The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-07

| WASHINGTON IN UHDRESS.-Ihe most con
yeuient meaps of obtaining an idea of the
extent and manner OF Mr.. Sparks's altera.
tions of Washington's letters was aforded
by little book published some twenty.odd
wears since By William b. Reed, of Pbiladel'
phia. There bad arisen some dispute he
tween Mr.. Sparks and Lord Mahon, OF Eng
land, as to the accuracy of Spai kiss edition
of certain letters from Washington TO DO
seph Reed, an ancestor of William Is. Reeo'
and an intimate friend of Washington. These
letters Mr.. William B. Reed therefore pub
lisbed uerJat,m eti'eratina. with the changes
made by MIR. Sparks noted 10 the margin.
Few readers can get access to any coD>idera-
BILE number of the originals of Washington's
letters. but most Of them can fnd Mr.. Reeds
little volume in some public library, and we
commend them to an examination OF 1t II
they would freshen and correct in some sig
niticant and interesting details their impress
sion Of the great American.
In the first place, they will hnd that Nlr.
Sparks has made numerous corrections 10
the grammar and spelling of the letters. This
he was almost always quite justified in doing,
and vet, for our part, we believe few intelli-
gent readers will fail to experience real en-
| ioyment of the quaint errors or archaisms
which the commander of the American ar
mics used, as he wrote hurriedly from his
clmp-aways busy place for him, and
usually post of danger, and haunted with
harassing care and anxiety. We confess that
| it is not unpleasant to read that "the new
arrangement of officers " " sets" heavily 90
his mind; that Connecticut has compleat-
ed" the differing Of its corps by method
which departs from the "prlncipals" Of
common justice; that be has an sab boraDce"
of the Tories; that certain accused officers
desire an "oppertuuty Of vindication ~;
that the "manouvres " of the enemy puzzle
him, and that his own "rIfdemen" behave
with spirit.
But, while it Is clear that Mr.. Sparks
would be generally justified in correcting
these slips of the pen, yet there are other
points in which no such license ought to
have been taken. When General Washing
ton writes from Cambridge, on the 2S,h of
November, 1775, with reference to the re.
enlistment OF his army, which was melting
away before his-eyes, "such dirty merce'
nary spirit pervades the whole thut should
not be at all surprised at any disaster that
may happen" it is mistaken kindness to
leave out that homely little word wuich we
| have put in italics. When Washington
writes that "Sl00.000 will be but a .fea.6ite
to our demands at this time" why should
the expression be changed to totally mad
equateY" Why, too, should he not be al.
lowed to call the American prvateersmen
"rascally "-especialy as they undoubtedly
were so? Ii the British, in 1T76, appeared
to him "a nation which seemed to be lost
to every sense Of virtue, and those feelings
which distinguish civilized people from
the most barbarous sayages," is there any
harm in our knowing it? Or is there any in
letting him say of the New Enganders that
"there is no nation under the sun (llat l
ever came across pay greater alteration to
money than they do" or Of the Scotch that
they are universal instruments OF tyran-
N.Y." Mr.. Sparks gives US the account Of
the evacuation Of Boston, which Washing.
ton sent TO Congress, to which there can be
no objection; but we enjoy much better the
story he sent to Mr.. Reed, in which he calls
| it "the rumpHs." There are touches of
personal characterization, TOD, which Mr..
Sparks represSes, which, it seems to Us, he
might have retained, to the decided refresh
ment of his readers. Washington says, for
instance, of General Fry, and Sparks omits
it, "At present he keeps his room and talks
| learnedly of emetics, cathartics, etc. For
my own part, ! see nothing but declining
life matters him."
And again Washington writes, April /.
177G, also omitted by Sparks: General Fry,
that wonderful msn, has made most won
derful hand of it. His appointment took
place the nth of January; he desired. ten
days ago, that his resignation might take
place the 18th Of April. He has drawn three
hundred I'D sereuts:five dollars, never done
one days duty. scarce been three times on,
of his hovse, discovered that be was too old
and intirm for moving camp, bat Semem-
bers that he has been Soung, active, and very
capable Of doing what is now out Of his
/ power to accom- plish," .i&c. Surely sach ex-
! preSsionS as these siveIls an idea or the man.
ner 10 which Washington's mind worked,
and of the feelings aod impulses which
guided him, that we can hardly afford to lose.
Excellent, in saany respects, as are the works
that have been written about our national
hero, We cannet resist The hope that weIaay
yet have q biography more complete and sat.
isfaetory than apy Of then.-Ne,o York
Times.
We have in London a very curious inst
tutionsalled splasbing houses" If snus
wishes to make IL appear that he has been