Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1922-03-08
Believes Story of Washington Mis-
leading.


leading.
! East Craftsbury, VT, Mich. 3, 1922.
/ Mr.. Editor:
In reading a recent number of your
paper discovered a sketch on 1.-THE
Father of Our Country, George Wash
irgtoTl." In it this superbly great
American is represented to have been
a man of very hot temper and when
in anger, very profane.
/ do not recall that ever came
across the charge or statement that
Washington was profane until last
summer. I had of course often read
that he was man of prayer and of
how he was discovered while at pray
er in a thicket at Valley Forge. He
was a member and regular attendant
of the Episcopal church but he was
so liberal in his religious views that
when he was in New York he main
tanned a pew in the church Of which
the celebrated John M. Mason, was
pastor Mason was an old-time
Psalm singing Presbyterian and was
Alexander Hamilton's minister in the
closing, sad hours Of that great mans
life.
There is a recent book entitled
George Washington, the Christian"
by William J. Johnson. As the topic
suggests, the book is a review of
| Washington's religious life and is the
result of diligent research. In chap
ter Is, the subject of which is "Did
| Washington Swear? 2" the author
quotes men who were closely associat-
ed with the general as staff officers,
among these are Alexander Hamilton,
Scott and Pinckney. These men all
| Jorxx 4Lo4 11cod v,rofono
language when provoked by Chas.
| Lee at Monmouth, at ST. Glars de-
feat and once when he was disap-
pointed in an appointment by a sub
altern.
General Mashal was close to
Washington at Monmouth and he de-
MED that Washington used profanity
on that occasion and General Swift
says that though he had heard said
that Washington used profane Ian
guage at Monmouth he found that it
was not true and. that-he also heard
Alexander Hamilton tell Gen. Schuy-
Ter that the charge that Washington
used profanity at Fort Lee was not
true.
| The correspondence and evidence
having to do with the court martial of
Chas. Lee and "the defense of Lee
! furnish conclusive evidence of the
utter falsehood of these pretended
traditions which have gained entrance
where they ought never to have been
received for moment:
| Here is a sketch written in 1879 by
one ewho. was well acquainted with
/ Washington:
"He Furnishes neglect of duty with
| Nv h11f al
| indulgent to recruits until they learn
the articles of war and their exercises
perfectly"
s.He regularly attends divine SER
vice in. his tent every morning and
every evening, and seems very fer
vent in his prayers"
ssHe is so tender-hearted that no
soldiers must be ffogged nigh his
tent: or if he is walking in the camp
and sees a man tied to the halberds,
he will either order him to be taken
down or walk another way to avoid
the sight,"
| "He is humane to the prisoners
who fall into his hands, and orders ev-
Ierything necessary for their relief"
1t is altogether too popular thing
to degrade and belittle the lives and
characters of great men who have
passed from the activities of this life
and who are not able to speak for
| themselves. These men were human
and had their faults but profanity
and obscenity were not among them.
/ refer to Washington, Lincoln, Thorn
as, Grant and others.
I do not know that I would have
called attention to the misstatement
in your pages regarding Washington,
but l am a new conner in Vermont
and have been told by two very
4 worthy men that this part of Vermont
is notorious because of excessive use
of profanity.
The use of profane language is
absolutely indefensible and betrays a
low view of God, want of self con-
troll and disregard for one of the
statements of Almighty God, who re-
clares "That He will not hold him
guiltless, that takes His name in
vain.''
i have also read that the honesty
and truthfulness of a user of pro-
fame language is always to be view
ed with suspicion. / do not know that
this is always true but certainly the
use of profane language is no index
to absolute honesty and integrity of
anyone who uses it.
Certainly profanity is the NOSE use
less thing that anyone can be guilty
of, stealing does Someone good some
times and lying may also work to
some advantage, but profanity is alb
solutely useless and senseless always,
and never elevates the user to the in
creased respect and regard of others.
4 Very sincerely,
4 Nathan 3. McClunp