The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

A;T. 45.] LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 263
soning about their propriety; on those of military power,
whether immediate or derived originally from another
source, they have ever looked with a jealous or suspicious eye." And again; "It will never answer to
procure supplies of clothing or provision by coercive
measures. The small seizures made of the former a
few days ago, in consequence of the most pressing and
absolute necessity, when that, or to dissolve, was the
alternative, excited the greatest alarm and uneasiness
even among our best and warmest friends. Such procedures may give a momentary relief; but, if repeated,
will prove of the most pernicious consequence. Besides spreading disaffection, jealousy, and fear among
the people, they never fail, even in the most veteran
troops under the most rigid and exact discipline, to
raise in the soldiery a disposition to licentiousness, to
plunder and robbery, difficult to suppress afterwards,
and which has proved not only ruinous to the inhabitants, but, in many instances, to armies themselves. I
regret the occasion that compelled us to the measure
the other day; and shall consider it among the greatest
of our misfortunes, if we should be under the necessity
of practising it again."
These sentiments were not more the dictates of policy, than of wisdom and humanity. He adhered to
them through the war, and in no case resorted to coercive measures for procuring supplies, till every other
method had proved unavailing. And, in the deference
he paid to the rights of property, he was equally scrupulous, whether it belonged to persons suspected of disaffection, or to avowed and active friends. While the former committed no positive acts of hostility, but remained
quietly at their homes, he considered them amenable to
the civil authorities alone for their opinions and conduct,
and not within the pale of military coercion.