Buffman

ybnormal

Super big thanks. However, I have queried and tracked down just about every WWW reference and discovered that they are all quoting each other.

I have used quotation organizations and books, written six colleges/universities, contacted a museum librarian in France and read any and everything I could that might be remotely related, in any fashion, to the origin of this quote. I even have several university professors asking me to notify them if I am ever successful tracking it down.

One place that I have not checked is the Archives and Record Center of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Why there? Well, they just might have a copy of the "Western Tablet" (Official Paper of the Bishop of Chicago). And why am I interested in it? Well, you will find the only footnote record of the so-called Lafayette quote in "Fifty Years in the Church of Rome" by Priest/Pastor Charles Chiniquy in Chap. 59, about two-thirds of the way through the chapter. It is identified with 7 asterisks and is the second group of 7 asterisked footnotes for that chapter.

<a href="http://www.revelationwebsite.co.uk/index1/chin/fifty12.htm#CHAPTER%2059" target="_blank">http://www.revelationwebsite.co.uk/index1/chin/fifty12.htm#CHAPTER%2059</a>

I was able to research the Notre Dame records catalog for the "Western Tablet," but they did not have the copy that might contain the quote. That led me to the Chicago Archdiocese who will allow for a private search but offered no remote assistance. (I am not interested in traveling to Chicago at my own expense on the outside chance that P/P Chiniquy was completely sane and actually found that quote in the "Western Tablet.")

My best educated guess would be that Lafayette might have made a similar remark to Samuel F.B. Morse. However, it would most likely have ended, "...at the hands of the clergy of Rome." Thus, it would not be something that the Catholic clergy would relish. I arrive at my determination because Lafayette was a Mason and Samuel Morse was a devout Protestant. Neither would have left it simply, "...of the clergy." So I have to wonder if we have some former atheists playing a little loose with a quote; or if we have the Catholic Church of Rome deleting their reference in order to discredit Lafayette in the minds of Protestant clergy as well...especially in America.

<a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/sfbmhtml/sfbmhighlights04.html" target="_blank">http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/sfbmhtml/sfbmhighlights04.html</a>

You would need to do a search on Morse to discover his religious views. I consider Lafayette to be more Deist than Christian.

I realize that this is more than you really wished to read, but it has been a thorn in my side ever since I used that quote in a published article(CD) under my name. I do my best to have original sources for any quote I use. I had to refer to "The Great Thoughts" by George Seldes for that one. (I have found at least half-a-dozen errors in his book...much to my personal chagrin.)