the Mexican Gulf. He was born in Franc-e, and held a coumiission as a privateer from the French Government, and subsequently from Car- tagena. This service degenerated, howt'ver, into piracy, and Barataria Bay, in Louisiana. t>ecame the rendezvous of a horde of adventurers and unscrupulous sailors, among whom Jean Lafitte and his brother Pierre were preeminent, becom- ing the terror of traders in the Gulf of Mexico. On the outbreak of the War of 1812 the British made overtures to Lafitte, who refused to join them. In the meantime an expedition was sent out by the Americans, under Commodore Patter- son, designed to break up the stronghold at Bara- taria Bay, resulting in the flight of the pirates. The anticipated attack on New Orleans by the British troops induced the Governor of Louisiana and General .Tackson to accept Lafitte's offer of himself and his men for the defense of the city. The outlaws conducted themselves during the battle with such courage and fidelity that President Madison issued a proclamation early in 1815 recounting their services and according them free pardon for their past misdeeds. In 1816 one of the Lafittes established himself on the island of Galveston, but his unruly colony aroused the hostility of the authorities, who were taking steps for its suppression when the colo- nists abandoned the place, burning all the houses (1820). Later Lafitte was heard of in Yucatan, where he is supposed to have died. The Lafittes were audacious smugglers as well as pirates. They brought cargoes of slaves into the coun- tiy after 1809, and disposed of them by means of a finely organized system of traffic that in- cluded many very respectable merchants c.f Xew Orleans and its vicinity. Consult two articles on "Jean and Pierre Lafitte." in the Magazine of American History (Xew York, 1885). LAFLAMME. la'flam', Touss.usT Axtoine RuDOLPHE (1827—). A Canadian statesman, born in ilontreal. He was educated at Sulpice College, and in 1849 was called to the bar. He became an aggressive adherent of the 'Rouge' or advanced reform party in Quebec, the opponents of the "Bleu' or Conservative Party in that prov- ince. He was editor of a leading newspaper of his party, but kept up the practice of his profession, and was appointed a professor of law in ilcGill University. In 1872 he was elected a member of the Dominion Parliament, and he was a mem- ber of the Cabinet during the Premiership of Alexander Mackenzie, first as Minister of Inland Revenue and afterwards as Minister of .Justice. LA FOLLETTE. la ff.I1«, Robert >Liriox (1855—). An American politician and legisla- tor, born at Primrose. Wis. He graduated at the I'niversity of Wisconsin in 1879. and was ad- mitted to the bar in the following year at iladi- son. In the same year he was nominated by the Republicans and elected district attorney of Dane County, of which Madison is the county-seat. This positioTi he held until 1884. after which he practiced law privately until 18S7. when be be- came a member of Congress. Although his (?on- gressional term was short lasting only until 1891, he won reeosnition as an able speaker, and as a member of the Ways and Means Committee took