The Yale expositor., 1914-02-12

tribute to his love OF freedom, ms wisdom ana
kindness OF heart. All OF them snow why ne
never failed in anything Of consequence ne unuer'
took Without exception, they pear "i'hess W
the thought. the careful consideration 'he SCUM
judgment of the writer.
With these qualities dominant there Is lacking
matter Of course. the bias, the egotlsm. the
proneness to give way to the PASSIONS that nave
caused many able men to fail.
Above all, there is aboundng love OF Tree
dom. alpowerfu 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, 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 sol
onies that the troops they raised should be de-
voted to their own defense. AS he wrote to the
governor of Connecticut:
II by no nsensible to the situation
Of the people on the coast. | wish J could extend
protection to all. but the numerous detachments
necessary to remedy the evil would amount TO
dissolution Of the army, rEake the most i'm
portant operations of the campaign depend upon
the piratical operations OF two three men-of-
war and transports
Again when he was recruiting his forces, he
dsmayed by the fact that rot all the people
were animated by motives hgn his To his
secretary, Joseph Reed. one of the closest of his
friends, he wrote:
such deartfI of public spirit. ami such want of
virtue. such stock obbfng, and fertility in al the
low arts to obtain advantage of knid
other in this great change OF miataTy 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 tremble
at the prospect. Could l Fave foreseen
what have experienced and am. likely to
'perience. 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 dis 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 a copmon Jail.
appropriated to felons"
General Gage insoently replied that but for his
clemency the captured men would have been
hanged and made couutercharges that British
captives mistreated. To tltEs Washington
replied with The following letter:
Il addressed you. sir the nth instant. IN
terms which gave the fairest scope for that hu-
manity and poteness which were supposed to
form a part OF your character. I demonstrated
with you the unworthy treatment shown TO
the officers and citizens OF America whom the
fortune of var, chance a mistaken confidence
had thrown into your hands. Whether British or
American mercy. fortitude, and patience most
prominent whether virtaous citizens whom
the hand Of Tyranny has forced into arms TO de-
fend their wives their children. and their proper
ty, OF 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 infiict; whether the authority under which
act Is usurped founded upon the genuine prin
ciples of liberty, we're altogether foreign to the
subject. | purposely avoided all political discus
sion, shall avail myself of those adj
vantages which the sacred cause of my country,
Of liberty, aud of human nature give me over
you; much tess shall stoop to retort and in