Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-02-12

tribute to his love OF freedom, ms ,"iSuoi,l an"
kindness OF heart All Of them sho" why no
never failed in anything OF consequence Ne uhoe'
took. Without exception they bear witness TO
the thought, the careful consideration. the sounu
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 nave
caused so many able men to fail.
Above all, there Is Astounding love OF iree
dom an all-powerful desire to the best III
terests OF his fellowmen that cannot fall to toucn
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 a soldier. His
earlier show that he realized fully the difficulties
OF the tasks ahead OF him First OF all, his breadh
of vision prevented his army from being divided
and subdiyded by the claims OF the various col
onles that tne troops they raised should be de-
voted to their defense. AS he wrote to the
governor OF Connecticut:
Il am by no means tnsensible to the situation
OF the people on the coast. | wish could extend
protection to all, but the numerous attachments
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 CT two or three men-of-
and transports.
Again when he was recruiting his forces. he
was dismayed by the fact that not all the people
animated by motives high as his. To 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 an
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. tremble
at the prospect . Could | have foreseen
what I have experienced and likely to
perience, no consideration upon earth should have
ind, tn hiS ms and
His letters during the winter at Valley Forge
are models of their kind. But nothing he wrote.
during mis- period OF command, bears higher trib-
ute to his character a 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 felons.'
General Gage insolently replied that but for his
clemency the captured men would have been
hanged and made counter-charges that British
captiyes 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 were supposed to
form a part of your character. | demonstrated
with you on the unworthy treatment shown 10
the officers and citizens of America whom the
fortune of war. chance or a mistaken commence
had thrown into your hands. Whether British or
American mercy. fortitude, and patience are 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. the merciIess instruments of lawless domi-
nation ayarice. and revenge best deserve the
appeilatiOn OF rebels and the punishment OF that
cord. which your affected clemency has forborne
to inhict; whether the authority under which |
act is Usurped or founded upon the genuine priE-
ciples OF liberty. were altogether foreign TO the
subject. I purposely avoided all political discus
sion. shall l avail myseljI OF those ad-
yantages which the sacred cause OF my country.
OF liberty, and OF human nature give
you; much less shall l stoop to retort and in