washington and his comrades in arms-第22节

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Washington's　winter　quarters　at　Valley　Forge　were　only　twenty　miles　from　Philadelphia；　among　hills　easily　defended。　It　is　matter　for　wonder　that　Howe；　with　an　army　well　equipped；　did　not　make　some　attempt　to　destroy　the　army　of　Washington　which　passed　the　winter　so　near　and　in　acute　distress。　The　Pennsylvania　Loyalists；　with　dark　days　soon　to　come；　were　bitter　at　Howe's　inactivity；　full　of　tragic　meaning　for　themselves。　He　said　that　he　could　achieve　nothing　permanent　by　attack。　It　may　be　so；　but　it　is　a　sound　principle　in　warfare　to　destroy　the　enemy　when　this　is　possible。　There　was　a　time　when　in　Washington's　whole　force　not　more　than　two　thousand　men　were　in　a　condition　to　fight。　Congress　was　responsible　for　the　needs　of　the　army　but　was　now；　in　sordid　inefficiency；　cooped　up　in　the　little　town　of　York；　eighty　miles　west　of　Valley　Forge；　to　which　it　had　fled。　There　was　as　yet　no　real　federal　union。　The　seat　of　authority　was　in　the　State　Governments；　and　we　need　not　wonder　that；　with　the　passing　of　the　first　burst　of　devotion　which　united　the　colonies　in　a　common　cause；　Congress　declined　rapidly　in　public　esteem。　〃What　a　lot　of　damned　scoundrels　we　had　in　that　second　Congress〃　said；　at　a　later　date；　Gouverneur　Morris　of　Philadelphia　to　John　Jay　of　New　York；　and　Jay　answered　gravely；　〃Yes；　we　had。〃　The　body；　so　despised　in　the　retrospect；　had　no　real　executive　government；　no　organized　departments。　Already　before　Independence　was　proclaimed　there　had　been　talk　of　a　permanent　union；　but　the　members　of　Congress　had　shown　no　sense　of　urgency；　and　it　was　not　until　November　15；　1777；　when　the　British　were　in　Philadelphia　and　Congress　was　in　exile　at　York；　that　Articles　of　Confederation　were　adopted。　By　the　following　midsummer　many　of　the　States　had　ratified　these　articles；　but　Maryland；　the　last　to　assent；　did　not　accept　the　new　union　until　1781；　so　that　Congress　continued　to　act　for　the　States　without　constitutional　sanction　during　the　greater　part　of　the　war。

The　ineptitude　of　Congress　is　explained　when　we　recall　that　it　was　a　revolutionary　body　which　indeed　controlled　foreign　affairs　and　the　issues　of　war　and　peace；　coined　money；　and　put　forth　paper　money　but　had　no　general　powers。　Each　State　had　but　one　vote；　and　thus　a　small　and　sparsely　settled　State　counted　for　as　much　as　populous　Massachusetts　or　Virginia。　The　Congress　must　deal　with　each　State　only　as　a　unit；　it　could　not　coerce　a　State；　and　it　had　no　authority　to　tax　or　to　coerce　individuals。　The　utmost　it　could　do　was　to　appeal　to　good　feeling；　and　when　a　State　felt　that　it　had　a　grievance　such　an　appeal　was　likely　to　meet　with　a　flaming　retort。

Washington　maintained　towards　Congress　an　attitude　of　deference　and　courtesy　which　it　did　not　always　deserve。　The　ablest　men　in　the　individual　States　held　aloof　from　Congress。　They　felt　that　they　had　more　dignity　and　power　if　they　sat　in　their　own　legislatures。　The　assembly　which　in　the　first　days　had　as　members　men　of　the　type　of　Washington　and　Franklin　sank　into　a　gathering　of　second…rate　men　who　were　divided　into　fierce　factions。　They　debated　interminably　and　did　little。　Each　member　usually　felt　that　he　must　champion　the　interests　of　his　own　State　against　the　hostility　of　others。　It　was　not　easy　to　create　a　sense　of　national　life。　The　union　was　only　a　league　of　friendship。　States　which　for　a　century　or　more　had　barely　acknowledged　their　dependence　upon　Great　Britain；　were　chary　about　coming　under　the　control　of　a　new　centralizing　authority　at　Philadelphia。　The　new　States　were　sovereign　and　some　of　them　went　so　far　as　to　send　envoys　of　their　own　to　negotiate　with　foreign　powers　in　Europe。　When　it　was　urged　that　Congress　should　have　the　power　to　raise　taxes　in　the　States；　there　were　patriots　who　asked　sternly　what　the　war　was　about　if　it　was　not　to　vindicate　the　principle　that　the　people　of　a　State　alone　should　have　power　of　taxation　over　themselves。　Of　New　England　all　the　other　States　were　jealous　and　they　particularly　disliked　that　proud　and　censorious　city　which　already　was　accused　of　believing　that　God　had　made　Boston　for　Himself　and　all　the　rest　of　the　world　for　Boston。　The　religion　of　New　England　did　not　suit　the　Anglicans　of　Virginia　or　the　Roman　Catholics　of　Maryland；　and　there　was　resentful　suspicion　of　Puritan　intolerance。　John　Adams　said　quite　openly　that　there　were　no　religious　teachers　in　Philadelphia　to　compare　with　those　of　Boston　and　naturally　other　colonies　drew　away　from　the　severe　and　rather　acrid　righteousness　of　which　he　was　a　type。


