Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-13

historian Of Bunkers Hill has right TO be apprzed Of
and ought to bear in mind p True and he must be an
historian Of maryelousy little reading on this subject
who has not been apprzed Of all it contains from various
sources The facts Of Capt Callenders unhappy case
and indeed Of nearly every other in that bat
lie familiar to the readers Of American history a
that Prescott commanded in the reoubt and Warren fell
on the field
Moreover all the particulars relating to the poins in
question published more than thirty years before
''Washngton's Writings" from the press Have
you ever read ubeys History of the American Reyo
luton :" Probably not but if you had taken that trouble
you would have account of the proceedings OF
the courts martial the trials of these three delinquent
captains published in detail from Washingtons Orderly
Books Let add also that if you had extended your
researches to the Appendix to the third volume of
" Washingtons Writings" you might there have read a
letter from the eminent patriot Joseph Hawey speaking
with the utmost freedom of Of the officers at that
time being every equvocal in regard to courage"
You would likewise have found statement of Capt.
Caenders case with the additional facts that he imme
diaely afterwards joined the army q volunteer and
by signal acts Of courage several occasions noby
deemed the character he had lost ut Bunker's Hill
1t should be Observed ALSO that examples Of misbehav
ing officers not peculiar to the New England troops
The Orderly Books proved that they happened through
out the war in the lines of the army from the different
States they doubtless happen in all armies consisting
of undscipned troops recently drawn from the of
the people They comparatively obscure and trivial
Incidents having influence upon the train of events
and could not deem it duty to ncumber the work with
them to the exclusion Of valuable materials Whatever
distinction may be made between the three you
noticed and others of the class, constrained
believe that the importance you attach these omissions
is exaggerated since not single historical fact has been
suppressed disguised and that your imagination has
taken extraordinary fight after motive, when you
ascrbe it to desire to deal tendery possible with
any thing and any body has the to be
ed with New England
You repeat the charge before preferred in your Hsto
ry that had somewhere and somehow suppressed pas
sage containing remonstrance from Washington Con-
gress for fulfilling the Convention of Saratoga You
quote Mr. Adolphus saying in his History of Eng
land" that Washington demonstrated with force and
rmness against this national of dshonor - and you
add, 81 found no such remonstrance Mr.. Adolphus
mentions Am l. then, to be blamed if feel or if feel
ing, express my suspicion that these words Of remon
STRANGE also may have been among the passages which
you suppress Blame, my lord, is of various grada-
tons, and how far it may be applied to you in this in
stance shall forbear to decide. but express
surprise however, that you should be willing
such charge, or utter such suspicion, till you had
rfed the authority upon which Adophus spoke especial
hau been called TO TINS
able writer in the North American Review Mr. Adolphus
cites the London edition of Washingtons Official Letters
Have you examined that reference? If So you have
found nothing which bears in the degree upon
this subject and moreover if you search the volumes
through you viii be equally unsuccessful have
evidence that Washington made such remonstrance
and must deny that he did till something in the
shape of positive proof shall be produced
respect the memory of Mr.. Adolphus have CRATE
full recollection Of his personal cvilities have been
witness of his arduous labors at an advanced age
in procuring materials for the last and improved edition
of his History, and have entire confidence in his
city butt cannot yield to his unsupported decla-
ration in like this of which he could know nothing
except from the testimony of others Notwithstanding
lbs assiduty in collecting facts parts his History
touching the American abound in important
Some of these relating events in America per-
haps unavoidable but it is difficult to account for his
ing of the passage of the Stamp Act that warning
voice raised itself in the House Of Commons but the
suffered to pass through in silence when it is
unquestonable that there three debates
the subject Such Barre, Sir William Meredith,
Conway and Beckford raised their voices loudly against
the act and about fifty members voted in the negative
AS you have selected this Of the partcu
lar omissions which, in your mind tend shade
of distrst the entire work. hope you win allow
the shade to pass away till you can make it appear by
least shadow Of proof that there is omission.
have now gone through with the process, which fea,
your ordship viii have found somewhat tedious Of ex
aminng IN detail every you have produced in vnd
cation OF Your various charges and suspicious hav
shown, hrst that in every instance in which you hav,
supposed facts to be suppressed concealed these
to be found in other parts of the work. in othe
works long well known to the public secondly that 20,
have frequently selected short sentences fragments
sentences and conjectured special design for the
omission when in reality they included in para
graph orrger portion Of letter omitted for reasons
no manner relating to the purport Of these sentences
thirdly, that your main charge Of personal motive
prompting to protect Washirgtons dignity and the
good name Of the people Of New England at the
Of historical justice is sustained by facts reasonable
! differences, or probability.
On this last topic something may be said. You
seem apprehensve that your motives may be misun
and hence you endeavor guard them by the
following remarks:
should be sorry if it thought that desired by
the production of such omitted phrases, deny the
questionable merits Of the New England States their
Revolutionary But consider it requisite to prove
and the more SINCE venture to think the fact too
often overlooked your side of the Atantichat their
cause like every other cause had its dark wen its
bright side And If you, the Editor of wsshington's
Correspondence shown to leave out systematically
those facts those opinions by which the dark side be
proved, then for my part must continue to maintain
al have 70 fam