Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-09-13

Does the Republican in its other quotations
refer to an abridgement of this work, or has it
made references at random without any au-
thority before it? We ask for an explanation
Of this matter, for if there be an abridgement
by SPARKS we have never seen it,
The first quotation is made from letter
to RICHARD HENRY LEE, the reference being
to SPARKS Life, Tol. ?, page l, but we find the
letter in the Writings of WASHINGTON, vol, !
4, p. 423. 1t stands in the ReptJlicoa thus
These men (foreigners) have.no as1csanent :
to the country further than interest bind mem
> Their effrontery will take.sno d.
NAL Ii is but the zeal and activiiy-of 0ns 6wIf
people that the cause must be supported and i
not by few hungry adreRtUysrs.
And he also condemns, in very strong Ian
guage.
The impoliey OF entrusting department to |
foreigner, who has no other tie to bind him 10
the interest of the country than honor
Now, who from. reading the above would
suppose that wAsafSoroS's aniaadversions
were confined exclusively to- the 9srcsaqry
military a,lrent,rerssshof a.ne over to fill our
army, and were clamorous for the highest
posts in it. Yet such is the fact We will
give the whole letter; because all the garbled
extracssfiave ever seen from wAsHrSe,
TONS opinions, when investigated, leave as
false impressions as those made by tbs. RI
publican: =. III
To RICHARD HENRY LEI, -,
MoRRIsrowS, II MaS6S1
]. DEAE SIR:-Undcr the privilege Of friendships
I take The liberty to ask you, what Congress ex-
poets am to do with the many foreigners they
have at different times promoted To the rank of
field officers, and. by the last resolve, Two n
that Of colonies? In making these appoint
ments, il is much to be feared, that all the aten
ding circumstances are not taken into conside
| ration. To oblige the adventures Of nation,
which We want To interest in our cause, may be
one inducement; and to get rid of their importu-
nifty, another: but this is viewing the matter by
| halves, or on one side only These men have
no attachment nor ties to the country, further
than interest binds them; they have no infiu-
4 ence, and are ignorant Of The language they are
to receive and give orders i'm; consequently great
/ trouble or much confusion must follow. But
this is not the worst: they have not the smallest
chance to recruit Others; and our officers think
1 it exceedingly hard. after they have toiled in
| this service. and probably have sustained MANY
merit perhaps is not equal to their own, but
whose effrontery will take no denial.
| The management ofthis matter, give me leave
! to add, Sir, is a delicate point; for although no
/ one will dispute the right of Congress to make
appointments, every person will assume the
4 privilege of Judging of the propriety of them /;
and good policy, in my opinion, forbids the dis
gushing of whole corps to crafty the pride Of
an individual; for it is by the zeal and activity
Of our own people, that the cause must he sup
ported, and not by a few hungry adventurers-
Besides the error Of these appointments is now
clear and manifest, and the views of Congress
evidently defeated; for by giving high rank to
people of no reputation or service, YOU have dis
gusted their own countrymen: or, i'm other
words, raised their expectations to an Unsuitable
pitch. For the man, who was captain in
France, finding another who was only subal-
tern there, perhaps nothing, appointed Ia q
majority with us, extends his views instantly lu
regiment; in like manner. the field officer can
accept nothing less than brigade and on
by which means the man OF real rank and merit
), must be excluded, or perhaps your whole mill
rary system ,li-v,rvicr.sl--1n the mean while
am haunted and leased to death by the impcr-
tunity Of some, and dissatisfaction Of others.
NY ideas, in this representation, do not extend
to artillery officers aud engineers. The first o
these will he useful, fthey onOt break in upon
the arrangement of that corps already establish
ltltely necessary and not To be had here. But
proper precauton should be preserved in tho
Fchoce Ofthem; for we have at present in pay and
high rank two Frenchmen, who, in my judy
ment, know nothing of the duty of engineers
, Gentlemen of this profession onght to produc,
, sufficient and authentic testimonials Of theii
skill and knowledge. and not expect that n pom
pous narrative of services, and loss of papers
the usual excuse, can he proper introduction
-
: have delivered my sentiments OH this subject
J will, am persuaded, meet your excuse, when
assure you, that have nothing else in view
than the good Of the service.
am, dear Sir, Dc.
f On page 446 of the same volume WASH
IyGToS apologies for the strength of his Ian
guage in his letter and SAYS that ''the hun,
; with which he was obliged to write will no
allow him to considerthe force and tendenc,
, of his words"
But we haveno hesitation in endorsing thu
sentiments of the letter. The men of whom
, WASHINGTON speaks were not citizens whC
came here to cultivate our soil and pursu,
the arts Of peace and honest industry. They
were disbanded military aduentrers, the mos
5 dangerous class of men. They were not tha
class of whom Mr.. JEFFERSON speaks in hi
e message as manifesting bona fde intention
to risk their lives and fortunes permanent,
r with us.
. WAsHISGToN was perfectly right; and i
E we were now in perilous war and there WI
danger that our army would be overrun witt
needy and sometimes unpr;ncipled foreign
q officers We should feel and think as WA<1E
ton did. ,
The next extract which we have been abl
: to find in its connection Is this:
e And. in a letter To Governor Morris, h
wrote
do mostEevoutly wish we had not a SINGLE
foreigner aiming us, except the Marquis de La
rayette, who acts npoir-ery different principle
IRON those which govern the rest.
In this too WAsmSeTox has exclusive rete
renee to the foreign officers who harrassed hin
for appointments when he had no appoint
ments to give. The whole letter NAV b,
found in Vol. 6, p. IL, and expresses the SAM
general IDEAS with the letter to LEE WASH
INGToN's mind was not directed to foreigl
emigrants who came here to live and worl
with rs; nor was he discussing citizenship
9 and naturalization.
+, We have not yet been able to verify Ia
other quotations of the Republican in conse
p quence Of the want of references But shall
. hunt them mp hereafter
1t appears from Vol. y, p. 305, that WASH
T~eroN was in favor Of bringing over foreigr
workmen, "Ed particularly Germans, who h
says "are known to ne steady an, laboriou
people, and on another occasion Vol. II. \
f4S, speaking Of the Germans he said:
! rejoice in having so suitable an occasion 1,
D testify the reciprocity OF my esteem for the nu
, merous people whom you represent. From tn
excellent character for diligence, sobriety, an,
virtue, which the Germans in general, who ar
? settled in America, have ever maintained, ! can
not forbear felicitating myself on receiving iron
so respectable number of them such strong as
surances Of their affection for my person, conf
I dence in my integrity, and zeal to support m,
, IN my endeavours to promote the welfare Of on
common country.
But we are compelled to conclude for to-
Rrf r.