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.

PART II.] THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 257
Were an opinion once to be established (and the
enemy and their emissaries know very well how to inculcate it, if they are furnished with a plausible pretexit), that we designedly avoided an exchange, it would
be a cause of dissatisfaction and disgust to the country
and to the army, of resentment and desperation to our
captive officers and soldiers. To say nothing of the
importance of not hazairding our national character but
upon the most solid grounds, especially in our embryo
state, from tile influence it may have on our affairs
abroad, it may not be a little dangerous to beget in
the minds of our own countrymen a suspicion, that we
do not pay the strictest observance to the maxims of
honor and good faith.
It is prudent to use the greatest caution not to shock
the notions of general justice and humanity, universal
among mankind, as well in a public as a private view.
In a business on the side of which the passions are so
much concerned as in the present, men would be
readily disposed to believe the worst, and cherish the
most unfavorable conclusions. Were the letters, that
have passed between General Howe and myself from
first to last, and the proceedings of Congress on the
same subject, to be published with proper comments,
it is much to be feared, if the exchange should be
deferred till the terms of the last resolve were fulfilled,
that it would be difficult to prevent our being generally
accused of a breach of good faith. Perhaps it might
be said, that, while the enemy refused us justice, we
fondly embraced the opportunity to be loud, persevering, incessant in our claims; but, the moment they were
willing to render it, we receded from ourselves, and
started new difficulties. This, I say, might be the reasoning of speculative minds; and they might consider
all our professions as mere professions; or, at best, that
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