The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-01-19

obtained, among many others that less in
terested me, the following "reminiscences
which, believe, have never been publish
ed, but which may nevertheless be relied
on rs infinitely correct.
.On one of Washingt0n's return visits
10 Noun Vernon, while COMMANDMENTS
chief of the revolutionary armies said
my informant, whom shall call Capt. :,
he came TO Fredericksburgh to pay his
respects TO his aged mother. And when
about to take mis- leave of her, he brough;
in small bag Of silver dollars, and pla-
cling them on the table before, said;
""Here, mother, not knowing when !
may be permitted to visit you again,
have brought you these, to be used by
you as your comforts shall require, or as
your pleasure shall dictate. And hope
you will be free To accept and use it,"
'"You were always good and dutiful
to me, George" replied she with emo
ton; "and have often taxed my self, in
your absence Of late years, with being
backward in making suitable acknowledge
ments to you, and resolved within myself,
that when ! next saw you, would have
a more familiar talk with you, and tell
you how much think of your kind-ve-
ry kind attentions. But it has always
happened, that when again found my
self in your presence, the thought of your
elevation by your countrymen, or some
thing else, which cannot define, has
prevented me from talking to you, as
should to my other children"
Washington attempted some playful
reply, but could not succeed in disarming
even his mother of the awe which his pre-
sence never failed to inspire in the bo-
SONS of all who approached him.
Washington, while in the army, was
known to be exceedingly careful of hu-
man lives; and he applied the principle
to the brute creation, by abslaining from
the destruction Of all animals, however in.
(eror, whenever it could be done consis-
tenlly with the safety and absolute wants
of man, with unusual scrupulousness.
AS was once walking with him over the
grounds of Mount Vernon. 4 small snake
of a harmless species, appered in our
path. instinctively lifted my heel to
crush it; when he instantly caught my
arm, and in tone of earnest expostnla-
ton, exclaimed:
Essay, sir Is there not room enough
in the world for you and that harmless lit.
tie reptile! Remember, that lie is all
everything to the creature, and cannot be
unnecessarily taken without indirectly i'm.
pugning its Creator, who bestowed it TO
be enjoyed, with its appropriate pleas
ures, thro' its natural term of existence
The same system and order which was
exhibited by Washington in all his public
transactions, was seen in all his private
acts and domestic arrangements; even his
charaties, which were not stlntcd, were
nicely sysiema,ized. 1t was his custom
in years of plenty, to hoard up grain
against times of scarcity. And wher
such times arrived, he threw open his
store-house 10 the poor and however ir.
responsible they might be, tie always
made it a point to supply them in prefer
ence to others with all the grain they
needed at the old or ordinary prices, foi
which he regularly took their bonds 81
notes, but never demanded payment.
Some writers, in treating of the private
character Of Gen. Washington, intimate
that he was a man of warm temper, whicl
would often have exhibited itself but 70
his great sell.command. His self com
mand was undoubtedly great, but | d.
no, think he had often To exercise ii tC
prevent any outbreaks of passion. o.
the contrary, | believe him to have beer
mild, and not easily rullled; certainly
quite as much SO as men in general.
never saw him angry but once in my life
And this was considered so remarkable ;
thing by myself, as well as his family
tina, although we knew he had good cause
to be provoked, or such at least as woul,
have provoked most other men to anger
we were yet greatly surprised, and LOOKED
upon il as quite an anomaly in the Gen
erals life, 1t happened while he wa
President and travelling in his carriage
with a small reiinue of ouIriders, from
Mt. Vernon to Philadelphia. 1t was du
ring the first day Of our journey, and W
were passing through the barrens of Ma
ryland; where, at intervals Of few miles
the solitude of the road wss relieved a
tina, time by set Of low ,averns or grog
cries, at which we did not think OF stop
ping. Blu! we had a ,houghtless youn
man in our train, who by favor had bee
admitted into the family as a sort of ger
tleman attendant, and who seemed niue
more inclined to patronize these place;