Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1914-02-13

tribute to his love of freedom, his wisdom ana
kindness Of heart All of them snow why ne
never failed in anything of consequence ne uhaer-
took. Without exception, they bear witness 70
the thought, the careful consideration, the SOUND
Judgment of the writer.
With these qualities dominant there is lacking,
as Va matter Of course the bias. the egotisn the
proneness to give way to the passions, that have
caused so many able to fail
Above all, there is an Astounding love OF free
dom, an allpowerful desire to the best in.
terests of his fellowmen that cannot fail to touch
the heart of any one who cares to read the old
volumes that have been shelyed in favor OF so
much less worthy material.
Take him, for instance, as 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 Connections:
Il am by no means insensible to the situation
of the people on the coast. | wish could extend
protection to all, but the numerous attachments
Z necessary to remedy the evil would amount to
dissolution of the army, or make the most inn
portant operations of the campaign depend upon
the piratical operations of two or three menof-
and transports"
Again. when he was recruiting his forces he
was dismayed by the fact that not all the people
were animated by motives as high his. To his
secretary, Joseph Reed, one or 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 kind or
other in this great change of military arrange
ment, never saw before and pray Gods mercy
/ may never see again. What will be the end of
these maneouvers Is beyond my scan I tremble
at the prospect Could ! have foreseen
what / 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 trb.
ute to his character man than his letters to
General Gage that the officers engaged in the
cause 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 feons"
General Gage insolently replied that but for his
elemency the captured men would have been
hanged and made countercharges that British
captives were mistreated. 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 we're supposed to
form part of your character, | demonstrated
with you the unworthy treatment shown to
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 our 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 dom
nation avarjce. and revenge best deserve the
appellation of rebels and the punishment of that
cord which your affected clemency has forborne
to infict; 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
ciN all alif af hnSa cd
vantRges which the sacred cause of my country
of liberty, and of human nature give over
you; much less shall stoop to retors and IN