Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-04-27

CeSO " ousluesSI uses tne lOlOWlng lal
guage: "ln the beginning of the contest wit
Britain, when we were sensible Of DANCE
we had daily prayers in this room for ii
divine protection. Our prayers, Sir. wei
heard, and they were graciously answere,
All fus who were engaged in the strus
gle, must have observed frequent instance
Of q superin:ending Providence in our fay
or. To that kind Providence we owe thi
happy opportunity of consulting in peac
on the means of establishing our future ma
tional felicity"
"The daily prayers for the divine pre-
lection" "in the beginning of the contes
with Britain" we're offered for three month
by the Rev. Jacob Duche. .-...
But let us look at the reverse picture, s
different from that already before us. o.
the 11th Of September, 1777, was Tough
the battle of Chad's Ford, the enemy re
tanning the fed of battle. Between tha
and the battle of Germantown, which wa
fought on the 4th of October, Washing
tons troops were suffering tremendousIv
for want of ordinary comforts, and their no
bic commander declares that !" at least one
thousand men are barefooted, and have per
formed the marches 10 that condition. and
when prompt action was in one case neces.
sary, it could not be had, as Washington
says, "the strongest reason against being
able to make forced march is the want ot
SHOES" On the 4th of October, the battle
of Germantown was fought. of which,
Washington, in letter to his brother, de-
clared, after saying the Americans had lost
zone thousand men, killed, wounded and
and missing" "and many valuable officers y
at teas JLoody day. Hould to heduen I
could add, that ithad JeeR a more fortunate
one for u.s." al s3 va
This "bloody day. was The 4th Of Octo.
Der, l77z, and on the same day of the
sSme October, the Rev. Jacob Duche, who
h2d spoken of The American States as hav-
ing "fed from the rod of the cppressor, 'and
prayed tiat God would cause ''the weapons
of war" to dsap from the unnerved arms
of our enemies in iiae day of battle" wrote
letter to Washington, of which he says,
ION the "I6th of October at yesterday,
through the hands of Mrs. Ferguson Of
Graham Park, received letter of a very
curious and extraordinary nature, from Mr.
Duehe, which l have thought proper to
transmit to Congress" Did the limits of
this article permit, would transcribe the
entire letter, as one of the most extraordi-
nary documents relating to the war of In
dependence. Perhaps, at another time the
full letter will be acceptable.
In this letter, Duche seeks to extenuate
his conduct sin yielding to a torrent too
strong for his feeble nature to BEAR" in
preaching to one Of the city battalions" Of
rebel troops, and of "rashly accepting the
appointment" of chaplain to Congress. He
then draws out all the dark details of pow
erty, encouragement and defeat, as per-
tanning to the American cause, and msgni-
6es the successes and strength of the enc
my. As for the Congress, he says, @the
most respectable have withdrawn them
selves, and are succeeded by a great me-
iority of illiberal and violent men," "Tis
you, sir, and you only. that supports the
present Congress. Of this, you must be
fully sensible. Long before they left Phil
adeiphia--compeled to flee before the vic
torious British-iheir dignity and conse-
quence was gone" "From the New Eng
land provinces can you find one that as a
gentleman you should wish to associate
with ? Unless the soft and mild address
of Mr.. Hancock can atone for his want of
every other qualification necessary for the
station be fills, bankrupts and men of des-
perate fortunes are his colleagues" "Ars
the dregs of Congress then stillto inha-
ence a mind like yours?" "And NOW
where are your resources? Oh, my dear
sir, how sadly you have been abused by al
faction, void of truth and void of tenderness
to you and your country" The declare
ton be calls "a rash and violent measured
and coolly speaks of the consequences d
that measure, "the degoneracy of counci +.
without number" After a pa
thetic description of the condition of the
country. and Of Washington's "perishink
for want of common necessaries," (shoeS,f ,foi
be appeals to Washington's ''hu
manity," land sure | am that humanity is
no stranger to your breast y and says, ''tisI
to you, and you alone, that your bleeding
country looks and calls aloud for this sacri-
ice,'-that is, to betray the cause he had
sworn to defend!
As one reads this letter il is very diff |
cult to conceive that the same pen wrote
il And "the first prayer in Congress"
Thacher well calls it an occurrence of a
very singular complexion" and says that it
occasions much indignant speculation.
Washington Immediately sent letter to
Lhe President of Congress, remarking in his
etter, "To this ridiculous and illiberal per-
Tormance, made a short reply, by desiring
he bearer Of it-Mrs. Ferguson-if she
should by accident meet with Mr.. Duche,
% tell him l should have returned it uno-
1ened, if 1 had had any idea Of the con-
ents; observing at the same time that
highly disapproved the intercourse she
seemed to have been carrying on, and ex
oected it would be discontinued" But in
l letter to Francis HopkinsOn. the signer of
he Declaration, and also brother-in Law
Of Duche, Washington shows that he fear
I'd that keeping the letter secret might in
Tolve him in the suspicion that che bad be-
;rayed his country" "and would not such
l correspondence, if kept secret. have CIV
IN good grounds for the suspicion %
H. e II