The Elbert County tribune., 1914-02-13

tribute to his love of freedom, MS wsuom anu
kindness of heart. All of them snow wny ne
never failed in ANYTHING of consequence he under
took Without exception, they bear witness 10
the thought. the careful consideration. the souho
judgment of the writer.
With these qualities dominant, there is lacking
as a matter Of course the bias. the egotism, the
proneness to give way to the passions. that have
caused SO many able men to fall
Above all, there is an abounding love OF free
DOM an all powerful desire to serve the best In
terests of his fellowmen that cannot fail to touch
the heart of any who cares to read the old
volumes that have been shelved in favor OF SO
much less worthy material
Take him. for instance. as a soldier his
earlier show that he realized fully the difficulties
OF the tasks ahead of him. First of ALL 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 am by no means insensibe to the situation
of the people the coast l wish could extend
protection to all, but the numerous detachments
necessary to remedy the evil would amount to
dissolution of the army, or make the most I'M
portant operations OF the campaign depend upon
the piratical operations Of two or three men-of-
war and Transports
Again. when he recruiting his forces. he
was dsmayed by the fact that not all the people
animated by motives high as his. To his
secretary. Joseph Reed. one Of the closest of 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
other in this great change OF military arrange
ment, never before. and pray Gods mercy
may never again. What will be the end OF
these maneouvers Is beyond my tremble
at the prospect Could l have foreseen
what l have experienced and likely to
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 a man than his letters to
General Gage that the officers engaged in the
cause of liberty and their country, who by the
fortune OF have fallen into your hands. have
been thrown indiscriminately into common jail.
appropriated to feons'
General Gage insolently replied that but for his
clemency the captured men would have been
hanged and made counter-charges that British
captves mistreated. To this Washington
replied with the following letter:
Il addressed you. sir. the 11th instant, in
terms which gave the fairest scope for that hui
form part OF your character. l demonstrated
with you on the unworthy treatment shown to
the officers and citizens of America whom the
fortune of war, chance or mistaken confidence
had thrown into your hands Whether British
American mercy, fortitude and patience most
prominent; whether virtuous citizens whom
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 domi-
nation, avarice and revenge. best deserve the
appellation of rebels and the punishment Of that
cord which your affected clemency has forborne
to innict; whether the authority under which
act is usurped or founded upon the genuine prin-
ciples Of liberty. were altogether foreign to the
subject / purposely avoided all political discus
sion. nor shall now avail myself of those ad-
vantages 0hich the sacred cause of my country.
of liberty. and Of human nature give me over
you; much less shall stoop to retort and in