that the paragraph fo much spoken of does not exift in 1778, faid letter, nor any thing like it. I must depend upon your justice, candor and generofity, for putting a stop to this forgery." Had he fent the letter itself, the conviction of the forgery might have been deemed much ftronger; whereas many will doubt whether there was a forgery, upon being told that one of his warmeft friends quoted the paragraph as authentic fo early as October the 21ft. Periodical letters were published and circulated in the continental newspapers, under the fignature of De Lisle, and the pretence of being translations from the French, artfully calculated to promote the defign against Washington, by infinuating into the mind of the reader, ideas tending to leffen him in the eyes of the public. The writer of the preceding anonymous letter is fuppofed to be the author of them. The defign has not fucceeded. The general has had too great a share of the people's confidence and affection, to admit of an open attempt to remove him. Several members of congrefs were engaged in the business-some of the Maffachusetts delegates-particularly Mr. Samuel Adams. The army was fo confident of it, and fo enraged, that perfons were stationed to watch him, as he approached the camp on his return home. But he is commonly poffeffed of good intelligence, and was careful to keep at a fafe diftance. Had he fallen into the hands of the officers, when in that paroxism of refentment, they would probably have handled him fo as to have endangered his life, and tarnished their own honor. The plan feems to have been this-To engage the Maffachusetts affembly and the Virginia house of burgeffes, to give inftructions to their delegates in congress, 1778 to move for an inquiry into the causes of the ill fuccefs attending the campaign of 1776; and then to contrive that fuch refolves fhould be given into, as would either remove the general or produce his refignation. Mean while the names of Gates and Mifflin were held up, and played off to ripen the meafure. But the anonymous attempt upon the governor of Virginia was reprobated by him; and the Maffachusetts affembly was not in a temper to admit of the trial to infnare them. As to gens. Gates and Mifflin, they have cleared themfelves from having any defign of removing the commander in chief. The former has written to an intimate April correfpondent-" York Town, 4th April, 1778. Dear Sir, Laft night I received your affectionate letter of the 1 16th laft, that of the 25th of February came to hand a gen. Washington. Nothing can be more wicked, no- 1778. thing more falfe than this diabolical calumny. Gen. Mifflin, to whom I made known the industry of his enemies and mine, and the tricks of their emiffaries, writes to you by this conveyance. You know his honor, merit, and fervices to the public; you alfo know, that whenever I have been called forth, I have done my best for the establishment of independence and peace: is it generous therefore, that we two fhould be felected for a facrifice to a junto? For my part I folemnly declare, I never was engaged in any plan or plot for the removal of gen. Washington *, nor do I believe any fuch plot ever existed-so help me-. Your's most truly." You may credit Gates's not you must believe differently. flin's letter was-" Dear Mr. tem. I declare to you, with the folemnity, that I never formed a plan or a party to injure gen. Washington's command.-I never defired to have any person whomfoever take the command of the American army from him; nor have I faid, or done any thing, of, or refpecting him, which the public fervice did not require; and which I would not have faid, with great freedom, to you as his friend, and as a friend to American Independency. I never afpired, in thought, to the command of the army, and always would have deprecated the idea as improper and dangerous to myself and to America had that idea occurred, which it never did believing fuch plot; but Audi et alteram * When gen. Gates's letters were examined by me at his feat in Virginia, the latter end of 1781, there was not a fingle paragraph to be met with, that contained any intimation of his being concerned in fuch a plan. 1778 to move for an inquiry into the causes of the ill fuccefs attending the campaign of 1776; and then to contrive that such refolves fhould be given into, as would either remove the general or produce his refignation. Mean while the names of Gates and Mifflin were held up, and played off to ripen the measure. But the anonymous attempt upon the governor of Virginia was reprobated by him; and the Maffachusetts affembly was not in a temper to admit of the trial to infnare them. As to gens. Gates and Mifflin, they have cleared themfelves from having any defign of removing the commander in chief. The former has written to an intimate April correfpondent-" York Town, 4th April, 1778. Dear Sir, Laft night I received your affectionate letter of the 16th laft, that of the 25th of February came to hand a few days before. Your remarks upon the works and defences of your capital city, are juft; and I am convinced the town is loft in a very few hours after they are attacked. I have daily and weekly been telling your, and the other eastern delegates, that not only the metropolis, but the whole coafts of New England were, in my opinion, the grand object of the enemy's refentment, for the enfuing campaign: they were a parcel of blundering blockheads, not to make that their object the laft year. I think they might then have united their whole force, and have made a much more honorable end of their fummer's work than it pleased heaven to give them. I find by your letters, that Bofton, as well as this part of the continent, is infected by incendiaries who endeavour, by every villainous art, to imprefs a belief-That gen. Mifflin and myfelf, are in a league, with other defigning and ambitious fpirits, to fuperfede gen. Washington. Nothing can be more wicked, no- 1778. thing more falfe than this diabolical calumny. Gen. Mifflin, to whom I made known the industry of his enemies and mine, and the tricks of their emiffaries, writes to you by this conveyance. You know his honor, merit, and services to the public; you alfo know, that whenever I have been called forth, I have done my best for the establishment of independence and peace: is it generous therefore, that we two fhould be selected for a facrifice to a junto? For my part I folemnly declare, I never was engaged in any plan or plot for the removal of gen. Washington *, nor do I believe any fuch plot ever existed-fo help me. Your's most truly." You may credit Gates's not believing fuch plot; but you must believe differently. The file of gen. Miffin's letter was- "Dear Mr. Audi et alteram partem. I declare to you, with the greatest fincerity and folemnity, that I never formed a plan or a party to injure gen. Washington's command.-I never defired to have any person whomfoever take the command of the American army from him; nor have I faid, or done any thing, of, or refpecting him, which the public fervice did not require; and which I would not have faid, with great freedom, to you as his friend, and as a friend to American Independency. I never afpired, in thought, to the command of the army, and always would have deprecated the idea as improper and dangerous to myself and to America had that idea occurred, which it never did * When gen. Gates's letters were examined by me at his feat in Virginia, the latter end of 1781, there was not a fingle paragraph to be met with, that contained any intimation of his being concerned in fuch a plan. |