The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-02-14
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the wounds which my feelings an officer have
received by a thousand things that have happeheu
contrary to my expectations and wishes; the ei
feet of my own conduct and present appearance
of things so little pleasing to myself as to rehoe,
1t a matter of surprise to me If should stihu
capitally censured by congress induce d
thorough conviction in my mind that 1t VIII ne
impossible unless there is thorough chahse III
our military system for me to conduct matters ~
give satisfaction to the public. which Is all Tue
recompense aim at or ever wish for.
This unhappy state of things was almost wnoil.
due to the feeling manifested In several secuon'
Of the country, persisted in to the hamperihs Vi
yosh,nqton,s campaign and to the detriment ol
the cause Congress was finally prevailed upon Us
Washington's representations and the tarui,y
dawning consciousness that war was lneVi'aoie
and that, being so unpreparedness "ean' -"
lamity.
On December 20. 1776 he wrote to the president
NJ congress-: "Short enlistments and a mistaken
dependence upon our militia have been the orisi.
of all our misfortunes and great accumulation VI
our Lebt I beg leave to give 1t as my
humble opinion that SO battalions ape by no means
equal TO the opposition you to make. and thar
not a moments time is to be lost In raising
greater number, not less in my opinion ana Una.
of my officers than ITO. In my Judgment
this is not time to stand upon expense; ouf
funds are not the only object of consideration.
1t may be thought that am going gooo
deal out Of my line of duty to advise thus Freely
character to loose. an estate to forfeit' the IN
estimable blessings of liberty at stake and hfs
devoted must be my excuse"
Far from holding himself aloof and wanting to
keep all power in his own hands, washington
welcomed cooperation.
After ne had been invested with the dictatorini
powers necessitated by the emergency Of public
affairs the council Of safety of New York apollo
gfzed for certain measures they had taken In re-
gard to New York troops which were later dis.
covered to have been an infringement on his au
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 are not such
enviable pleasures attending my situation as to
make 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
almost naked, had few blankets and scanty
food he moved to resentment against "the
gentlemen without knowing whether the army
was really going into winter quarters or not
reprobating the measure much If they
thought the soldiers made of stocks and
stones and equally insensble of frost and snow
and moreover, II they conceived 1t easily prac
tcable for inferior army under the dIsad
vantages 1 have described to be to cOnfine
n 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
temen that 1t is n much easier and less distress
ing thing to draw up remonstrances in a com
Portable room by good fireside than to occupy ,
cold, bleak hill and sleep under frost and snow
without clothes blankets However. although
they seem to have little feeling for the naked nnt
distressed soldiers, feel superabundantly fo
them. and from my soul 1 pity those miseries
which 1t is neither in my power to relieve nor pre-
vent"
Washington made persistent efforts to get ,
guarantee Of half-pay for his officers after thu
war, himself having personal interest in tn,
would never profit by 1t to the amount of n single
the military part of the government by the civil
department.
"If we would pursue a right system of policy.
there would be of these distinctions we
should ALL congress and army, be considered as on,
people, embarked in cause, in one interest
acting on the same principle and to the same end ;
In 1893 Washington, in his second term as presi
peace and urged faithful discharge of every dut,
toward others, he recommended prompt measure,
not only for defense but for enforcing lust claims
There is rank due the United States anon,
other nations which will be withheld, If not ab
solutely lost, by the reputation of weakness. 7
desire to avoid insult we must be able to rene
it; If we desire to secure peace one of the mos
powerful instruments of our prosperity II mus
be known that at all times ready for war
he wrote.