Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-08
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
THE GONNA CABAL


 , The most trying of the many things | that Gen. Washington had to contend l with during the dismal winter he spent l at Valley Forge were the jealous and i ambitious men who tried to tarnish his | fair name and fame, and attempted to l weaken the affection of the people for him. Among those designated at the | time as the chief actors in "wounding the General in the house of his friends" were Gen. Thomas Conway, a foreign officer of great pretensions Gems. Gates and Mifflin, Samuel Adams, with two OF three other of the New England delegates in Congress and one of the Virginia dep uties.
 whether the movement originated ir personal ambition or sincere. conviction of the necessity of making change On account of the alleged Fabian slowness" of Washington is question of difficult solution. The measures adopted by the opponents of the chief were certainly the reverse of open, manly, generous, pure and disinterested patriotism, and deserve, as they received at the time, the unqualified reprobation of honest men.
 It is believd that Conway was the most active man among the secret en- enies of Washington. He was possessed of considerable literary and military abilities, and had the advantage of thir- ty years of experience in the art of war. Although an Irishman he received his military training in France and came to l America from that country. He had ex- ] pected to receive the commission and | military pay of a major general. He 1 was disappointed at the outset, for con gress gave him only the commission of brigadier. Hoping for promotion, he | joined the army of Washington at Nor l ristown.
 | Conway's boastful, intriguing and pre- sumptuous manner disgusted Washington, 1 and when it was, rumored that he was to | be promoted by congress Washington wrote letter to that body demonstrating i against it. The, fact coming to the ears l of Conway, he offered his resignation and asked permission to leave the army, 1 Congress would not accept it, but ap- pointed him inspector general of the | army, with the rank of major general. This act is evidence that there was then
 an influence at work in the supreme leg islature unfriendly to the commander-in-
 chief. Gates and Lee, English born, and officers in other wars, also showed their impatience in holding subordinate posi-
 tion, each deerning himself superior to Washington.
 The irritated and talented Conway
 was ready to E ster discontent in the
 public mind and he was doubtless the
 willing aSpaw of Gates or his friends in making covert attacks upon the military , character of the commander-in-chief. Sc prominent does Conway appear in the whole transaction that it is known ir
 history as "Conway's Cabal.''
 | The first important move in the matter was the sending of anonymous letters tc . the president of congress and to Patricl 1 Henry, then governor of Virginia, Simi 1 lar 1nff mi In ant oIlprs
 of congress and to officers of the state . Legislatures. Washington was early appris0d of thes,
 secret machinations, but he suffered 1T
 silence. My enemies he said in let t ter to the president of congress, whe1 e the matter became subject aof- core
 spondence, take an ungenerous advar
 tage of me. They know I cannot com
 bat their insinuations without disctosin, :! i secrets which it is of the utmost momen to conceal
 j. EN There is no doubt that Gates, Mifflil
 and Conway were for long time engag 2 ed in the endeavors to effect the remova l. of Washington, but it has been though e that Gates and Mifflin were only workin in. patriotic sense to advance wha
 they thought were the true interests o f the country.
 'A The true character of Conway, s v early discovered by Washington, becam l- at length well understood by congress
 Finally, when he found that he had in cured the enmity of many of the offic > CTS of the army, he wrote to congress a if impertinent letter, and intimated, his de B. sire to resign. A motion to accept hi
 resignation wass immediately carried
 Finally Conway was wounded in a du, le with Gen. Cadwallader, and as he bt rs lieved his end was near he wrote an ar h. ologetic letter to Washington as a rer
 aration for the personal injuries he ha
 inflicted But he recovered and live
 for many years. He left the country b, ,n fore thel close of the war and returnt 10 to France.
 H- (Tonorrow-At the First Congress)