Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-10-08
THE TREASON OF GEN. LEE.

IhE IhEACUN OF OEEs. LEE.
AT the last meeting Of the New York
Historical Society, George II. More, 4
the Librarian, read an essay upon the T.
Life and Character of General Charles c
Lee, which throws some light upon his
character, and shows him to be second !
only to Benedict Arnold as traitor .
/ This noted character in our reyolutiona-
ry annals was described as a soldier OF
fortune, destitute of love Of country, vain
and egotistical, impatient of control, and /
a traitor to the American cause. Cen
4 eral Lee was born in- Great Britain, bat
he could obtain no promotion equal to
his ambition in the British Service and
having made the acquaintance Of Count
S.anislaus Poniatowski, he entered his
; service shortly after his accession to the
, throne of Poland, receiving the commits
= sion of Major General in 176S. He
became disgusted with the service and
t returned to England, where in l772
: some one ascribed to him the authorship
: of the letters Of Junins, reputation
4 which he was vain and unTuthful enough
not to disown.
= Lee came to America in IVA, and
a purchased an estate in Berkley county,
Virginia, where he became intimate with
e General (then ColoneD Horaiio Gates.
of He early professed TO sympathize With
5r the patriots, and anticipated the supreme
Il command of the continental army. This
a ambition was frustrated by the election
re of Washington, whose talents and mill
u tory skill he constantly disParaged; in
10 June Is, 1776, he was appointed Second
ii' Major General, but before he would nc
ne cept required Congress to pledge his in
~ Identification for any losses which b.
might suffer. Renouncing his half pa,
as a British officer, he then entered tn
'he American service. He was noted 70
h'0 great slowness in obeying order from
General Washington, and had a part,
in Congress that aimed at his elevation
:, to the supremacy. He continually pro
mulgated the opinion in speech and il
secret correspondence with his brothe
'"0 officers, that the indecision Of the Com
'i- ~ manuer-iu- Chief iIad led 10 the disastrou
loss of Fort Washington and the othe
misfortunes of the American cause, an
that all would be lost unless some on
else had control of the forces.
NC Lee was finally taken prisoner s
Bealstown, in New Jersey, displayin
mo on the occasion the utmost poltroony.-
liar The British ministry, regarding him Z
or the strongest officer of the America
;m- cause, were elated at his capture, and 4
md vored the idea Of furnishing him as a trai
.ver or. But while in captivity, he employe
. to himself in preparing a plan of accon
an mediation between the colonists aud II
one mother country, and communicated
,ova Lord Howe the most feasible method
Bpt subjugating the States. 1t was to oec
and py the Chesapeake, conquer Pennsylv
MIA and dissolve Congress while Garlic
,utb should hold New England in awe and
tom. invading army should pass from Cana
he southwark effecting the overthrow Of d
rror province of New York.
that A manuscript copy of this plan,
had Lees own handwriting, was here exhi
nber tied. 1t was found recently in Engla
tents among the papers Of Lord and Genei
and William Howe, and endorsed with
d. name Of that British Generals Secre
cat ry, as Gen. Lees plan II furnish
incontestable proof Of Lees treason.
ith Gen. Lee died in 1882. His conduct
, and Monmouth and disrespect to WasLil
ex- ton, had consigned him TO disgrace,
ID in his early services TO the revolutions
IS as cause secured for bis memory the pi
5 en- ing silence, though ROT the respect Of
lpan- military contemporaries.
down Mr.. MoOre's paper occupied an b
ro'es- aud half IN delivery, and was craml
d eA- with the valuable results Of original
'''ne yestigations. Many Of the docum'
which he read had never been publ
'i'''i's ed, and threw new and unexpected j
'u on very interesting episode Of the
yolution.
les
ear Biahon Scott Of the slaahe