The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-02-26

tribute 10 his love OF freedom his wisdom and
kindness of heart. All of them show why ne
never failed in anything of consequence ne unuer-
took Without exception, they bear witness to
the thought, the careful consideration. the sound
Judgment of the writer.
With these qualities dominant there 10 lacking,
matter Of course. the bias. the egotism, the
proneness to give way to the passions. that have
caused so many able men 20 fail.
Above all, there is Astounding love OF free
dom, an allpowerful desire to serve the best In
terests of his feowmen, that cannot fail to touch
the heart OF any one who cares to read the old
volumes that have been shelved 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 Connecticut:
Il am by no means insensible to the situation
OF the people on the coast. | 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 menof-
war and transports"
Again when he recruiting his forces he
was dismayed by the fact that not all the people
were animated by motives as 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 knid
other in this great change Of military arrange
ment. l never saw before and pray Gods mercy
/ may again. What wil be the end of
these maneouvers is beyond my scan. tremble
at the prospect . Could / have foreseen
what have experienced and am likely to ex-
perience. no consideration upon earth should have
nd ms n 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 Unfortunately into common JAIL
appropriated to felons"
General Gage insolently replied that but for his
clemency the captured would have been
hanged and made counter-charges 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 hu-
manity and politeness which were supposed TO
form q part OF your character. I demonstrated
with you on the unworthy treatment shown 10
the officers and citizens OF America whom the
fortune OF war. chance a mistaken confidence
had thrown into your hands Whether British or
American mercy. fortitude and patience most
prominent whether yirtuous citizens whom
the hand OF tyranny has forced into arms to de-
fend their wives. their children and their proper
~. the merciless instruments Of lawIess domi
nation. avarice and revenge best deserve the
appellation Of rebels and the punishment Ct that
cord. which your affected clemency has forborne
to infict: whether the authority under which
act Is usurped or founded upon the genuine priu
ciples Of liberty. were altogether foreign TO the
subject ] purposely avoided all political discus
sion. shall avail myself Of those sd
vantages which the sacred cause OF my ccunlrs
Of liberty. and OF human nature give oFsf
you; much less shall I stoop 70 rotor ard III