163 
his acts, we never were at liberty to quef- 
tion their fuftice. It would be unjuf to 
afcribe the mildnefs of the American war 
exclufively to the perfonal charaéter of 
Wafhington.—iIt muft be imputed in a 
great meafure to the fobriety and modera- 
tion of the national temper. Never was a 
civil war fo fpotlefs as that which unhap- 
pily broke ont between the two nations of 
the Enplifh race. Not a fingle maffacre, 
not a fingle affaffination, no flaughter in 
cold blood tarnifhed the glory of conqueft 
or aggravated the fhame of defeat. Gal- 
Jantry and humanity characterized this 
conteft between two nations who amidft 
al] the fiercenefs of hoftility fhewed them- 
felves worthy of each other’s friendfhip. 
- We are well aware that the military cri- 
tics of Europe, accuftomed to the vaft and 
{cientific plans, to the complicated yet ex- 
act movements, to the daring and fplen- 
‘did exploits of great European generals, 
may confider the moft decifive fuccefs ina 
war like the American as a very inade- 
quate title to the name and glory-of an il- 
luftrious commander. _ We feel all the de- 
ference which upon every fubjeét is due 
from the ignorant to the mafters of the art. 
But we doubt the foundnefs of the judg- 
ment of military critics on this fubject. 
To us it feems probable that more genius 
and judgment are generally exerted by un- 
educated generals and among irregular 
armies, than in thecontefts of thofe com- 
manders who are moye perfectly inftrudted 
in military fcience. Itis with the arts of war 
‘as with every other art. Wherever any 
art is moft perfected, there is leaft room 
for the exertions of individual genius. 
Where moft can be done by rule, Jeaft is 
left for talents. We accordingly find that 
thofe furprizes and ftratagems which are 
fo brilliant and interefting a part of the 
hiftory of war in paft times, are now infi- 
nitely more rare, becaufe vigilance is now 
more uniform and the means of defence 
yore perfeét. [tis now much more ealy 
than it was formerly to caiculate the 
event of acampaignfrom the numbers of 
the contending armies, the fortreffes which 
they poffefs and the nature of the country 
which they occupy. It is impoffible that 
the art of war fhould ever be {oimproved, 
as to obliterate all differences between the 
talents of generals: but it is certain that 
its improvement has a tendency to make 
the inequality of their talents lefs felt. 
¥t cannot be denied that they who beft 
know the power of the art are the moft {o- 
“ber admirers of the talents of ‘generals. 
But whatever be the juftnefs of thefe ob- 
fervations, jt muft be univerfally allowed, 
Memoirs of George Wafhington. 
[March 1, 
that as much judgment and intrepidity 
may be fhewn among irregular and imper- 
fectly difciplined armies as uncer the moft 
highly improved fyftem of mechanical tac- 
tics. This is fufficient for our: purpofe ; 
for we are now contemplating the charaéter 
of him whofe leaft praife is that of being 
a great commander, whofe valour was the 
minifter of virtue, and whofe military ge- 
nius is chiefly ennobled by being employed 
in the defence of juftice. 
It is extremely remarkable, that though 
there never was a civil conteft difgraced 
by fo few violent or even ambiguous aéts 
as the American war, yet fo pure were 
the moral fentiments of Wafhington, that 
he could not look back on the period of 
hoftilities with unmixed pleafure. An 
Italian nobleman, who vifited him after 
the peace, had often attempted, in vain, 
to turn the converfation to the events of the 
war. At length he thought he had found 
a favourable opportunity of effeéting his 
purpofe; they were riding together over 
the {cene of an aétion where Wafhington’s 
conduct had ‘been the fubjeét of no fmail 
animadverfion. Count faid to 
him, “* Your conduét, Sir, in this ation 
lms ‘been criticized.”” Wathington made 
no an{fwer, but clapped f{purs to his horfe ; 
after they had paffed the field, he turned to 
the Italian and faid, ** Count » Lobe 
ferve that you wifh me to fpeak of the war. 
It is a converfation which I always avoid. 
I rejoice at the eftablifhment of the liber- 
ties of America. But the time of the 
ftrugele was a horrible period, in which 
the beft men were compelled to do many - 
things repugnant to their nature.” 
. So fatal are even the mildeft civil com- 
motions to men’s morals, and fo admirable 
was the temperament of the man who had 
too much magnanimity not to take up 
arms at the call of his country, and yet 
too delicate a purity to dwell with com- 
placency on the recolle&tion of feenes 
which, though they were the fource of 
his glory, allowed more fcope for the dif- 
play of his talents than for the exercife of 
his humanity! 
The conclufion of the American war 
permitted Wafhington to return to thofe 
domeftic fcenes, from which nothing but 
a fenle of duty feems to have had the 
power to draw him. But he was not al- 
lowed long to enjoy this prwacy. The 
fupreme government of the United States, 
haftily thrown up, in amoment of turbu- 
lence and danger, as a temperary fortifi- 
cation againft anarchy, proved utterly un- 
adequate to the prefervation of general 
tranquillity and permanent fecurity. The 
COs 


