The Dolores star., 1918-02-15
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the wounds which my feelings as an officer have
received by thousand things that have happened
contrary to my expectations and wishes; the ef-
feet Of my own conduct and present appearance
of things little pleasing to myself as to render
1t matter Of no surprise to me II shouio staho
capitally censured by congress induce
thorough conviction in my mind that 1t VIII ne
impossible, unless there is thorough change IN
our military system. for me to conduct matters &c
give satisfaction to the public which Is all tne
recompense aim at or ever wish for"
This unhappy state of things was almost wholly
due to the feeling manifested in several secuons
Of the country persisted In to the hampering o.
Washingtons campaign and to the detriment oi
the cause. Congress was finally prevailed upon DS
washington's representations and the tardilS
dawuipg consciousness that war was Inevitable
and that being SO. unpreparedness meant Gu
lamity.
On December 20 177e, he wrote to the president
Of congress: "Short enlistments and a mistaken
dependence upon our militia have been the origin
Of all our msfortunes and great accumulation OF
our debt I beg leave to give 1t as my
humble opinion that SO bnttalions epe by no means
equal to the opposition you are to make. and thaf
not q moments time is to be lost In raising
greater number, not less in my opinion and that
Of NV officers than no. In my judgment
this is not time to stand upon expense; our
funds are not the only object Of consideration.
1t may be thought that am going good
deal out Of my line of duty to advise thus freely
character to loose. an estate to forfeit. the in
estlmable blessings of liberty at stake and hfs
devoted must be my excuse"
Far from holding himself aloof and wanting to
keep ali power in his own hands, Washington
welcomed cooperation.
After ne had been invested with the dctatorinl
powers necessitated by the emergency Of public
affairs the council Of safety Of New York apollo
gized for certain measures they had taken in re-
.
covered to have been an infringement on his
thority. Washington replied: II should be un
happy 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 I greatly want the aid Of
every good man, and that there not such
enviable pleasures attending my situation as to
make ME too Jealous of its prerogatives. Rather
than complain of your late efforts in the military
way. you deserve the thanks Of us all, and feel
myself happy in this opportunity of returning 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 "the
gentlemen, without knowing whether the army
was really going into winter quarters or not
reprobating the measure much as II they
thought the soldiers were made of stocks and
stones and equally insensible of frost and snow
and moreover, as If they conceived it easily prac
ticable for an inferior army under the disad.
Vantages nave described ours to be to cOnflne
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. can assure these gen.
tlemen that 1t is a much easier and less distress
ing thing to draw up remonstrances in a com.
Portable room by good fireside than to occupy q
cold bleak hill and sleep under frost and snow
without clothes blankets. However although
they seem to have little feeling for the naked and
distressed soldiers, feel superabundantly 70,
them. and from my soul I pity those miseries
which t. is neither in power to relieve nor pre
vent"
guarantee of half-pay for his officers after the
war, himself having personal interest in the
measure; he had declared from the first that nc
would never profit by 1t to the amount Of a single
penny He deprecated constantly the iealousv N
the military part Of the government BY the civil
department.
'If we would pursue right system of po,cv "
he wrote to a member Of congress- "in nv onininn
there would be none Of these distinctions. we
should ALL congress and army. be considered as ont
people. embarked In one cause, in one interest
acting on the same principle and to the same end
In 1913 Washington, in his second term as pres
dent. wrote to congress tkat while he souph,
peace and urged faithful discharge of every fnty
toward others. he recommended prompt measnrs.
not only for defense but for enforcing Just caims
There is rank due the United States anon.
Other nations which will be withheld, IL NOT ah
solutely lost. by the reputation Of weakness +
we desire to avoid insult we must be able tn reno
1t; II we desire to secure peace, one of the mo.t
powerful instruments Of our prosperity II nnn.,
be known that we are at all times ready for war !
he wrote.