The native American., 1840-01-25
THE LATE GENERAL BERNARD,

- ara NOT to violate it, But cVea ou' !.sp~>'
~ .shes # the dead would not JUSTIFY US
for permitting glazing impropHsly' 70 cay 'n'
LEAST Of it, which has been comm'''eo W Wv
Executive department. of our Government %
49,. ,v;tbout rebnkc. We alude to late gen
eral order Of the War Department 10 'he oi'''e''
of the .American Army 10 wear the "sHas o"us
Of mourning for the death OF an officer IN Tue
French service.
correspondent under the signature OF NV ASH
;noton some eighteen months ago, occupied
column or two of this paper, in laying before
the public, brief account OF the manner ~
which General Bernard was intruded INTO inc
American Army aud placed over the heaos q
law ,,ar;torious and talented Natire officers.
Ia t,,ced with skiiul hand, the many emf
n.nt services rendered to this country oy 'h's
for.;on nroteoe Of the American Governments
Those services, il we remember rightly cohsis-
tod IN his condescendng to occupy one o. 'he
HIGHEST stations in our Army, when ne haa oeeh
rxneled from his own country; III occupying
himself for some fifteen years, in making himself
thoroughly acquainted with every s'Fo"s ""u
.,,ar,, ,,eok noint on our whole seaboArd and
borders, furnishing his port folio with minute
drawings Of every fort'hcaton on o'' '''e'
nocketing about screen thousand donara per q"
nnm or about sl05,0Oo for the whole tlme' o.
our money, and on the very first opportunity
~erv c;v;l|y renouncing his sworn allegiance 70
~. TT,;ed States, and returning to the iahd OF
his birth to lay that same port io'io' win al 'ne
:,snsa,v valuable information it contained al
No feet Of his royal master, Louis Ph'ihppe'
This service was no doubt highly appreciated ~
The King of the French, aud, on account q 10
oreat value to France, in the event OF war "l'"
The United States was most suitably re"a'oeu
and is now gratefully remembered oy h'h'
.an Goa therefore the best reason IN the worm
for c]o,h;ng the French army in mourning ou'
.,. +he 9merican Army should be clothed IN
,oLcloth and ashes for his loss, passetn our
comprehension.
VIZ know nothing Of General l3ernard's Prl-
vate worth, and We would not de'rsct from u u
we did. We only profess to speak OF ms ac's a.
an officer in our service, sworn III the most SOL
.r,n manner to true allegiance bear TO these
11,;,.d States. and " to renounce all allegiance
to every foreign power, prince and po'en.a'e' anu
particularly to The King Of France. Inc p's'p
question is, did he keep that solemn vow or,
did he onenly and hagrantly break it And u
he did not keep tiff he proved, by his conduct
Tho, he never intended to keep it, longer 'han
might suit his interest or personal convenience )
f ,vhen he s,vore to be true to the United STATES
!. s.crptlv reserved the condition in his own
mind that his fidelity to as was to terminate 50
soon as his nntire country recalled MN !" No
natural duty there, he may have shown h'mseh
to be a very good Frenchmnn, but we ca"nol ac-
knowledge the propriety- of the .7meracdn uo'-
.rnn,.nt directing the highest national honor to
be paid to his memory
T, :. :, c,stom amongst the royal families OF
E,rone. when death amongst one OF them &C.
ours, for all the others to put on mourning ana
i NAV for ought we know, be customary LOT
n. armies Of one nation to mourn, when d'sta-
ov;.bed officer Of any other dies. Is 1t TO De
understood that the custom is to be adopted mere:
IF IS desired by our rulers that TINS 'oyo'
cnsom be introduced amongst US, let II De open
" avowed, that all true men may prepare 10 ae'
mort themselves accordingly. Even the es'ao-
Iishmen OF Sucn a Tuis We oHo'oS
to tolerate, than one which calls on our ga''ah'
soldiers to do military honors over the grave Of
one who has deserted their proud standard.
In sober seriousness, we ask, are the govern
ment and people Of this country never 70 cherish
proud and patriotic national sprit' Are we
willing TO be foreper the dupes OF foreign adSeh-
,nr.rs7 How many Bernards, and HenryS, and
Feathersionhaughs are yet to come here to CHEAT
and bamboozle and betray US, before we open
our eyes to the necessity of taking care OF our
selyes-to trust only oGr own people in places OF
the highest confidence under the government
w. confess that we are heartily sick OF the mis-
erable afectation of national liberaity which
offers to the foreign mendicant and often the Sc
cret em;ssaries Of foreign governments thevery
keys Of our f0rtresses. If the rulers 81 'he ,ano
,o;H continue 10 be negligent of,her highest duty