The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-08
A Vision Of the
Great Commander
A Sketch For Washngton's Birth
day.
Bv. r 4 MICHEL
By. F a. MICHEL

| the historical events with which he
was identified in the flesh. There were
several events in which | took greater
interest than others That which cspe
cially arrested my attention was the
| treason of Benedict Arnold When the
Revolutioma y war opened Arnold WAS
an apothecary in New Haven
On the night before the .3d nf Feb.
ruary | read about Washington. Ar
mold, Andre and others till late. 1t was
nearly midnight when lail my book
on 4 table beside me and. lpauiu. hack
III my chair. fell 10 muSius about the
events in which these three were con
| ccrned.
Whether J fell asleep. whether |. had
sort of nightmare or whether
dreamed | cannot say At any rate.
| had singular experience. The door
opened. ana looked into what seemed
to me a small office. Al a desk sal "a
man in Continental uniform lie was
an elderly man and Of large frame
Then | saw young man iii uniform
and approach the man NJ the desk.
The latter turned his face. and | rec.
ogniZed General Washington. The otli
err was very pale
Your excellency," said the latter.
II come to make an appeal for my life
You have approved the sentence Of
the court martial and am To he hang
ed tomorrow. ] ask that you Will hear
the reasons why should not he exc
cuted."
Proceed with them"
"The principal in the matter for
which / am TO suffer has escaped. You
cannot punish him. | did not agree
to surrender West Point. did not
possess West Point; therefore | could
not surrender it, | merely transmit
ted his agreement. Would you hang
a post official who carried letter bear
ing a reasonable agreement and let
the traitor 20 free? True, you have
not permitted the traitor to so free.
but he, having escaped you
At this juncture man whom | had
in dark corner-stepped forward and
said to the general:
major Andre is right, general.
am alone responsible for this deed that
has been called treachery. 1t was my
privilege at the beginning of this strug-
gle to choose the side would take.
unwisely chose the rebel cause. Later
| saw my error and tried to do some
thing to atone for 1t. My loyalty to the
king came late. but it came in time to
save me from the faint of treason to
my lawful sovereign. | trust that since
you cannot punish me for what you
esteem my treason you will not vent
your ire on this young man. who was
merely n messenger"
Then Washington spoke, deliberate
ly, calmly, and it seemed that each
word had the weight Of mountain,
Benedict Arnold, you are an Illus
tration of the adagc. Put n bcggar on
horseback and he will ride To the devil
When the colonies called her sons to
arms you We're mixing pills in a CON
than patriotism that caused your re-
Spouse. You wished TO take adyan-
tage of war TO carve out career for
yourself. You did this. Your remark
able march through the Maine wilder
ness upon Quebec showed that you pos
scss the energy essential to success
full commander. 1t is due to you
| chiefly that Burgoyne's surrender was
! achieved.
when you went TO Philadelphia
with the reputation of successful
| general and married into one of the
principal Tory families there, you were
still the New Haven apothecary trans
! formed. You were not satisfied with
| your laurels. You wished congress to
give You the command of the Cont
/ mental army. Not obtaining II, you
asked for the command of the main
military position between the north
and south colonies. with view TO
/ taking revenge upon your fellow coun-
trymen 10y surrendering it 10 Clinton.
! Had you succeeded You would have
/ broken your country into two parts.
with the enemy between them
This young man will die death
which you will only too often wish
that you had died. He will have paid
the penalty of having been allied with
= traitor, and his death will end his
connection with this lamentable affair
You will live to be execrated NOT only
by your countrymen and by successive
generations of Americans. but by tho
world. Punishment for your crime will
! be visited on the heads of YOUR chill.
dren and your children's children for
centuries 10 come"
The figures faded before me. hut I
was not returned TO possession of nv
faculties for some hours later After
this interval of oblivion there was n
sound as of something falling. onen.
ed my eyes, and the day was iust
I breaking. II seemed 10 me thar ,ho
sound | had heard was the drepninr
of the trap under one who was heinz
hanged.
During that day took up a paws.
paper and read secret which ba1
been only recently divulced PanorI