Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-02-13

tribute to his love of freedom, his WISDOM anu
kindness of heart. All of them snow why ne
never failed in anything OF consequence ne uhuei-
took. Without exception, they bear WITNESS "
the thought the careful consideration, the sound
Judgment of the writer.
With these qualities dominant there is lacking,
as matter of course, the bias, the egotism, the
proneness to give way to the passions, that nave
caused so many able to fall
Above all, there Is an Astounding love OF lfee-
DOM an alEpowerful desire to serve the best Id
terests of his feowmen, that cannot fali 10 touch
the heart of any one who cares to read the Ola
volumes that have been shelved in favor or SO
much less worthy material.
Take him. for instance, soldier HIS
earlier show that he realized fully the difficulties
of the tasks ahead of him. First of th his breadth
of vision prevented his army from being divided
and subdivided by the claims of the various col
onies that the troops they raised should be de-
voted to their own defense. AS he wrote to the
governor of Connecticut:
81 by no means insensible to the situation
Of the people on the coast. | wish could extend
protection to ALL but the numerous attachments
necessary to remedy the evil would amount to
dissolution Of the army, make the most I'M
portant operations of the campaign depend upon
the pratical operations of two or three men-of-
war and transports.
Again, when he was recruiting his forces, he
was dismayed by the fact that not all the people
were animated by motives high as his. To his
friends, he wrote
Such dearth of public spirit and such want of
virtue, such stock jobbing, and fertility in all the
low arts to obtain advantage of one knid or an
other in this great change of military arrange
ment never saw before, and pray Gods mercy
may never again What will be the end or
these maneouvers 4s beyond my scan. tremble
at the prospect - Could / have foreseen
what l have experienced and am likely to ex-
perience no consideration upon earth should have
induced me to accept this command"
His letters during the winter at Valley Forge
are models of their kind But nothing he wrote
during his period of command, bears higher trib-
ute to his character as a man than his letters to
General Gage that 1.-The officers engaged in the
of liberty and their country, who by the
fortune OF war have fallen into your hands, have
been thrown Unfortunately into common JAIL
appropriated to felons."
General Gage insolently replied that but for his
cemency the captured men would have been
hanged and made countercharges that British
captives mstreated. To this washington
replied with the following letter:
Il addressed you, sir, on the 18th instant In
terms which gave the fairest scope for that hui
manity and politeness which were supposed 10
form part of your character | demonstrated
with you the unworthy treatment shown 20
the officers and citizens of America whom the
fortune of war, chance mistaken confidence
had thrown into your hands. Whether British or
American mercy. fortitude. and patience are most
prominent; whether yirtuous citizens Wnom
the hand of Tyranny has forced into arms to de-
fend their wives. their children, and their proper
ty, or the merciless instruments of lawless domf
nation, avarice, and revenge, best deserve the
appellation of rebels and the punishment OF that
cord, which your affected clemency has forOorhe
to infct; whether the authority under which
act is usurped or founded upon the genuine prin
cples OF liberty, were altogether foreign TO the
subject / purposely avoided all political discus
sion, Eor shall / now avail myself OF those al
vantages which the sacred cause OF my country
OF liberty, and al human nature give me over
you; much less shall stoop to retort anu ID