The Washington union., 1858-02-23

value him for himself to him by the individual
of his nature, and to look within rather than
without for the means of defence and development
Above all ho thus imbbcd that wild love of freedom and
independence, and that stern sense of ndividualism
which made him incapable of counting the costs OF
sstance if his liberty at stake, Such the school
in which our fathers were best prepared for the great
| revolutionary struggle which awaited them.
The effects of this training upon Washington were man
fcsted in the remarkable confidence which his State re-
posed in him at SO early age When nineteen years
old he made military Inspector with the rank OF ma
or in the little army of Virginia At twenty he was
intrusted with an important mission to the French com
mandcr the Ohio, and placed too at the head Of the
forces raised v the State did she ever afterwards
aatc her trust and confidence In him. But II she trusted
she tried him, too And in charging him with the de-
fence of her frontier with insufficient forces and means
she prepared him for the yet stcrncr difficulties which
awaited him another and greater theatre OF action
He thus acquired knowledge Of the nature OF his cou
ymcn of the in which lay their chief strength
in time Of war of the difficulties which were most
likely to bcset them and of the best means by which
they to be rallied and supported under such
trials, 1t in this school that hc learned to
cultivate the heroic virtues of the soul modeton for
titufe justice and self reliance And here, too he inn
bbcd the fith that there is might IN the right too
strong the powers and prncpatics Of the EARTH which
characterized him IN aftcrfe There can pe no doubt
but that the meditaons and experience of such life its
close communion with nature, its harbreadth escapes,
and its sudden revolutions must have tended to cherish
in the mind deep Of dependence upon Providence,
and intimate conviction of its constant presence
and incrposon in the affairs of man. These We're the
qualities which ever after made him the master of the
OCCASION and enabled him to its difficulties
whether they lay in himself others for no man ever
lived who could better command both Who can look to
the experience of his early life in connexion with
its after circumstances without feeling that Providence
was thus training him for that mighty struggle in which
he to take the leadership and command?
He carried into this contest natural genius for war 1t
truc but he was prepared for it by careful study OF
the military science by not much knowledge of the prn
cplcs of strategy established by the great masters Of
the art and BY accurate acquaintance with the rules
in which soldiers taught for the most part to condc
for He entered, however, upon this command
with knowledge Of the secret strength Of his country
with perfect understanding of its resources and suf
cent experience in the best of developing them
witt, modest but firm reliance in his capacity to
meet in the future he had done in the past whatever
difficulties might lay in his path, matter how unex
peccdy they should arise and with faith that never
fcred in the will and the power of Providence to pro
tect the right.
rcnce of others more and his less, he might not
have trusted much feared so little. But IN that
trust in the lessons of his experience and IN that
faith in the purposes of Providence lay the secret OF his
strength. know that professional critics and the mar
tnets of military service not IN the habit Of referring
Wasbingons campaigns for great examples in the art
of war There too few dazzling strokes in his mill
tary to attract their attention to him as great
natural genius, and they can hardly believe that
such an could be acquired by experience alone and
without a careful study and previous training. And
achievements when considered in connexion with their
| attending circumstances, cannot fail to place him
amongst the foremost captains OF the world. Ii est
mated by what he mplished he will take rank with
the best amongst them all He established particular
order of battle, did the Macedonian Roman He
discovered principle in military movements as was
done by the great Pssan the scarcely less distinguish
cd Thcan, who in this perhaps preceded him. He crea
ted no combinations of old principles almost to
revolutionize the science of war; did the worlds chief
soldier the Imperial Frenchman. But he knew the Sc
of his country strength and he had the genius 80 to
plan his campaigns to make that element in which its
power consisted the prcdomnatng force in the contest
1t a and unrcd field of military experiment, and
yet he fertile enough in to make head against
overwhelming Odds without ever experiencing crushing
defeat serious reverse He understood the rea-
tive strength of the two parties too well to hope to
achieve by series of great stri-
king battles. But he that the superiority of the
British forces could only be maintained mt immense
expense, owing to the distance of her resources,
whilst the Americans enjoyed corresponding adj
vantage in the support Of their troops from their greater
proximity to supplies. Time, then, was for him the
great element of success To potract the to
win the victory and to do this without wearing away
the spirit Of resistance in his countrymcn, to rally their
energies and keep alive their hopes by making head
against such odds, without receiving during the whole
period single defeat, the unparalleled achievement
this great To carry out this plan, it inds
pensbc to avoid any great battle which rised enough
TO be decisive for there the chances all against
him but for of detail the relative superiority
| rather side The American, owing to his early
training had more of individual Tcsourccwas better
atlapted by his habits to encounter the physical difficult
ties of the country, and could concentrate, for a
| time at least, superior force to meet particular
| emergency which could not have been maintained
permanently in the field To decide this struggle by
mode of warfare which the relative advantages of his
countrymcn the greatest and to avoid issue in
which the superiority of his enemy ncontesabe boz
came the great object of lis campaign And what general
ever pursued his ends with ability attained them
completely With evcs and inferior Numbers,
for many years he kept in che the main body of
N.Y. which, in proportion to its SIZE equal to any in
the world and struck at its detachmcn constantly
and successfully to away its spirit and exhaust its
energies and when fortunate alliance gave him tenn
porary superiority in the field he avaled himself OF the
occasion to crown and close the contest by blow de-
| cisivc us it was glorious.
If the conception the only plan Of campaign which
could have succeeded and the prosecution of its objects
with consummate ability fortudo and success and that,
too in the face of unparalleled odds and difficulties, be
evidences of high military genius, then Washington
has exhibited them ALL During the whole war, he held
the line of the Hudson to keep open the communi-
cations between the eastern and other States and to
close them between the British army and their northern
PROVINCES The ability and perseverance with which ths
was effected in the face of many difficulties ought OF
itself to stamp him a master in the art OF From
the siege of Boston to that of York he kept the field in
the face of army greatly superior in numbers discp
line and all the appointments of and whilst hc held
it in check and crcumscribe its operations within
row bounds he suffered IL TO strike him
decisive blow lie sometimes struck at it, but did
he afford it opportunity to destroy HIM II the bat
ties OF Long Island and Bandywne the occasional
blemshcs of long series of campaigns who shall say
that they not forced upon him necessary sacrifices
to public opinion and who has disputed the signal