Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-04-04

amount OI literature CTeQlLeU 10 ulIl.
|t THE :
It "CONWAY CABAL" :
1t has been fully known as to
just what extent Thomas Conway con-
spired against George Washington to
win his command Of the Continental
army. There is no doubt that he wrote
some OF the anonymous letters that
were received by persons prominent in
the revolutionary movement, which he
hoped would tend to turn them away
from Washington, but he always vigor-
ously denied that he was the author of
many Of them he wa accused of writ
ing, and it Is quite possible that 9TH
ers. who were no friends OF Washing
ton. were responsible for some of these
letters.
Conway had a romantic career. He
was an lrishman by birth, Il count of
France by adoption, received his dec
Grafton of ST. Louis in 1917, and coming
to the United States he offered his
services to congress to fight for Ameri-
can freedom. He was made brigadier
general and was present at the import
ant battles of the Brandywine n Ger
mantOWn.
L w . NAC016ll0 ia
Washington were started soon after he
reached this country. The effort is
known in history as the Conway Ca
bal" The plot was developed in the
autumn of 1917, and received the open
or secret support of a strong faction
lin congress-. including some able and
patriotic men. There is no doubt that
they were equally guilty with Conway
and a have been the promptors, II
not the authors. OF some OF the at
tacks against the general. which Gre
ated SO much of a sensation at the
time.
The chief reason for the early OPP
iposition of Conway to Washington vas
that the latter opposed q promotion In
the army which Conway much desired.
He h began writing letters alleging
| Washington's responsibility for recent
military disasters. He was thought to
have forged Washington's name to pa
pers designed to further the plans OF
the co~nspirators. Washington disap-
proved Of his promotion to the import
ant post of major general, but congress,
in spite OF this, approved.
But in the following March, having
lost favor with congress-, his resigna-
ton, offered conditionally, was accepted
Internationally, and he was obliged.
against his will, to leave the army. For
~slandering Washington, Gen. John
| Cadwallader challenged him to a duel
and he was wounded, and after he was
able to sit up he wrote a humble apol-
ogy to Washington, and soon afterward
left for France.
Conway counted among his friends
service as Richard Henry Lee and
General Gates. 1t was to Lee that
Washington wrote thus regarding Con-
way: His merits exist moro in his
own Imagination han In reality; 1t IL
a maxim with him not to want any
L AIf--N ~ l.. - No ~h<~&N4A - a TIM
portunity."
On h other hand, Conway wrote to
has. been determined to save your
country. or q weak general and bad
~counselors would have ruined It." Even
Gen. Anthony Wayne. forgetting the
disaster attending his own rashness.
criticised Washington as having more
than once sighted the favors of for
tune.
The letter of Benjamin Rush to Pat
rick Henry, in which Rush represented
general at their head and went on to
say: IA Gates. a Lee or q Conway
would in a few weeks render them ir-
resistible," was received by Henry with
scorn and he noticed 1t only by sending
|it to Washington. An anonymous pa
per OF h like stamp transmitted to
Henry Laurens, then president OF con-
gress, took the same direction.
Conway strived vainly to ALLEVIATE
Lafayette from Washington, and with
other conspirators induced congress to
%sanction a winter expedition to Canada
under Lafayette. who was not 81 years
old. At a banquet given in his honor
at Yorktown, Lafayette braved the in
triguers. and made them all drink his
toast to the health OF their general.
Conway was not alone in the efforts
to force Washington from the COM
l mQn6 nj tho American forces and hA