The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1918-03-01
THE REPETITION OF HISTORY
1.-THE SAME OLD STORY"

up in the pages of that old publica-
ton.
Washington's little army, half
| starved, half naked, without tents and
in most wretched and forlorn con-
ditiOn, as he himself said, often leav-
! ing their "blOod-stained footprints in
the snow" in order to exist at all the
commander-in-chief was compelled
many times to fall back to places of
better security before largely supe-
rior, better equipped and more discip-
lined force
There were "slackers" then as
there are now; they were called to-
ries. and were loyal to the English
government.
! Doubt and discomfort were every.
where prevalent Because Washing
ton did not bring the war to a speedy
and successful termination there was
a conspiracy formed to dispIace him
and degrade him
1t is known in history as the Con
way cabal"
/ The congress and the little nation
were informed that the commander-in-
chief had fallen down" That there
was 'inefficiency in every bureau of
every department of his military es-
tablishment"
Those engaged in this secret int~i-
que were General Thomas Conway.
General Horatio Gates. principals, and
General Thomas Mifflin and General
! Charles Lee. accessories Efforts to
inveigle Lafayette into the conspira.
cy failed
Conway was an Irishn,an. but haa
served in the French army for thirty
years; Gates was an En-,,shman by
birth, but was possessed o. Iacye mil
itary training and Wasningtcl had
recommended both for commits ions
but he early saw that he had been i'm
posed upon. and had made a grave
mistake. He was quick to perceive
that both we're dangerous men and
were not to be trusted
Indeed Washington went 50 far as
to openly denounce Conway to the
congress as dangerous incendiary. =!
adding I'm which character the cOun-
try sooner or later will know General |
Conway"
The time came when Conway ten
dered his resignation to the command /
erin-chief and begged that it be ac-
cepted so that he c0uld return to |
France. Washington made no hesita-
ton in accepting it but the congress
refused to DO so and promoted him in
stead assigning him to the position Of
inspector general of the army. with
the rank of major general
This was direct and positive proof
that a majority Of the congress was
unfriendly to the commander-in.chief.
and thus openly gave him a slap in
the face.
That was q worse blow than some
members Of the present congress are
trying to iutiet upon Secretary Ba-
ker
His ardent love for tine cause OF in
dependence and conscious OF his own
recutude alone kept Washington from
rendering al resignation and retiring
to private lie.
Gates was anxiou7 70 ne made com
OF taa continental. az
mics and have Washington degraded
ami had the conspiracy succeeded
with congress all Of SKIES and sew
en- history would have been written
The intrigue was soon discovered
Lee was court martialed ana dismiss
ed from the army for cowardica. con,
way was wounded in duel. and 5a-
Iieving himself dying made a confes-l
sion IN a note addressed to Wash.
ingtOn he said
My career viii soon be ended.
therefore truth and Justice prompt ua,
to declare that YOU are in NV eyes
the great and good man May YOU live
long 10 enjoy the love generation 3ud
esteem OF The states whose liberties
YOU have established BY your va,or
The war may have terminated nv h
earlier had 5he congress loyalty held
up the commander-in-ohiefs hanIs in.
stead Of constantly tieing them ami
handicappng htm on so many impor-
tant occasions
Anonymous letters were repeatedly
sent to the president ot the congress
and the governor OF Virginia to whom i
Washington was not a favorite filled
with insinuations complaints and ex
aggerated statements ascribing all oil
the misfOrtunes Of the several CAM