washington and his comrades in arms-第4章

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y；　of　gallant　men　and　fair　women；　and　sometimes　of　hard　and　riotous　living。　Many　of　the　houses　were；　however；　in　a　state　of　decay；　with　leaking　roofs；　battered　doors　and　windows　and　shabby　furniture。　To　own　land　in　Virginia　did　not　mean　to　live　in　luxurious　ease。　Land　brought　in　truth　no　very　large　income。　It　was　easier　to　break　new　land　than　to　fertilize　that　long　in　use。　An　acre　yielded　only　eight　or　ten　bushels　of　wheat。　In　England　the　land　was　more　fruitful。　One　who　was　only　a　tenant　on　the　estate　of　Coke　of　Norfolk　died　worth　150；000　pounds；　and　Coke　himself　had　the　income　of　a　prince。　When　Washington　died　he　was　reputed　one　of　the　richest　men　in　America　and　yet　his　estate　was　hardly　equal　to　that　of　Coke's　tenant。

Washington　was　a　good　farmer；　inventive　and　enterprising；　but　he　had　difficulties　which　ruined　many　of　his　neighbors。　Today　much　of　his　infertile　estate　of　Mount　Vernon　would　hardly　grow　enough　to　pay　the　taxes。　When　Washington　desired　a　gardener；　or　a　bricklayer；　or　a　carpenter；　he　usually　had　to　buy　him　in　the　form　of　a　convict；　or　of　a　negro　slave；　or　of　a　white　man　indentured　for　a　term　of　years。　Such　labor　required　eternal　vigilance。　The　negro；　himself　property；　had　no　respect　for　it　in　others。　He　stole　when　he　could　and　worked　only　when　the　eyes　of　a　master　were　upon　him。　If　left　in　charge　of　plants　or　of　stock　he　was　likely　to　let　them　perish　for　lack　of　water。　Washington's　losses　of　cattle；　horses；　and　sheep　from　this　cause　were　enormous。　The　neglected　cattle　gave　so　little　milk　that　at　one　time　Washington；　with　a　hundred　cows；　had　to　buy　his　butter。　Negroes　feigned　sickness　for　weeks　at　a　time。　A　visitor　noted　that　Washington　spoke　to　his　slaves　with　a　stern　harshness。　No　doubt　it　was　necessary。　The　management　of　this　intractable　material　brought　training　in　command。　If　Washington　could　make　negroes　efficient　and　farming　pay　in　Virginia；　he　need　hardly　be　afraid　to　meet　any　other　type　of　difficulty。

From　the　first　he　was　satisfied　that　the　colonies　had　before　them　a　difficult　struggle。　Many　still　refused　to　believe　that　there　was　really　a　state　of　war。　Lexington　and　Bunker　Hill　might　be　regarded　as　unfortunate　accidents　to　be　explained　away　in　an　era　of　good　feeling　when　each　side　should　acknowledge　the　merits　of　the　other　and　apologize　for　its　own　faults。　Washington　had　few　illusions　of　this　kind。　He　took　the　issue　in　a　serious　and　even　bitter　spirit。　He　knew　nothing　of　the　Englishman　at　home　for　he　had　never　set　foot　outside　of　the　colonies　except　to　visit　Barbados　with　an　invalid　half…brother。　Even　then　he　noted　that　the　〃gentleman　inhabitants〃　whose　〃hospitality　and　genteel　behaviour〃　he　admired　were　discontented　with　the　tone　of　the　officials　sent　out　from　England。　From　early　life　Washington　had　seen　much　of　British　officers　in　America。　Some　of　them　had　been　men　of　high　birth　and　station　who　treated　the　young　colonial　officer　with　due　courtesy。　When；　however；　he　had　served　on　the　staff　of　the　unfortunate　General　Braddock　in　the　calamitous　campaign　of　1755；　he　had　been　offended　by　the　tone　of　that　leader。　Probably　it　was　in　these　days　that　Washington　first　brooded　over　the　contrasts　between　the　Englishman　and　the　Virginian。　With　obstinate　complacency　Braddock　had　disregarded　Washington's　counsels　of　prudence。　He　showed　arrogant　confidence　in　his　veteran　troops　and　contempt　for　the　amateur　soldiers　of　whom　Washington　was　one。　In　a　wild　country　where　rapid　movement　was　the　condition　of　success　Braddock　would　halt；　as　Washington　said；　〃to　level　every　mole　hill　and　to　erect　bridges　over　every　brook。〃　His　transport　was　poor　and　Washington；　a　lover　of　horses；　chafed　at　what　he　called　〃vile　management〃　of　the　horses　by　the　British　soldier。　When　anything　went　wrong　Braddock　blamed；　not　the　ineffective　work　of　his　own　men；　but　the　supineness　of　Virginia。　〃He　looks　upon　the　country；〃　Washington　wrote　in　wrath；　〃I　believe；　as　void　of　honour　and　honesty。〃　The　hour　of　trial　came　in　the　fight　of　July；　1755；　when　Braddock　was　defeated　and　killed　on　the　march　to　the　Ohio。　Washington　told　his　mother　that　in　the　fight　the　Virginian　troops　stood　their　ground　and　were　nearly　all　killed　but　the　boasted　regulars　〃were　struck　with　such　a　panic　that　they　behaved　with　more　cowardice　than　it　is　possible　to　conceive。〃　In　the　anger　and　resentment　of　this　comment　is　found　the　spirit　which　made　Washington　a　champion　of　the　colonial　cause　from　the　first　hour　of　disagreement。

