Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-20
OUTRAGEOUS FALsEHooD

-
Democratic campaign speakers
have been put in their attempt to
justify President Wilson's course in
Mexico has not been better exemplif1ed
than by the outburst of Secretary of
War Baker on Monday night, when
he said:
Washington's ContinentaIs were
like the Mexican revolutionists to-
day. They stole everything they
could lay their hands on and drove
their march ton to valley alley Forge. nef They ey
were Just as bad characters as the
Mexicans.
Girard, in the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, takes Baker sharply to task
of patriots whose zeal, sacrifice and
devotion to the principles of liberty
and humanity have never been sur
passed in the worlds history, and
seldom equaled. The Ledger's gifted
writer points out that Baker could
not have gathered his information
even from the history of the American
people written by Woodrow Wilson,
who pays therein a fine tribute to the
Revolutionary Army, and he quotes
the following from the address of
Washington to Congress on April
21, 1878:
Without arrogance or the small
est deviation from truth, 1T may be
said that no history now eXtant can
furnish an instance of an army's
suffering such uncommon hard
ing them with the same patience
and fortitude. To see men without
clothes to cover their nakedness,
shoes for the want of which their
marches might be traced by the
blood from their feet, and almost as
them, marching through the frost
and snow and at Christmas taking
daY dhsis sroS winter Of uasteps within
house or hut to cover them till they
could be built, and submitting with
out a murmur, Is proof Of patience
can scarce be paralleled.
And If that is not enough to satisfy
this traducer of American patriotism,
Girard proceeds to quote from the
writings of the illustrous DIR. Ramsey,
than whom there has been no more
reliable writer on the American revo-
luton, he having lived through that
period and having been O keen and
accurate observer of men and events.
1t was DR.. Ramsey who wrote:
The American army might have
been tracked by the blood Of their
feet IN sh9es 9eszsr or
ground between Whitemarsh and
Valley Forge. Some hundreds of
them were without blankets.
All about these men, who camped
cold and on the verge of starvation
at Valley Forge, lay fertile farm land.
Farm houses and small settlements
were within striking distance. Some
of these contributed generously to
the continental soldiers, but in no case
has there come down to us the record
of a Revolutionary soldier robbing
one of those Americans whose rights
he had taken UP arms to defend.
But this attack upon the heroes of
the Revolution, false and outrageous
though it be, is itself of small conse-
quence. They will live in the memories
Of the people long after the peurile
Mr. Baker has been forgotten. That
we have at the head of our national
defenses a man who has no more re-
gard for the traditions of his country
and the reputation of its fighting
forces than to call them murderers,
looters of churches and bloodthirsty
bandits--that is the important thing
We are asked to be patient with the
President. to believe in his patriotism,
to support his policies. How can any
American with red blood in his veins
believe in a President whose right
hand man is one who likens the men
who fought side by side with Wash
ington to Mexican desperadoes? II
we accept that as true, we must be-
lieve that Washington was no better
than Carranza or Villa.
|