Inefficiency　meanwhile　brought　terrible　suffering　at　Valley　Forge；　and　the　horrors　of　that　winter　remain　still　vivid　in　the　memory　of　the　American　people。　The　army　marched　to　Valley　Forge　on　December　17；　1777；　and　in　midwinter　everything　from　houses　to　entrenchments　had　still　to　be　created。　At　once　there　was　busy　activity　in　cutting　down　trees　for　the　log　huts。　They　were　built　nearly　square；　sixteen　feet　by　fourteen；　in　rows；　with　the　door　opening　on　improvised　streets。　Since　boards　were　scarce；　and　it　was　difficult　to　make　roofs　rainproof；　Washington　tried　to　stimulate　ingenuity　by　offering　a　reward　of　one　hundred　dollars　for　an　improved　method　of　roofing。　The　fireplaces　of　wood　were　protected　with　thick　clay。　Firewood　was　abundant；　but；　with　little　food　for　oxen　and　horses；　men　had　to　turn　themselves　into　draught　animals　to　bring　in　supplies。

Sometimes　the　army　was　for　a　week　without　meat。　Many　horses　died　for　lack　of　forage　or　of　proper　care；　a　waste　which　especially　disturbed　Washington；　a　lover　of　horses。　When　quantities　of　clothing　were　ready　for　use；　they　were　not　delivered　at　Valley　Forge　owing　to　lack　of　transport。　Washington　expressed　his　contempt　for　officers　who　resigned　their　commissions　in　face　of　these　distresses。　No　one；　he　said；　ever　heard　him　say　a　word　about　resignation。　There　were　many　desertions　but；　on　the　whole；　he　marveled　at　the　patience　of　his　men　and　that　they　did　not　mutiny。　With　a　certain　grim　humor　they　chanted　phrases　about　〃no　pay；　no　clothes；　no　provisions；　no　rum；〃　and　sang　an　ode　glorifying　war　and　Washington。　Hundreds　of　them　marched　barefoot；　their　blood　staining　the　snow　or　the　frozen　ground　while；　at　the　same　time；　stores　of　shoes　and　clothing　were　lying　unused　somewhere　on　the　roads　to　the　camp。

Sickness　raged　in　the　army。　Few　men　at　Valley　Forge；　wrote　Washington；　had　more　than　a　sheet；　many　only　part　of　a　sheet；　and　some　nothing　at　all。　Hospital　stores　were　lacking。　For　want　of　straw　and　blankets　the　sick　lay　perishing　on　the　frozen　ground。　When　Washington　had　been　at　Valley　Forge　for　less　than　a　week；　he　had　to　report　nearly　three　thousand　men　unfit　for　duty　because　of　their　nakedness　in　the　bitter　winter。　Then；　as　always；　what　we　now　call　the　〃profiteer〃　was　holding　up　supplies　for　higher　prices。　To　the　British　at　Philadelphia；　because　they　paid　in　gold；　things　were　furnished　which　were　denied　to　Washington　at　Valley　Forge；　and　he　announced　that　he　would　hang　any　one　who　took　provisions　to　Philadelphia。　To　keep　his　men　alive　Washington　had　sometimes　to　take　food　by　force　from　the　inhabitants　and　then　there　was　an　outcry　that　this　was　robbery。　With　many　sick；　his　horses　so　disabled　that　he　could　not　move　his　artillery；　and　his　defenses　very　slight；　he　could　have　made　only　a　weak　fight　had　Howe　attacked　him。　Yet　the　legislature　of　Pennsylvania　told　him　that；　instead　of　lying　quiet　in　winter　quarters；　he　ought　to　be　carrying　on　an　active　campaign。　In　most　wars　irresponsible　men　sitting　by　comfortable　firesides　are　sure　they　knew　best　how　the　thing　should　be　done。

The　bleak　hillside　at　Valley　Forge　was　something　more　than　a　prison。　Washington's　staff　was　known　as　his　family　and　his　relations　with　them　were　cordial　and　even　affectionate。　The　young　officers　faced　their　hardships　cheerily　and　gave　meager　dinners　to　which　no　one　might　go　if　he　was　so　well　off　as　to　have　trousers　without　holes。　They　talked　and　sang　and　jested　about　their　privations。　By　this　time　many　of　the　bad　officers；　of　whom　Washington　complained　earlier；　had　been　weeded　out　and　he　was　served　by　a　body　of　devoted　men。　There　was　much　good　comradeship。　Partnership　in　suffering　tends　to　draw　men　together。　In　the　company　which　gathered　about　Washington；　two　men；　mere　youths　at　the　time；　have　a　world…wide　fame。　The　young　Alexander　Hamilton；　barely　twenty…one　years　of　age；　and　widely　known　already　for　his　political　writings；　had　the　rank　of　lieutenant　colonel　gained　for　his　services　in　the　fighting　about　New　York。　He　was　now　Washington's　confidential　secretary；　a　position　in　which　he　soon　grew　restless。　His　ambition　was　to　be　one　of　the　great　military　leaders　of　the　Revolution。　Before　the　end　of　the　war　he　had　gone　back　to　fighting　and　he　distinguished　himself　in　the　last　battle　of　the　war　at　Yorktown。　The　other　youthful　figure　was　the　Marquis　de　La　Fayette。　It　is　not　without　significance　that　a　noble　square　bears　his　name　in　the　capital　named　after　Washington。　The　two　men　loved　each　other。　The　young　French　aristocrat；　with　both　a　great　name　and　great　possessions；　was　fired　in　1776；　when　only　nineteen；　with　zeal　for　the　American　cause。　〃With　the　welfare　of　America；〃　he　wrote　to　his　wife；　〃is　closely　linked　the　welfare　of　mankind。〃　Idealists　in　France　believed　that　Ameri