Gilpin observer., 1914-02-12

tribute TO his love Of freedom, his WISDOM anu
kindliness of heart. All of them sno" "hy no
never failed in anything of consequence ne unoer
took Without exception, they bear witness 10
the thought, the careful consioeratlon' Tue souno
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 tnat nave
caused many able men to fail
Above all, there is abounding love OF rree
dom, allpowerful desire to serve the best In
terests Of his felowmen, that cannot fail to toucn
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 col
onies that the troops they raised should be de-
voted to their own defense. AS he wrote to the
governor of Connecticut:
Il by means insensible to the situation
of the people on 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. make the most i'm
portant operations of the campaign depend upon
the piratical operations Of two or three menof-
and transports.
Again, when he recruiting his forces he
dismayed 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 kntd or an
other in this great change Of military arrange
ment. never saw before, and pray Gods mercy
| may again. What will be the end OF
these maneouvers is beyond my scan. tremble
at the prospect. Gould l have foreseen
what l 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
l.~tr liz Il,,t,
during his period OF command, bears higher trb-
ute to his character a man than his letters to
General Gage that the officers engaged in the
OF liberty and their country who by the
fortune of have fallen into your hands, have
been thrown unfortunately into common JAIL
appropriated to felons."
General Gage insolently replied that but for his
clemency the captured 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 11th instant. In
terms which gave the fairest scope for that hui
manity and politeness which were supposed to
form a part of your character. | 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 or
American mercy fortitude. and patience are most
prominent; whether our vrtuous 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 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
sion. nor shall now avail myself Of those ad-
vantages .,nich the sacred cause Of my country.
Of liberty and Of human nature give over
you: much less shall stoop to retort and in