Gilpin observer., 1917-02-15
Denjan1in franklin & George Washington 4

1T gives one great pain to be- GER
tainly infOrm'd that there are some
In the Senate who dislike our Cen
eral. have long suspected it, nay.
something more than suspect
1t, but had my hopes that his
continued Labours and the situation
he has ever been in, of always being
inferior to the Enemy in numbers, and
his men in want of every necessary,
circumstances we'll known in Congress,
would In the end have made every man
his friend, and have satisfied them
that more than he has done would not
have been done by any man, and that
we have no one that could in any de-
gree have eQual'd him; am US conf
dent of this as l am Of my existence
that the favorite of the day [Charles
Lee?] is as far inferior to him, as he
Is inferior to any officer in the army,
and this truth America will experience
to her cost, If ever he should be placed
at the head of her armies. Certain
am of one thing, that If this measure
takes place great part of the
strength of this Country will be imme-
diately taken off.
'The General is fully inform'd of all
these Cabals. they prey on his Consti-
tuition, sink his Spirits, and will In the
end fear prove fatal to him. If this
should be the case excuse me for once
more repeating it, America will loose
perhaps her only prop. He well knows
bad consequences would follow his res
ignatiOn, or he would not leave it in the
power of the wicked and designing.
more l shall finish this painful Sub
ject, Be Ware Of Your Board Of War.
II am truly sorry for the conduct Of
your brother, and the disagreeable
Scrape he has brot you into, tho 1t
certainly can not operate to your dis
advantage with thinking men.
"If you should be under the disagree
able necessity of removing your FAM
lily this way, and you think I can in
any Manner be Serviceable to them,
beg you will command me without
reserve; and think on this occasion
you should not depend too much on
what you expect Providence will do
for us. Such Enthusiasm is very COM
mendable In the Statesman, but may
be carried too far in the Husband and
Father.
LET me earnestly recommend the
immediate removal of your Family for
it is my opinion Gen. Howe will
open the Campaign by the first Of
April well knowing that our recruits
can't join the army till May, in which
case our Worthy General will once
more be induced to the mortifying ne
cessity Of retreating."
There are several letters by Will
liam Hooper, one of the North Caro-
lima delegation, In which one gets the
idea that, more than even moderns do,
the country then believed Its fate de-
pended upon the efforts Of Washing
ton as commander in chief, and that
to change horses or to divide RESPONSE
bility with another commander would
| be fatal to the American cause.
Three letters from Franklin, two of
them written while the philosopher
was In France, give n very comprehen-
sive view of the difficulties he encoun-
tered through the jealousy of his CON-
panions. The first letter is dated ut
Paris, December 21, 1777, and shows
that harmony was lacking among the
American ministers sent there by con-
gress.
II remember that long before was
ordered here" he wrote, you did me
the Honour to say, you should not dis
like being sent to France with me.
Since being here, l have frequently
wishd that appointment had taken
place. think l should have pass'd
my time more comfortably. We are
now five of us In this City, all honest
and Capable Men (if may include my
self in that Description) and all mean