Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1918-06-15
THE ESSAY Of AMART INSBURG BOY
WHICH ATTRACTE STATE WIDE NOTICE
Relations Between France and the United States in Revolution
airy Times and at the Present" Subject of George w.
Feidts Winning Essay, Submitted in Com
petition for the Colonial Uames of
Americas Prize


between France and the United
States in Revolutionary Times and at
the Present" is the one which won
the first prize in a state contest open
to Seniors in any recognized high
school of the state, the prize being
$25 and offered by the Colonial
Danes OF America. The author is
George w Feidt, valedictorian of
the Glass of 1918 at the Martinsburg
High School, who won this and sew
eral her academic honors.
Its worth as an original produc-
ton and the interest which it car
ries for local people has lead to the
publication of it in its entirety
4 should fear for the time when
France would he no more. She has
always been the yeast-pot OF civil
cation Where she has gone other
nations have followed in her path"
In these words John Stuart Mill, the
great English philosopher, has nobly
characterized our Sister Republic;
a verdict which the world has now
acclaimed as true.
1T is but a trite and time-worn
phrase to state that without the aid
Of France in the war of Revolu-
tionary days, our most profound sac
rifices would have been in vain, loss
of men and. money, but useless des-
truction and heroic valor merely ex
! aggerated patriotism. Never in the
history of struggling nation was
the hep of France more needed nor
more opportune. How fortunate are
we, citizens of the greatest democ-
cracy, arbiers of the worlds des-
tiny, protected and sheltered by the
Star Spangled Banner of the Repub-
! lie. 1t is to the eternal honor and
CORY of the nation of the Gauls, at
the time when The struggling colo
MES had all but succumbed to the
clouds of defeat disbursement, and
disaster, that she heard the despair
ing cry and sent us "a Rochambeau
anS Lafayette; democracys ans
wer to the Hessians or Imperialistic
Prussia
Scarcely had che breach between
England and her colonies begun, when
France sought to widen it. sKeenly
alive to the disgracefuI defeats of
the last war with England, she was
anxious to improve the first oppor
/ tunity Of cripphng and wounding her
old enemy, who had robbed her of
own dominion in the New World. AS
early as 1875, an active party under
Vergennes, French minister of for
elgn affairs, urged that help be given
the United States secretly. Early in
the contest Arthur Lee. then living
IN London, as the agent of Virginia.
secured from the French government
military stores Of great valve. Con-
gress then sent Silas Deane to ioin
Lee and 1t was not long until French
vessels had landed in America a large
supply Of heavy guns, tents, small
arms, and clothing for the soldiers.
Thls was done secretly, as France
was not yet ready to break with
England.
american interests, however were
not managed well until Congress sent
Benjamin Franklin to Join Lee and
Dean IN Paris. Before the opening
of the war Franklin alone. of all the
American people, enjoyed worldwide
renown He had distinguished him
sell nobly in many branches and now
was about to prove himself one of
the leading diplomats of his genera
ton. His popularity in France was
! immense. lie was paid the greatest
homage by every class of French So
ciety, from the peasant to the nabili.
". When he walked the streets of
Paris, the people followed him in
crowds. Newspapers published his
good sayings and praised him nobly.
1t was indeed fortunate hour for
America when Franklin was chosen
for this important mission.
With Gnwearied zeal he labored
at the French court for more than
a year to secure the recognition of
the United States, but with little sue
cess During this time. however. he
and his companions were steadily
molding French opinion in favor of
America AT length, the news of the
victory at Saratoga, late in the an.
tumn Of 1777, which marked the
turning point of the war. reached
Paris. The king sent word to Frank
d-n That he was ready to acknowledge
me independence OF the United
sta es Negotiations were immedia-