Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-09
PRESIDENT DELEGATES
MONUMENT At PRINCETON


smothered before the new feeling of
nationality had risen to make the
colonists realize the substantial
unity OF their cause and their in
~terests. The strategy oe the British
invasion of New Jersey has been
bitterly criticised many times, but it
must always be remembered that
there is an intimate relationship
between political conditions and mill
itary operations and that in this
case the political situation was GER
tain TO depend very greatly on mill
tary Developments. The d~estruc-
ton of Washington's army would
almost have snuffed out the revo!u-
ton. II would have given a Demon
stration of the overwhelming pre-
ponderance of British power. which
even the most st~out-hearted patriot
would have found difficult to deny.
On the other hand, Washington per-
ceived botn the military and the
political opportunity presented to
him in the disposition of the enemy's
forces. There was a desperate
chance to win a telling victory.
which would convert the New Jer-
sey campaign into a disaster for the
tAitAAlA , d=AtA AAltAt was Tie AAAt RVo
sibility of winning a political victory
by demonstrating the capacity of
American leadership and American
soldiers to cutwit and Outright vete-
rams of European battlefelds.
Washington, who vas at once,
soldier. politician and statesman,
recognized all these possibilities. He
seized the opportunity, he turned
it completely to his own advantage,
and thereby inspired his army and
the country behind him with a new
confidence in themselves. Years
afterward, Lord CORVALLIS. and the
members of his staff. were given a
dinner by General Washington. fol-
lowing the surrender at Yorktown.
The compliments of the occasion
were exchanged in a manner so gra-
cious and amiable that, as we read
of il now, it is difficult to realize all
their significance. Among the rest,
Lord CORVALLIS made a speech in
which he paid his compliments to
the military genius of Washington.
Comparing the Yorktown campaign
with the Trenton-Princeton opera
ton, he declared, turning to Cen
eral Washington. and bowling pro-
foundry, that, when history shall
have made up its verdict the fairest
laurels will be gathered for your
excellency, not from the shores of
the Chesapeake, but from the
banks of the Delaware. Corn
wallis regarded the Trenton-Prince-
ton campaign as the browning glory
of the Washington military career;
and we do not need to be reminded
of the verdict of Frederick the
Great, who ranked the Trenton
Princeton campaign as the most
brilliant of which he had knowl-
edge.
when we view the course Of
human affairs from the detached
standpoint of history's student, We
are amazed to discover how seldom
a particular military operation has
determined the results OF a cam
paign or the outcome of a great
war. Wars are writ very big in
history; very much bigger some
times than they deserve TO be. Bat
ties have seldom decided the fates
of people. The real story of human
progress is written elsewhere than
on the worlds battlefields. and war
and conflict have provided rather
its punctuation than its theme. But
among the exceptions. among the
cases in which a particular conflict
has had consequences and reverber-
atiors far greater in their potency
than could possibly be imagined
from a consideration of the num-
bers engaged or the immediate re-