The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-11
WASHINGTON AS
A GENERAL.

Minneapolis Journal: Brains ordi-
narily X not a hereditary possession.
But the Adams family Of Massachu-
sets present that anomaly In the his
tory Of families. the succession through
many generations OF brains. That fine
old Puritan, John Adams, the second
president OF the republic, was a cousin
Of Samuel Adams. the pioneer in the
agitation against British rule. His
son, John Quincy Adams, Monroe's
secretary Of state, himself president,
then for years the old man eloquent
in the house Of representatives, is one
OF the most illustrious Of Americans,
the maker Of the Monroe doctrine. His
son, Charles Francis Adams, minister
to Great Britain, had intellect and
served his country well. The fourth
generation maintains the family dis
tinction. Henry Adams is a historian
OF great industry and admirable
sense for truth. while Brooks Adams,
publicist proved by his Law Of Civil
lization and Decay his right to stand
with the great publicists.
The Adams family always did mani
fest more respect for truth than for
popular favor, and Charles Francis
Adds is msnifesting the family trait
now in his criticism OF the g~eneralship
Of George Washington. 81
Nevertheless, we think him mistaken.
True, Washington was fortunate in
being opposed by, such an incompetent
as Sir William Howe. In fact, the
revolution was fortunate in the quality
| OF commanders the British sent over:
Howe, Sir Henry Clinton, Burgoyne
and CORVALLIS. CORVALLIS was the
ablest although forced to surrender by
a conjunction of chance and strategy.
Had the British been commanded by Sir
Henry Carleton, OF by a Waite, a
| Give, a Sir John Moore. it might have
gone hard with the revolution.
True, also. the battle Of Long Island
was a grand mistake on Washington's
part. He was no faultless commander
like Turenne and MARLBOROUGH. He
was no born war genius, like Stone
wall Jackson and Cromwell Fighting
Indians was no real education for SUI
preme command.
But we submit that in the exercise
of supreme command and by virtue Of
his mistakes in the field Washington
learned the military art, just as did
Frederick the Great. The same gem
eral who was routed at Long Island
conducted the retreat across the Jer-
says, recrossed the Delaware, and drew
from old Frederick at Potsdam the OBJ
servation that a new general had APP
peared.
Also Washington had a sound ap-
probation of the strategic key. He
selected Morristown and Valley Forge
When his army could not face the
British successfully in the field, he
knew where to wait and how to lei
time fight for him. He drove the
British out of Philadelphia by strate-
gical waiting. He sent the Rhode
Islander, Nathaniel Greene. south te
cope with Cornwallis. And when the
day and the opportunity came he die
not miss it; he marched from New
Jersey t Virginia and compelled York.
town.
Not a heaven born general. per.
haps, but a great, constant. patient
unshakable leader, who rose to emery,
ency after emergency and hardened tt
steel. What historians do o Away;
appreciate in generalship is the mora
quality, the -steadfastness. the IN,
broken will. such moral quality Wash,
ington possessed, as did Grant. 70,
instance, military acumen selected
valley Forge, but resolution he'll
grizzly to the place throughout tina
terrible winter, curing which the com
mander had rnuch more to fight thai
the enemy in Philadelphia.