The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-02-17

the most courage toward the enemy and the most
kindness and good humOr to each other
III any be so lost to virtue and love of country as
10 continue In such practice after this order they
VIII be severely punished and discharged from the
service in disgrace"
After the disastrous battle of Long Island Wash
ington once took the liberty of mentioning to
congress that no dependence could be put in militia
or other troops than those enlisted and embodied
ior longer period than our regulations have
heretofore prescribed.
"Our liberties must of necessity be greatly baz-
arded If not entirely lost If defense is left to
any but permanent standing army. 1 mean one
TO exist during war. Men who have been free and
subjected to control cannot be reduced to order
in an instant.
There is no situation on earth less enviabIe or
more distressing continues Washington, than
that person who is at the head of troops regardless
OF order and discipline and unprovided with almost
every necessity. The difficulties that have sur
rounded me since have been in the service have
kept my mind constantly upon the stretch: the
wounds which my feelings officer have re-
celsed Dy q thousand things that have happened
contrary TO my expectations and wishes; the eff
feet of my conduct and present appearance of
things so little pleasing to myself as to render it a
matter OF no surprise to me if stand capitally
sured by congress Induce thorough
viction in my mind that it will be impossible unless
there is thorough change in our military SYSTEM
for me TO conduct matters to give satisfaction to
the public which is all the recompense aim at or
wish for"
This unhappy state of things was almost wholly
due to the feeling manifested in several sections OF
the country, persisted in TO the hampering OF
Washington's campaign and to the detriment of the
cause congress was finally prevailed upon by
WashingtOn's representations and the tardiIy
dawning consciousness that was inevitable
and that, being so, unpreparedness meant calamity
On December 20, 1776, he wrote to the president
Of congress: "Short enlistments and mistaken de-
pendence upon our militia have been the origin Of
all our misfortune and the great accumulation OF
our debt 1 beg leave TO give it as my
no means equal to the opposition you are to make
and that not moments time is to be lost in rails
ing a greater number not less, in my opinion
and that of my officers. than one hundred and ten.
In my judgment this is not time to stand
upon expense; our funds not the only object of
consideration. It may be thought that
going good deal out of my line of duty to
advise thus freely. a character to lose an estate
fortelI, the inestimable blessings of liberty at
stake and life devoted must be my excuse"
Far from holding himself aIoof and wanting to
keep all power in his Owl hands, Washington well
coined cooperation.
After he had been invested with the dictatoriaI
powers necessitated by the emergency OF public af
fairs. the Council of Safety of New York apollo
gized for certain measures they had taken liz re-
gard to New York troops which were later dscov-
cred to have been an infringement of his authority
Washington replied: Il should be unhappy in the
belief that any part of my letter to you could be
construed into the slightest hint that you wish to
interfere in the military line Heaven knows that
greatly want the aid of every good man, and that
there not such enviable pleasures attending my
situation to make me too jealous OF its preroga-
tives. Rather than complain of your efforts in the
military way, you deserve the thanks OF all, and
feel myself happy in this opportunity of return
ing you mine in the greatest truth and sincerity"
At Valley Forge, where Washington's troops were
almost naked, had few blankets and scanty food
he was moved to resentment against fthe gentle
men, without knowing whether the army was real
" going into winter quarters not, reprObating
the measure much as If they thought the sol
dierS were made Of stocks and stones and equally
inSensible Of frost and snow, and, moreover, IL
they conceived it easily practicable for inferior
army under the disadvantages / have described
ours to be TO confine superior one in all respects
well appointed within the city OF Philadelphia and
TO cover from depreciation and waste the states OF
PENNSYLVANIA and New Jersey
r,,,rnt,a- r,a4oz fo- -ozi - ,..s .,. :.