The evening world., 1918-02-22
Washington Made Peace
By Fighting First to
Insure Permanence
Oniu Whom. bv Fiohtino to a Finish. He Had Established q
Complete Victory for the American Revolution Ho"d
WASHINGTON Hear the Peace OUertures Of England
Had Shoun Pouer to Enforce Continuance

COFipiefC VICTORY TOT nc 6HteT"u' ''""'" 'V
Washington Hear the Peace OUeTtres Of England
Had Shopn Pouer to Enforce Continuance
By Albert Payson Terhune.
1913 by the Pros. Publishing CO. cine New York Evening World.
1.-THE is nothing which will $ soon produce an honorable
peace as a state OF preparation for war. VIC must either do
this or else patch up an inglor1ous peace afer III the u"'
blood and treasure we have spent"
So wrote George Washington, when, in 1881, word reached him that
England IA ready to talk peace terms with her reoeIious American
colonies. The war had dragged on, until tho enenys hst plan,ot
crushing our country into a srovcling submission had been changed to
q desire to fool us by offers of peace which would accomplish almost
the same fatal purpose.
The British people At large yer tired OF paying heavy taxes to-
ward the destruction Of d revolution that refused to be destroyed
Crazy old King George III and his obstinate ministers sought to soothe
the English and 1t the same time to appeal to war-wcary America by
means Of peace talk which would leave all the advantage with the
mother country.
Both On Congress and in the street here there were only too many
pacihsts an. Tories glad enough TO listen to such taR. Peace or any
terms" seemed better to them than no peace at all. Washington, above
all others, recognized the peril Of such talk. Says Henry Cabot Lodge:
ITO washingtons watching eye the signs Of coming peace from
England were plainly visible. II peace should come al things then
decisive blow must be struck at once, before the enemy's slow political
movements could come to n head"
In other words, America must at once put herself into a position TO
demand much more favorable peace terms than the success Of the
Revolution had thus far warranted. Here is the master stroke Wash
ington panned-and executed-before a definite peace OFFER from Eng
land could weaken our fighting determination:
There wcre two strong English armies here in the United States
One was holding Nw York. The second, and more powerful uGder
CORVALLIS. was scourglng the South. Washington, at white Plains.
ws, confronting tho New York army. Secretly he mustered eyery
available man. made a detour OF Now York, and was well on his way
Southwark before the British in New York suspected he had started.
AZ The same fine no ordered very American and French shin 70 he
rushed to tho South. Dc Barras. who commanded about half the
rreuch feet, had had a squabblc with De Grasse, who commanded the
[othrr half Dc porras refused 10 go South. washington. by a acry.
yet diplomatic, appeal to his patriotism. induced him to change his mind
and join De Grasse. Washington, by the way. held the honorary rank
OF Marshal of France, in order that French military leaders might con-
sent TO obey his commands)
Down upon the unsuspccting CORVALLIS, at Yorktown. Va,
.vooped washington's land army and the allied feet. Caught unpre.
pared and with no hope of timely endorsements, CORVALLIS was forced
to surrender his whole strong army to Washington. When the British
Prime Minister heard of this disaster to Englnnds arms. he shouted.
II utter desDair:
ats all over, IT'S ALL OVER"
Peace talk. IN decidedly more favorable terms to America. now
broke out afresh in England. but Washington still feared his willy
foes diplomacy. He thought, says one historian, "t might be only a
Hind IN enable the enemy 70 gail time and TO strike fyaIn Uo tbcrc.
fore continued his appeals for fresh and ample preparation. : = Z.
saying We were being uIled into a false and fatal sense OF security"
For MI part" Washington wrote to a sugscster OF premature
peace. "I view our situation az such that, instead OF relaxing. Nc ought
10 improve the present moment II VIC follow this blow with vigor
and energy. I think the game is our own"
lie could not yet secure the peace he wanted the peace that would
ensure a complete and permanent freedom to our country. So. against
-he advice Of less wise men. he turned a deaf car to The cooInes Of fine
British peace dove. and urged forward his exhausted countrymcn to
another whole year OF war, Which is why We are now free instead OF
being a British province. and Why the war for independence once won
did not have TO be fought over again as soon !. the enemy had re
Washington. too. had a way Of his own in dealing with "frrb,ml
ness" The British authorities hit o n a trick Of soaring patriots away
from enlistment booths. They captuvd Young Capt. ruddy OF tho
American Army ia prisoner OF war. not a guerilla or a pirate ~ a
sniper or a spy and hanged him as a rclon would be hanged.
As soon as Washington heard OF this he chose one or two British
prisoners Of the same rank as Huddys. selecting hcr nv 10, and con,
A message TO tho English General that unless the murlcrcrs were
given up he should be obliged 70 rotahate" Which brought nightnI-
moss 20 an abrupt end and ensured for American prisoners bonccforIr
a less barbsrous treatment.
It was Washington, also, who FIRST tackled the problem Of enemy
aliens" Acting on his own responsibility, IN III. he dispeIlcd uc
swsrnr Of local spies by ordering every foreigner and alleged foreign
sympathzor to take a solemn oath % allegiance 10 the patriot cause
He gave them thirty days in which 20 take THIS oath. with the anorno-
tive Of being treated as public enemies" PacGsis and traitors ~ Icd
st this command Even Congress accused Washington or violating
civil rights" To which a tersc reply was made that. until such time
as England should be beaten by rs, "cvl rights" were mere triNcs
Against ruthless and Overwhelming foreign foes. against poverty
and unpropsrodncss and troachery and pacfcEm ana apathy nj home
against a bitter and powerful faction Of enemies aC dctractors and
destructive critics in Congress agains' the very elements Of cold and
snow and contrary winds, George Washington fought for crht lon,
years, fought, 'inglc-handCd, the one man IN America Capah1c ~ such
a task
And he won