, 1875-01-23
ENGLISH DLooD-BUY1N1 IN 177o.


ENGLISH BLOOD BUYING IN 177o.
We publish elsewhere III this issue nj, mr.
ticle by Prof. e. W. GREENE in the February
-it|anttc OH "Iho IIcssian NIcrccnalies Of
Our Revolution" It will richly rcrny read
ing. It is the best aecount ever published in
English of the traffic in blood between Great
britain and Germany during our struggle for
liberty.
The first few skirmishcs, since Glorified rs
"battlcs,' Of tho Revolution showed that
tile $1,000 British troops between Nova
Scotia and Florila could not conquer 3, ,0O0, 900
American colonistH. To be sure, 1nnny Of tho
hitter, far moro than VIC caro- to admit now,
were faithful to the King. Now York City WIS
u stronghold of his. But their faithfulncss did
not generally 60 the length Of inducing them
to bcar arms In his eausc. They were not Of
much rso to the Roynlists. Recruiting and con-
scription could do little in England, whero
tho Wliigs opposed the war from the start.
London was hostile to it. The nristocracy
furnished officers in litnitless nbrndsuco, but
where were tho privatcs to como from2 From
Russia GEORGE thought, and forthwith offered
~ baJ -ofoo" k4oops VI LuD GfHpFGSS
CATHERINE. Tho English Minister at St.
Petersburg. GuSS1Ha, opened negotiations
Ho preferred his request and tho Empress
politely sail she "wouid glaelly pny her
obligations to King GEORGE in tho 1nanner
most agreeable to him." Thcroupon Gus-
MING wrote that tho 10000 Russian mcrcc-
narics were duly bought. GEORGE wrote
n 1ctfor f,f +t,nJ,1rp IN Is,
hind, anl WAS unattorably disgustea to re-
coivo reply from Lcr private secretary an-
nonncing TINT her reply to GusNrsa was
morely polite expression, md that she did
not care to sell part Of l1or army. Evident
ly CATHERINE had spoken in French, tho ]au-
glaso Of diplomacy, Of compliments and cle-
gaut falsehood. If SHE Ind used rugged Rus.
sian or straightforward English, CUNNING
might not have been tricketl. It is strange
and true TINT Russia aud America Aayo al-
why's been stealfast friends. We owe tho
czAE mud his subjects many good turn.
Holland was tempted next. She camo near
yielding. Then there arose an apostle Of
right, Baron VAN DER CApELIES, who stuug
slumbering public opinion into hearty con-
denlnation of the sc!emo Of sending tho
''sons Of rebels to put down rebellion"
The people spoke aud the Court heard. Tho
batllca British onyoys Withdrew in disgust
end despair. Tho petty Princelings Of GcY-
many were next fshed for End bit eagerly Mt
tho bait. They used thoir scrfsl subjects
only es lnoney-makiug machines. Why not
use them as such in this now WY t1loy asked
ono another. They drove q hard bnrgain
and put up their prices. Six States, lssuns-
wick, Hesse- Cassel, 1Icssc-1Eanau, Waldeok,
Anspach, and Anhnlt- -Zerbat, sold %, ,1GC
sncn' Tho first detnchment, 1890 Druns-
wickcrs, was poor lot. It's centre was CON-
posed of very young or worry old men,
sick men, tiny men, worthless men. Their
uniforms were unfit for usc, mud thoy had no
overcoats, cloeks, shoes, or stockings. They
wero fitted out by swintling British contract
ors ot Bristol and sent to sea. Whom the
voyage Ind fairly begun, tho stores wore
opened. Tho shoes woro found to DO women's
shoes, thin and small. The pillows wero
pincuslions, inches by I. A mattress,
blanket, and coverlet together Weighed Z
pounds. Tho food was rotten. They suffer-
ed from both German mud Britiah avarico.
The first division Of 1essians, 8,397 strong,
roachel New York Aug. 12, 177G. Fifteen
days afterwards, they tasted blood on Long
Island. 80 tho troops poured In. AIisery
roigued in Germany. Thcrs was common
saying among the peasants: "When wo aro
dead, we orc ioua with it." Yet thoy shrank
from tho terrors OF Nh ocoan voyage, bad
enough now md far worso thon, mud from
fighting for tho gain of their r1,lors. II
die" said Donor, nortally wounded at tho
attack on lsEpnAgK, "tho victim Of my own
ambition and tho ayarico Of my sovereign"
4 German historian wrote: "Ihe Treasury
"as filled with blood aud tears." blood
yielded good dividends, for nlan killed was
paid for NJ new recruit, and tlreo men
wounded counted as one killed. When 1000
Urunawickers were takon prisoners Mt Sara
toga, their tuca' ruler objected to their OK
change. 1fe feared 1t would interfere with
future profits. In ITS, the last lot Of pur-
chased Germans sailed for America. The
man-market was exhausted. FREDERICK tho
Great had already interferod will. tho traffic
by relnonstranco, by lovying sscattle.tax"
OH tho men marched through hia territories
to the aeaboatd, md by finally refusing them
passage from his ports. This was probably
not because ho really loved the business less
Qle was cosmopolitan kidnapper himselt),
but booause ho hated England more. Never
tholess, It was good thing for us.
When the account was finally closed, En-.
gland had paid Germany what would now
amount to about eli, 900, 900, or $7O, ,ooo, 900,
and II, ,859 Germans lad beon killed or died
Of disease. Some deserted; some returned
from Europe, after they were mustered out,
to settle in Pennsylvania. Their descend.
anta, true to tho Democratic tradition, still
vote in Dezks County for Gen. JACKSON for
President.
The Hessians were heartily hated during
the war, and not without cause. Drutallzed
by their treatment, they acted like brutes.
France had let loose rod fauds upon the
Colonial settlements for years, but here wsrs
whfta sa ynpea Tho Americena rarorda5 t1,o.o