The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-23
A Vision of the
Great Commander
A Sketch For Washington 5 Birth
day.
Pv / & hfTcl1rt
By. r a. MICHEL

me historical events witb which L.
was identified in the flesh. There varo
! several events in which | took preotar
interest than others That which esna.
claiiy arrested my attention was tba
treason OF benedict Arnold. When the
Revolutionary war opened Arnold was
an apotheeary in New Haven.
On the night before the 2od Of Fob
ruary read about Washington Ar
hoid. Andre and others till late /, vos
nearly midnight when | laid my book
on table beside me and. leaning back
IN my chair, fell to musing about tha
events In which these three were con
cerned.
Whether fell asleep. whether had
sort of nightmare or whether
dreamed ! cannot say Al any rate
mad a singular experience. The door
opened, ana looked into What seemed
70 ne small office. Al desk sat /,
man IN Continental uniform. lie was
an elderly man ana of large frame
lheh Saw young man In uniform
lie wore a red coat-enter this Office
aud approach the man At the desk
me latter turned his face, ana rec
oSnlzed General Washington. The 9th
err was very pale.
-FOUR eAeclleucy said the latter
come 10 make an appeal for nv life
lou Dave approved the sentence of
tue court martial, aud ann to he hang.
cd tomorrow ask that you will hear
the reasons why should not be 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 lost ollicia who carried "A letter bear.
ihg reasonable agreement and LEI
the traitor 20 trecg True. YOU have
not permitted the traitor to 20 free.
hut he, having escaped YOU
At this iuncture a man whom | had
not seen before bo had been hidden
IN q dark corner stepped forward and
said to the general.
"AlGior Andre IS right. general. |
am alone responsible for this deed that
has been called treachery. II was my
privilege ut the beginning of this strug.
a All Ia. ~ I
unNisely chose the rebel cause. Later
saw my error and tried TO do some
thing to atone for it. My loyalty to the
King came hate. 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 GA this young man. who was
merely a messenger
Then Washington spoke, deliberate
ly, calmly. ana it seemed that each
word had the weight Of mountain:
benedict Arnold, you are an Illus
tratiun of the adage Put beggar on
horseback and lie will ride TO the devil
When the colonies called her sons to
arms you were mixing pills In Con-
necticut shop. Ii was ambition rather
than patriotism that caused your re-
sponse. lou wished to take advan-
tagc 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
chiefly that Rurgoynes surrender was
achieved.
when you went to Philadelphia |
with the reputation of successful I
general and married into one OF the |
Tory families there, you were I
still the New Haven apothecary trans /
formed. lou were not satisfied with 4
your laurelS You wished congress to /
give sou the command OF the Cont. 4
mental army Not obtaining ii, sou
asked for the command Of the main
military position between the north
and south colonies. with a view to
taking rcreuse upon your fellow coun-
tryman by surrcndering it TO Clinton.
Had sou succeeded you would have
broken your country into two parts.
wi the enemy between them.
This Young man viii die death
which you viii only too often wish
that YOU had died. lie will have paid
the penalty If having been allied with
A traitor. and his death will end his
connection with this lamcntable affair.
You will live % be execrated not only
jv your couutrymcn and 10y successive
generations Of Americans. but 10y the
world. Punishment FOR your crime viii
be visited on the heads of your chill
lrcn and your ohildren's children for
centuries 70 come.
The figures faded before me, but l.
Vas not returned 10 possession of my
faculties for some hours later. After
his interval Of oblivion there was
.ound as Of something falling. open
ii my eyes. and the day was just
breaking. Ii seemed TO me that the
sound | had heard was the dropping
II the trap under one who was being