fortable livings and very valuable enjoyments of domestick life, for the hardships of a Winter's campaign, that your brethren at home might dwell safely, and have none to make them afraid. I feel towards you the most grateful sentiments; and I should think myself happy if one, whose purse can do but little to reward you, might contribute in some other way to your encouragement.

Give me leave, in the first place, to congratulate you on , the dignity of the cause in which you are acting. Between you and those you contend with, there is, in this respect, an infinite difference. Unhappy troops of Britain In better days they were a protection to the oppressed; they were employed with honour in resisting the attempts of lawless ambition. The world saw and acknowledged their superior merit, and faithful history recorded their glorious deeds. But modern councils, that have turned all things out of course, have found other employment for a British soldiery; and who does not pity their disgraceful destination? To be the supporters of as unprovoked and as arbitrary a system of domination as has been heard of in any country; to be the executioners of the unmanly rage of a most abandoned Administration; to plunder the property, burn and destroy the dwellings, and attempt the ruin of as deserving a set of Colonists as any nation ever was concerned will); and who, God knows, would have been as peaceable, had they been well treated.

You, my countrymen, have taken a part that is worthy of you, and which Heaven itself must approve. If ever men had just cause for taking up arms, you have. The unjust claims of Britain; the unlimited submission demanded of the Colonists, which would have left them nothing they could call their own; the intemperate and merciless regulations made to bring you to submission; the inefficacy of peaceable measures taken on our part; the long patience of the Colonists when insulted by little handfuls of British troops, stationed among them; and the advantage which has been basely taken of that patience, (of which the strong garrison at Boston, and the sufferings of its worthy inhabitants, are a standing monument.) In fine, the haughty contempt with which the united and respectful petitions of so many respectable States, asking for peace, liberty, and safety, have been treated; and the unrelenting rage with which the sword of Britain, already bathed in the blood of out countrymen, is still brandished; leaving us no alternative between the most abject submission, and a resolute resistance. These things being all before you, you could not but judge, that duty to God and to all posterity ought to determine us for resistance at all events; and a review of the just and important reasons for such resistance must give you an inward satisfaction in the part you are acting which your enemies cannot have, and such courage, one would think, as a bad cause never did and never can inspire.

This infinite difference between your cause and that of your enemies, in the grand point, infers most interesting consequences, which I could wish every American Soldier to be often refreshing his mind with; it would alleviate every hardship; it would strengthen you when you are weary, and give vigour to all your exertions. One is, that while on their side the condition of the highest officer is disgraceful, and the more, if he is a volunteer in the service; on your part, the station of a private soldier is a post of honour; the more so, by how much more freely he has offered himself; more still, if he has many a hardship to undergo, and is often destined to the post of danger. For my own part, when I consider the supereminent dignity of this cause, I almost envy the very least of you his honourable station, and those glorious hardships and perils in which the duty of a different department forbids me to take part with you; and doubt not the day will come when many a gentleman will think himself unhappy that he was not with you, and many a rising youth shall tell, with conscious pride, that his father was in the Continental Army.

In this cause every brave man may appear with advantage; which is another mighty difference in your favour. Those who act in a bad cause, either do it wilfully or ignorantly, or else they act by constraint against the sense of their own minds. In the first case they must be actuated by base passions, which will naturally carry them into a disgraceful conduct. In the second, they must be under the power of prejudices which contract the soul, and render them incapable of appearing like men. In the last caste, whatever they are, they must have foolish and dastardly feelings, and those who cannot pity, will laugh at them.

The cause you are engaged in gives full room for the display of the best human qualities, and naturally awaken3 them into exercise. It inspires a dignity of sentiment, a, generous zeal for the rights of mankind, a noble ardour of compassion for the oppressed, and indignation against tyranny. Hence will proceed the best of courage, self-denial, patience, perseverance, indifference to rank, and high pay, and all the virtues that adorn the character of a soldier. One of the best wishes I can form in your favour is, that you may be inspired with sentiments that are answerable to so great and good a service. But what is more than all, in this cause you may, with a clear conscience, look to Heaven to protect and prosper you. Reduced, as this country is, to the hard necessity of either taking up arms, or of surrendering life, liberty, and every valuable privilege into arbitrary hands, the resistance we are now making is not only justifiable, but must be considered as an indispensable duty, to which Heaven itself calls us. It is, therefore, no enthusiasm to hope, that Heaven will be pleased to favour it; whereas, on the other side, it would be even impious to ask the Divine aid. Think of this, and pity your enemies: nor let the dread of them disturb you, though you should be called to attack them in the strongest of their holds. Nor envy them their boasted skill, nor all their apparatus for the war: it is all they have to depend on. But the young warrior, who could say to his boastful foe, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel," I Sam. xvii, 45; he, doubtless, had the advantage, though his furniture for the combat was not so showy; and this advantage, ye dear Americans—if ye will but avail yourselves of it—this advantage is yours.

X.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Cambridge, February 8, 1776.

SIR: I last night received intelligence of the arrival of some powder in your Colony, by the sloop Maccaroni, and the report is that she brought arms too. As my last letters from Philadelphia do not promise me an immediate supply of these necessaries, and as the exigency of this Army at this particular crisis calls for much more than what we have, I beg the favour of you to interest yourself that they may be sent to this camp as expeditiously as possible. If they belong to the Colony, I will take them on the Continent's account, and pay for them, or replace the powder if that shall be thought more advisable, as soon as I have an opportunity of doing it, which I hope will not be long. If to private gentlemen, I shall be much obliged by your friendly exertions, that I may have it. I should not have made this application did not the state of our affairs at this time require all that can be collected. Not doubting of your best endeavours that my requisition may be complied with, I am, sir, with much esteem, &c.,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

To the Honourable Governour Trumbull.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

Cambridge, February 8, 177G.

SIR: I received your favours of the 2d and 5th instant, and agreeable to your request have ordered payment of the balance of the expenses attending the journey of the two French gentlemen to Philadelphia, to be made William Bacon, postrider, for your use, which I hope will come safe to hand.

I am happy to hear of your having received twelve thousand five hundred dollars from Congress for the troops going upon the Canada expedition, and heartily wish that no other difficulties may occur to impede their march, and prevent their giving early and timely succour to our friends there, which they certainly stand in great need of.

As to replacing the money advanced by your Colony to the regiments which served the last campaign, it is not in my power. It is what I did not expect, and, therefore, have made no provision for it. I should have paid them in the same manner I did others, had I not been prevent