Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-01-14
CARRoLLToN WEDNESDAY JANUARY IA, 1916.


facts relative to the reasonable acts of
Benedict Arnold, and the provideniia lrus-
traiion oil his designs, we copy from a
speech delivered by Robert Dale Owen, at
New Harmony, February 20, 1870:
The public events connected with Bene-
dict Arnod's reachery are iamliaar to ey-
cry one; bu, the private details OF that
story are, in various histories Of the peri
cd, either Incorrectly given or essentially
omitted The surrender of West Point
was but small portion Of Arnold's plum.
He had projected the decoying thither
and the the betrayal into Sir Henry Gin
toms hands OF General Washington him
self, of Lafayette, and of the principal
staff officers. Had his plan succeeded,
how different might have been the story
history would have totelI! A trifling cir
cumstance caused its failure. Arnold had
invited Washington (then, if recolect
Alright, on his return from Hartford,) to
breakfast with hum al West Point, on the
very morning the plot was discovered; and
Washington had promised TO accept the
invitation. He was preveAied from doing
so by an urgent request made TO him by
an old officer, near whose station he pass
ed, that he would remain the night with
him, and next morning inspect some works
in the neigborhood Washington accor-
dinghy despatched an aid from his suit TO
make his excuse TO Arnold The messen-
ger rode all night, and arrived next morn.
ing at West Point Arnold invited him TO
breakfast. Whilst sitting at table, a letter
was brought to Arnold, from the post Of
the officer commanding the scouting par
ties on the American lines. As his eye
fell upon The superscripton, the cup which
he had raised to his lips dropped from his
hands, he seized the letter, rushed from the
room, locked himsel in his bedchambe r;
in a few minutes Afterwards, he was on his
way to the English sloop.ol.war, then "
ing in North river In the mean time,
while Washington and his staff including
Lafayette, we're seated at the table at
the quarters Of the officer whose invita-
tation had DELAYED the visit to West Point.
the despatch was brought to the American
General, which he Immediately opened
and laid down without comment No al
iteration was visible on his counlenance,
but he remained perfectly silent. Con-
versation dropped among his suit; and af.
ter some minutes, the General beckoned
Laiay cite TO follow him, retired to an in.
ner apartment, turned to Lafayette without
uuering syllable, placed the fatal des-
patch in his hands, and then giving way
to an ungovernable burst of feeling--fel
on his friends neck and sobbed aloud.
The effect produced on the young
French marquis, accustomed TO regard the
General (cold and dign6ed in his manners
almost TO the extreme) as devoid of the
usual weakness OF humanity, may he i'm
agiued 81 believe" said Lafayette to me
for it was from that venerable patriots
own lips that now relate--"l believe this
was the only occasion, through that long
and sometimes hopeless struggle, that he
ever give way even for n moment, under a
reverse Of fortune; and perhaps was the
only human being who ever witnessed IN
him an exhibition of feeling SO foreign 10
his temperament As il was, he reco.
vered before | had perised the commu-
nication that gave rise to his emotion, and
when he returned TO his staff no trace re-
manned on his counlenance either Of grief
or dependency" Sotrue u is, that Of oil
human reverses the betrayal of confidence
on the part Of the one who has been impli-
city trusted is, 10 generous nature, the
hardest and bilterest to bear.