The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-08

American war" Hence the burglary of
Lees dispatch box. of which Frederick's
letter gives a mild and somewhat mac.
eurate account. s. ss 80 80
1t happened after Frankln's and Lees
eloquence had raised in Frederick the
question, Have you Americans got to
such a condition that / can with safety
and advantage make a treaty of COM
burg, interviewed Lee and reported: mo.
your majesty, Lee and mis- people are not
in such a condition." Whereupon his
majesty replied: well. let him dec
after the dispatch box incident, 1t was.
of course, for the time being, impractca-
BILE for Frederick to conclude negotiations
with one who had allowed himself to be
outgeneraled by those burglarious Eng
fish. Our treaty of amity and commerce
with Prussia was not signed until eight
years later, when the results of our six
years, strife had convinced the nero OF
the seven years war that the Americans
were in a condition to be treated as
an Independent nation.
After thought" say some, Frederick
did not raise a finger In our interest UNI
til he was quite sure that he could do
SO with safety and advantage" For this
he can hardly be blamed. Knowing lit
tie Of us and of the stuff we are made
of, his sympathies, moreover, being with
the monarchical system, why should he
with Franklin's II have long been OF
opinion that the foundations of the flu
ture grandeur and stability of the British
empire lie in America" echoing in his
mind. take the same Franklin's word for
It that he ought to have assistance to
the revolving colonies?
Besides. in 177, Frederick was not
counting beicose complications. Unfor-
gotten though Englands treachery of 1776
was his war on account of the Bavarian
succession. Q77S) proved that peace was
not precious to him at that time of life.
he had no desire to risk the laurels that
hi .. Il 1pxra IF IN
kind. 10000 soldiers and 100000 subjects
killed, outraged and starved to DEATH
every ninth person missing in the king
dom of Prussia when peace was signed
indeed. he was very much opposed to
tempt fate again. Let them tthe colo
nies) wait" t.s
But Washington's defeat at Brandy
wine (September III and at Germantown
October y reused the sympathy of the
old warrior. He had been there himself
visions of Kollin and Hochkirch rose in
his mind. He sent us Steuben. Kalb.
too. was royal Prussian subject, though
a French officer.
There are people who think that Baron
Steuben placed his wide knowledge, his
strategic prowess, all he learned in the
at the disposal of the American
colonies of his own accord. The
adjutant general of his Prussian
Majesty, the man who fought by Fred
Kunersdorf, Grand Marshal of the Prince
of Hohenzollern, entering. anothers mil
ttary service. the army of a country in
revolt against ktngly authority, as" a
private individual-One might as soon be-
lieye that Burgoyne surrendered at Sar-
atoga for the glory 1t would bring to the
British arms.
There was only one George Washington,
and a Steuben was sorely needed. When
the great strategists' tried lieutenant ar
rived Washington must have experienced
something akin to the feeling that, af-
terward, swelled Welington's breast on
the afternoon of Waterloo when the
Prussian guns doomed his triumph
AS Inspector general of the American
army. Steuben organized victory by fill
| ing our troops with supreme confidence
| ''panicky feeling" which, before. his
tin". had filed our war diary with re-
| cords of disaster. The American war
| ragged. but did not "blunder along much
| longer after Steuben had become the inn
mortal Georges lieutenant. How Fred
erick must have enjoyed those gala days
CT Monmouth. Stony Point. Kings Noun
tain, Cowpens-echoes of his own military
and strategic triumphs!
The treaty of "afnity and commerce.
between Prussia and the United States
of America was signed in the fall of
1856. exactly Sal days ere "the last of
will be is a very long questionv'-Car-
lyle.
1t is long document, as such papers
are wont to be. All that interests us
now are these paragraphs:
His Majesty. the King of Prussia and
the United States of America, desiring
to fix, in a permanent manner, the rules
to be observed in the increase of COM
merce between their respective countries
His Majesty and the United States have
judged that the said end cannot be bet
ter obtained than by taking the most
perfect equality and reciprocity for the
hn Gil n ant nN,d 40
THAT there shall be firm inviolabe
and universal peace and sincere friend
ship between His Majesty, the King of
Prussia, his heirs. successors and SUBJ
jects on the one part, and the United
States of America on the other, without
exception of persons or places"