The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-12-19
TIE END OF BENEDICT ARNOLD.



All the family tradition goes TO
show that the last years of Benedict
Arnold in London were years of bitter
remorse and self-reproach. The great
name which he had SO gallantly won
and so wretchedly lost left him no re-
pose by night or day. The iron frame,
which had withstood the fatigue of 40
many trying battle 6elds, and still
more trying marches through the
wilderness, broke down at last under
the slow torture of lost friendship and
merited disgrace.
In the last sad days in London, in
june, 1901, the family tradition says
that Arnold's mind kept revertiug to
his old friendship with Washington.
He had always carefully preserved the
American uniform which he wore on
the day when he made his escap, to
the Vulture; and now as, broken in
spirit and weary of life, he felt the
last moments coming, he called for this
uniform and put it on, and decorated
himself with the epaulets and sword
knot which Washing On had given
him after the victory o Saratoga
'Let me die" be said Gin this old
uniform in which fought my battles.
May God forgive me for ever putting
on any other y
As we thus reach the end Of one of
the saddest episodes in American his
tory, our sympathy cannot fail for the
moment TO go out towards the sufferer,
nor can we help contrasting these pas
sionste dying words with the last Gym
ical scoff of that other traitor, Charles
Lee, when he begged that he might
not be buried within a mile of any
church, as he did not wish to keeI
bad company after death. From be
ginning to end the story of Lee is lit
tie more than vulgar melodrama
but into the story of Arnold there
enter, that element of awe and pity
which, as Aristotle pointed out, is al
essential part of real tragedy. Tha
Arnold had been very shabbily treated
long before any thought of treason
entered his mind, is not TO be oenied.
That he may honestly have come t.
consider the American cause hopeless
that he may really have lost his inter
est in it because of the French allianc,
all this is quite possible. Such con
siderations might have justified him il
ssigning his commission, or even, ha'
he openly and frankly gone over t.
the enemy, much as he should have de
plored such step, some person
would always have been fonnd I
judge him leniently, and accord hir
the credit of acting upon principle
But the dark and crooked cours
which he did choose left open no alter
native but that of unqualified conden
nation. If we feel less of contemp
and more of sorrow in the case G
Arnold than in the case of such
weakling as Charles Lee, our verde
is not the less unmitigated. Arnold
fall was by far the more terrible, as b
fell from greater height, aud into
depth than which none could be lowe
1t is only fair that we should reca
his services to the cause of America
Independence, which were uuques,ior
ably greater than those of any man i
the Continental army except Washing
ton and Greene. But it is part of til
natural penalty that attaches to bacl
sliding such ss his, that when we het
the name of Benedict Arnold these al
not the things which it suggests
our minds, but the name stands, an
will always stand, as symbol of al
faithfulness 10 trust.-AtlGntic Montj