Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-06-14
BENEDICT ARNOLD

BENEDICT ARNOLD
The fourteenth Of June Is a date which has tte I'M
Fportant place in American history. because OF the fact
that ON that day there was formally chosen tia nax
design which has been retained 10 the national emblem
ever aince. and which, We may rest assured. will DO re-
tanned permanently. It IL. too. an anniversary which
recalls another bit Of American history. for 1t WAS on
June II. 1901. that Benedict Arnold died after spending
the later years Of ais life In poverty, obscur1ty ana dis
appointment. It may be interesting. on this anniversary
OF his birth. to glance over the history Of this man and
inquire whether or not his experiences contains any
lesson for u.
Arnold attempted to deliver one Of his country's
important fortresses to a power with which his country
was at war. and for this attempt, his name has become
the synonym for treason. and to Americans, At any rate,
to that Of Judas Iscartot.
Many Of the tmpressions which last US through life
are due to a habit which has been quite general, ana
which. in a measure. may be more or less necessary. the
habit Of dividing historical characters into two great
classes. the good and the bad, and to treat those who
have our appreciation as miracles Of perfection. while
the others are held up as having no single redeeemins
feature. Because OF this practice and because of the
character OF his crime. there has been created the con-
cepuon OF Benedict Arnold as a man without virtues and
without ability. a cowardly. sneakins. skalkinr fellow,
whose place in the esteem of such men as Washington
was due. not to anything real in his own character. but
to a low cunning which enabled him to cover his real
self with a cloak Of assumed patriotism ard pretended
ability.
That conception Of Arnold is, Of course, utterly
wrong. He was a man of education and culture. He
was a man Of affairs, ana made a creditable record in
business life. When the revolutionary war broke out,
he rendered his services to his country, and he served
in that var with diutino&fo- 70 h.~-1s - --A,...
materially to the success OF several of the revolutionary
directed his men czpably and conducted himself gallant.
ly. He was wounded more than once, but returned to the
service and earned. as ne received, the confidence and
the thanks Of his general Washington.
Arnold had grievances. some of, which were very
real He was an ambitious man, and ambition, proper:
~ restrained and directed, is not to be condemned. He
had earned military promotion by good service. and he
expected and desired it,, Others were. promoted over
his head. He was repeatedly charged with wrongdotns
and his acqutttal did not remove the sting Of those
charges. some Of which, at least. were entirely political
At last, snnarting under disappointment and a sense OF
injury, he entered into negotiations with the enemy for
the destruction of his country. -$. i,
When the character Of this man is analysed in the
light Of what is known Of him it appears that his crime
was due to no dominance over him at the beginning by
Lie sPiI4L D CIlue, u rdLneS TO an eSot1sTl which mag
nihed his own importance, and a %selhshness which could
brook no obstacle in the way of the accomplishment Of
his own desires. If he had not been thwarted. II the
spirit Of anger and disappointment had not been aroused
in him. be would have served his country capably until
the end. and his name would have come down to us
honored as are those Of the great patriots Of his time
But he was thwarteds4 His anger was aroused. and dis
appointment embittered him; He pagnined his injuries
He listened to the promptings of the haser spirit which
urged him to get even. He nursed his grievances. Like
stevenson's DR.. Jekyll he yielded himself more and raore
to the spirit Of evil until it had full possession Of him,
and he did the atrocious thing for which his name will
be execrated for all time.
which worked to undermine his character, typical. Not
all Of US would yield as he did to the influences to which
he was subjected. But there is present before US, every
where and always, the prompting, to take the baser view
of life. to magnify self, and to lose faith in humanity
because some have thoughtlessly or maliciously injured
us. To yield to that influence is to destroy character,
and while it is proper for US to execrate the crime of
Benedict Arnold. it will also be useful for US to guard
against the tendencies which, over1nastering him. made
Of his life the ruin that It was.
ONE MISTAKE THEY DID NOT MAKE
That the people OF san Juan. Porto Rico. after hear
ing what happened to the steamer Carolina. should have