New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-21

SOME ECCENTRICIT1ES OF THE HERO
OF THE GREEN MOUNTAINS.

ETHAN ALLEN. The Robr Hood OF Vermont. BY
Henry Hail. PIP. viii, oo7. ID. Appleton a Co.
1t is not to be imagined that anyone seriously be
lieves Ethan Allen to have been capable OF de-
nberately plotting desert1On from the cause OF the
colonies in the War OF the Revolution IT was
matter Of National knowledge that he had made an
attack on Montreal with chance Of success " he
had not been deceived by the man who should have
been his strongest support. It was known that even
with the Eiserably untrIstworthy force he had In
hand he came near achieving his purpose. 1t was
known that he had suffered all the haidships N which
q prisoner OF likely to be subjected short
Of torture by being hung up by the thumbs OF being
keelhauled the way across the Atlantic, or shot
or hanged on his arrival at British port. 1t was
known, too. that he had endured all his adverstes
with singular eQuanimiy, that he had outtaked the
common sailors In their rOughcst dialect that he had
met the officers Of the British Army and Navy as an
equal, and that no had Obliged noblemen TO ackDowl-
edge practically, not In theory the dicum OF Burns
that "Man's q man. for a. that The problem Is
that IN spite of his manifest hatred OF TYRANNY in
spite Of his prediction for the principles VIII CHI
the outspoken aim Of the American Revoutonsts,
he was dstrusted by men who ought to have been
bis best friends was codly recommended for the
Continental service by Washington. and really felt
himself neglected and dsgrac-d.
The more one udies the problem the more likely
he Is to convince himself that It Of a sort which
the forefatbers Of the Republic woud not have both
cred themselves to solve. They might have laughed
at II perhaps as impossible. Yet their own
duct in certain crises might have suggested to them
that they were dealing with unusually sensitive
nature. Washington's violent language when he re-
buked the runaways on the shore OF Long Island,
when he withered Harry Lee when he gave the
poor wretch Of virgnian piece Of his mind for
raising dust In front Of his carriage hardly Of
the sort which he would have excused In his mider
mOmcnfs Now the harsh Manner
OF Aliens euphcmsms. which may have been rare
and almost accidental In the OF imperurbable
man like Washington, was the habitual Characteristic
OF man whose nerves were kept a strain all the
time, as was plainly the fact with Allen. lie was
by nature q student He loved 70 investigate topics
that would nowadays be called psychological he was
interpretive TO degree, continually vexing himself
with queries as TO what he believed or did not believe
With such man profanity may act like the ebulltion
Of steam from 4 safety-valve. There are few who
not familiar with this popularity either In their
own person or In some friend for whom they have
the greatest respect notwithstanding his unexplain.
able explosions at times when there seems to be
no provocation for anything except the most moder
ate Language.
considerable part OF this book Is taken up with
Aliens own account Of his Imprisonment. Here Is
what he says Of his uncomfortable wrath "To give
instance: upon being insulted, In q t Of anger
twisted OF nail with my teeth, which ! took to be
a ten-penny nail. II went through the morse of
the band Of my handcuR, and At the same time
staggered over those who abused ME. particularly a
Doctor Dace, who told me that was eutlawed by
NewYork and deserved death for several years past
was at last fully rpened for the halter, and In fair
way to obtain it. When challenged him he excused
himself In consequence as he said OF my being crmi-
nal. But flung such flood OF language Mt him that
II shocked him and the spectators for ny anger was
very great heard enc sag. 'Hini He can eat iron