Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-08-19

Which every man Of sense deesta and d,.pis." .oal
AFTER that have s,ored out his oaths "ouder than the
battle the presence Of the very soldiers to whom hi.
orders this subject had been givenr.
The evidence that Washington did not swear at Mon.
mouth ia Of the most conclusive character possible The
proof could not he satisfactory Judge Marshall In
writing the history OF the battle had evidence before
his mind to lead him than that Washington
addressed Lee n terms Of some warmth, Implying dis
appreciation OF his conduct Headey in the I'll vol OF
Washington and his Genetsl- at page las saws thar n
was the sotero passion and the Of Washington
on th' oscasion and not his words which made his
bake OF Lee terrible. Would the statement Of either
Marshall or Headley be- true, IL Washington had cor
Lee or uttered 'snsthenss louder than the battles"
LOSING, in his Field Book of the Revolution vol ID
page $50 gives substantially the same account and ssys
among other things that Lee ,tung so much by
the ors ss by the manner of
which OF course would be untrue and inadequate to the
circumstances, If Washington had Cursed on the
occasion.
Its well known that after the battle OF Monmouth n
correspondence took place between lee and the Conman
der-inChef in reference tn what had passed between
them on the day OF the battle IL begun b, Lee in
which he complained of the singular expressions made
use Of towards him by Washington. Would Ice have
characterized oaths and ansthemss singular express
sionss Gen. Lee found fault with these singular express
s,ons, because he said they "ped that was guilty
either of discbeence orders want of conduct or
ct courage. How absurd tn suppose, now that I.s
would have said that the words Washington ON this o
cason ,npfiof dsapprobaton ct his course II he knew
that Washington had cursed and sworn at him-an act
which would not have ;hi;ci dsapprobauon but would
have been the most direct condemnatous Washington
not sensible OF having used even singular exnrc.
sions.' His reply follows:
Sir-l received your letter, dsted through mistake
the lat July, expressed as conceive, In terms highly
improper am not conscious OF having made use Of any
very singular expressions at the time of meeting you
you intimate What recollect to have said WAS dictated
by duty and warranted by the OCCASION" &C. &C.
Can any person. who knows anything of the character
Of Washington believe that he would have penned these
lines II he had cursed Lee. hurled him 'anathcmas
louder than the battle II he did swear on the occasion
referred and these lines where is the truth
uines OF him whom the world venerstes after exalted
a manners
The next evidence To be- adiuced'is that of the late
Major James Morton, oi Viz gnia soldier Of the reyolu.
hon Tie account is given ny Rev. DIR. Pumer OF the
PresbyteTsn church, who had il from Major Mortons
lips, in 1877. Major VI. well known in Virginia He
gentleman OF high standing in social life as he had
been la the army. lie the brother of the late Benz
Morton, OF sliax Virginia, of the late Nathaniel Morton
OF Baltimore, aud of the late no. Morton of Bordeaux In
France lie the father of the wife of Rev Dr. John
H. Rice Oi Va, and OF the wife OF the Rev James Wha-
rev. Oi Va He the iatAer OF the present distinguish.
ed physician, aud agrculurst, DR.. VIM. : Morton of
Cumberland county, Virginia Many OF readers OF the
Whig viii know TO whom refer from these circum.
stance Dr. Pumer, Ia letter published about eighteen
months ago. land before mel saws he has never
known more truthful man than Major James Morton
and here is the Majors account He told me that he
was within six yards Of Gen. Washington when he met
Lee, and that expression which could fairly be called
proiane escaped the lips OF the Com in Chief Major NJ
said that Washington used the OF God or three
time, but in a which no one had n right tn nm
prutane He said that he heard oil that passed
between the Generals, and that Washington neither
cursed nor SOorc"
This account of the matter, had nv Dr. Pumer, from
Major Ms mouth. deem entirely conclusive but
will add of that the Marquis Lafayette. The Rev Jared
sparks well known writer OF country, and Who
has identified himself more thoroughly than any else
With the history and writings of Washington questioned
Lafayette in respect to the language addressed by Wash
ington to Lee at Monmouth He replied that though
he was near item both at the time he could not have
told hour afterwards what he said He said not
the language but the manner-no one had ever seen
Washington so terribly excited before. We simply ask
in reference TO this is possible, could Lafayette have
failed TO recolect IT, if Washington had cursed sworn
the exavagsnt author of the address Lexington
has it, had "sormed nathemes louder than the battle
II utterly beyond belief except perhaps the belief of
some unredecng and haphazar person like the writer Of
the words We have quoted.