That　was　a　fatal　day　in　March；　1765；　when　the　British　Parliament　voted　that　it　was　just　and　necessary　that　a　revenue　be　raised　in　America。　Washington　was　uncompromising。　After　the　tax　on　tea　he　derided　〃our　lordly　masters　in　Great　Britain。〃　No　man；　he　said；　should　scruple　for　a　moment　to　take　up　arms　against　the　threatened　tyranny。　He　and　his　neighbors　of　Fairfax　County；　Virginia；　took　the　trouble　to　tell　the　world　by　formal　resolution　on　July　18；　1774；　that　they　were　descended　not　from　a　conquered　but　from　a　conquering　people；　that　they　claimed　full　equality　with　the　people　of　Great　Britain；　and　like　them　would　make　their　own　laws　and　impose　their　own　taxes。　They　were　not　democrats；　they　had　no　theories　of　equality；　but　as　〃gentlemen　and　men　of　fortune〃　they　would　show　to　others　the　right　path　in　the　crisis　which　had　arisen。　In　this　resolution　spoke　the　proud　spirit　of　Washington；　and；　as　he　brooded　over　what　was　happening；　anger　fortified　his　pride。　Of　the　Tories　in　Boston；　some　of　them　highly　educated　men；　who　with　sorrow　were　walking　in　what　was　to　them　the　hard　path　of　duty；　Washington　could　say　later　that　〃there　never　existed　a　more　miserable　set　of　beings　than　these　wretched　creatures。〃

The　age　of　Washington　was　one　of　bitter　vehemence　in　political　thought。　In　England　the　good　Whig　was　taught　that　to　deny　Whig　doctrine　was　blasphemy；　that　there　was　no　truth　or　honesty　on　the　other　side；　and　that　no　one　should　trust　a　Tory；　and　usually　the　good　Whig　was　true　to　the　teaching　he　had　received。　In　America　there　had　hitherto　been　no　national　politics。　Issues　had　been　local　and　passions　thus　confined　exploded　all　the　more　fiercely。　Franklin　spoke　of　George　III　as　drinking　long　draughts　of　American　blood　and　of　the　British　people　as　so　depraved　and　barbarous　as　to　be　the　wickedest　nation　upon　earth；　inspired　by　bloody　and　insatiable　malice　and　wickedness。　To　Washington　George　III　was　a　tyrant；　his　ministers　were　scoundrels；　and　the　British　people　were　lost　to　every　sense　of　virtue。　The　evil　of　it　is　that；　for　a　posterity　which　listened　to　no　other　comment　on　the　issues　of　the　Revolution；　such　utterances；　instead　of　being　understood　as　passing　expressions　of　party　bitterness；　were　taken　as　the　calm　judgments　of　men　held　in　reverence　and　awe。　Posterity　has　agreed　that　there　is　nothing　to　be　said　for　the　coercing　of　the　colonies　so　resolutely　pressed　by　George　III　and　his　ministers。　Posterity　can　also；　however；　understand　that　the　struggle　was　not　between　undiluted　virtue　on　the　one　side　and　undiluted　vice　on　the　other。　Some　eighty　years　after　the　American　Revolution　the　Republic　created　by　the　Revolution　endured　the　horrors　of　civil　war　rather　than　accept　its　own　disruption。　In　1776　even　the　most　liberal　Englishmen　felt　a　similar　passion　for　the　continued　unity　of　the　British　Empire。　Time　has　reconciled　all　schools　of　thought　to　the　unity　lost　in　the　case　of　the　Empire　and　to　the　unity　preserved　in　the　case　of　the　Republic；　but　on　the　losing　side　in　each　case　good　men　fought　with　deep　conviction。



CHAPTER　II。　BOSTON　AND　QUEBEC

Washington　was　not　a　professional　soldier；　though　he　had　seen　the　realities　of　war　and　had　moved　in　military　society。　Perhaps　it　was　an　advantage　that　he　had　not　received　the　rigid　training　of　a　regular；　for　he　faced　conditions　which　required　an　elastic　mind。　The　force　besieging　Boston　consisted　at　first　chiefly　of　New　England　militia；　with　companies　of　minute…men；　so　called　because　of　their　supposed　readiness　to　fight　at　a　minute's　notice。　Washington　had　been　told　that　he　should　find　20；000　men　under　his　command；　he　found；　in　fact；　a　nominal　army　of　17；000；　with　probably　not　more　than　14；000　effective；　and　the　number　tended　to　decline　as　the　men　went　away　to　their　homes　after　the　first　vivid　interest　gave　way　to　the　humdrum