The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-06-28
Il LESSON FOR TRAITORS.

4 TRADITION OF THE wTssAHIKON CLIFF.
There are days in winter when the all
10 very soft and balmy, as the early day.
Of summer, when in fact that glad maiden
May seems to blow her warm breath in the
grim face of February. until the rough old
warrior laughs again.
II was on q day like this that the morn
ing sunshine was streaming over a high
rock that frowns there far above the Wis
sshikon.
A high rock .attanable only by q long
and winding psth-feneed in by the trunks
oe giant pines whose boughs in the coolest
day in winter form a canopy overhead.
The rock is covered with carpet Of ev-
ergreen moss.
And near this nook ..,his chamber in the
forest. for it was nothing less. sat an old
man separa ated from il by the trunks OF the
pines, whose boughs concealed his form.
Tha. old man had come here. alone, to
think over his two sons. now freezing al
Valley Forge-for though the father was a
tory. yet his children were continentals. He
was a we'll meaning man; but some half era
~ idea about the divine right Of the British
King: George Third to rule this continent.
and murder and bnrn as he pleased --lurked
in his brain, and kept him back from the
camp of Washington.
And now on the bright morning in Feb
ruary. he had come here to think the mat.
ter over.
And while he was pondering this deep
matter over, whether George the King. or
George the Rebel. was in the right-he
heard the tramp Of war s.eed not far off,
and, looking between the trucks Of the
pines. he saw man Of noble presence dis
mount from his grey horse. and then ad
vance into the quiet hooks Of the moss
carpeted rock encircled by giant pines.
And new, leaving the aged tory to look
upon this man for himself. let US look on
him with our own eyes.
As he comes through those thick boughs
you behold a man over six feet high, with
ovsrcoat; a chspeau on his bold forhead.
may see the military boots also the end of a
scsbbard.
And who is the man of kingly presence
who comes here alone. to pace this moss j
covered rock with dropped head and folded
arms?
Come my friend and look upon him-let
me show you-not this figure of mist and
frostwork. which some historians have call.
cd Washington-bus Washington. the liv-
ing. throbbing fesh aud bl ,od Washington
Washington the man.
Look upon him as he PAGES the moss.
covered rock see that eye burn, that mus.
cular breast heave under the folded arms.
All. he is thinking of Valley Forge! Of
the bloody foo, prints in the snow; and OF
those three hideous figures that sit in the
huts of Valley Forge together..-Dis
ease. Starvation and Nakedness.
Look. as those dark thoughts crowd o,
his soul. he tails on his knees. he prays III,
God Of Heaven to take his life as An offer
ing Of freedom for his native laud.
And as the prayer starties the still for
est. that gray coat falls upon aud disclose,
the blue and gold uniform. the epaals,,.
and sword hilt.
Then the agony OF that man. pryius
alone in the si'en. woods; praying for hi
country. now bleeding in her chains; speak
out in the flashing Of the eye. in the be ad e,
sweat. dripping from the brow.
Ah. kings Of the world. planning so cool