Another statement OF Mr.. Wise. relative to Washing
tons fierce and angry temper, Is equally without ouda
on with the declaration just commented on. II is that
on che rec puon oil the news OF St Glars defeat Wash
ington ragged without restraint wonder sir where
Mr.. W. procures his history 1t is singular indeed To see
how he talks The truth -, that far from Gen WASH
ngtons being IN aage with poor St Clair he
have been about tile only person who took the part
unhappy General, amid the OF public Indignation
st Clar was defeated twice Once after eyacuatng Ii
cnnderoga, and once in the Northwest Territory. To
whichever OF these the author of the address refers he has
been mistaken Mr. Peterson in his Heroes the Reyo-
luton saws that after the first failure Of ST. Clair he did
not lose the confidence of Washington and after the
second still continued in Office by him. and saws
nothing Of the anger of the Chief toward, him Pages
2s2, 2sS Judge Marshall in vol g. p. 252 confirms the
statement OF Peterson in regard the first defeat In
respect to the second he says-vol. j. D. 3S6-that 81
Clair all retained the undninished esteem and good
opinion OF the President" eadey, vol > D. 2ls states
in regard to the first failure Of ST. Clair THAT "he not
unsuccessful from want of patriotism, Willingness
ihce himself. Washington knew this, and hence never
Withdrew his confidence" How does this consist with
Mr.. VS. declaration that Arlington ragged without re-
srint OIL the occasion. In reference the second de-
feat Of St. Clair IIeadey p 222 vol . says that the
country filled with gloom. and that loud and deep
were the camor against St Clair but that Washington
refusing 10 sympathzc with the popular feeling against
him. still gave him his confidence" The same author also
gives on 223 OF vol p anecdoe which goes show
that his OCCASION the President conducted himself
with the utmost debera,ion aud decorum. much for
this reckless misrepresentation.
One other statement of Mr.. Wise the subject Of
Washngtons alleged proneness to rough abuse needs
notice Of few words lie that in the canvass for
Congress- between Col. PeytOn and Cen Lee which took
place after the Presidency of Washington that world
nowned man, amid the excitement election person
ally insncd gentleman, and therefore stricken in
the face in the mUket house at Alexandra" We hardly
hesitate TO say that scarcely any schOolboy in the Land
writing upon the subject OF Washington would III play
such ignorance a. il here exhibited When Washington
had fought all the battles OF the Revolution had filed the
Presidential chair with moral grandeur unapprOachcd
nv Kings, and reposng amid the shades of Mount
Vernon object Lord Erskine would express it, of
awful reverence TO mankind NJ this aud gui-
fed period Of his life Mr. Wise represent him a. min
ling in the discussion and strife Of election day and re-.
ceiviHg blow in the face for insulting gentleman
Of the hardly feel called 10 state II sim.
ply this. however. When young man, and Colonel of
the Virginia Troops in 1854 he stationed by bis
perOrs at Alexandria and at this of his m when his
character comparatively INFORMED lac became excl
ted on the occasion Of election 20 the House of Bur.
gess,s and used offensive language a Nv Payne who
avenged himself by blow History states that Wash
ingtOu did return the blow but feeling himself H. the
wrong eNerted himself 20 Mr. Payne from the wrath
Of his soldiers, aud with Had this thing oocur-
red when Mr. Wise fecklessly it did that j.
When Washington had become "thc first IN War fr.t n
Peace, aud ri the hsdrfs Of his countrymen nothing
perhaps but the very life OF the Antagonist OF Washington
could have dispeled tls gathered wrath Of the Nation
With expression Of pity for the deploaLe ignOr-
ancc lii IL i nothing nore) which Mr. Wise hsro
hib We pass 10 one declaration Of the suthor Of
the address al Lexington, very degrading Washing
ton II u, that Washington barred his sacred person
70 allow Houdou the French Satuary acting 10y the order
OF the Virginia Legislature, take the impression Of
that person for the purposes Of statue the statue
nov IN the Capitol at Richmond. The impression evil
IDENTIFY designed 10 be made by the writer Of the address
vas tft the Father OF HE Country completely unclothed
himself before this foreigner. az Mount Vernon tive
occasion alluded To- Could anything possibly be more
/ disgusting than this assertion Mr. Wisc A. the