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.1 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 143
cessity of prosecuting the war with as much vigor as
our circumstances will admit, and of using the strictest
economy in the prosecution of it; upon these very principles, I beg leave to give it as my opinion, that a reduction of the number of officers and men as fixed by
the last arrangement, or any material alteration of the
establishment of the army for the next campaign, would
not in the present situation of affairs be expedient, for
the following reasons.
In the first place, because the enemy must resolve to
prosecute the war, or be disposed to make a peace; in
either of which cases, a respectable army in the field
on our part will, I conceive, more than compensate the
expenses of it, and will eventually be the best and
most economical system of policy we can possibly act
upon. For, should the enemy still be determined to
carry on the war with obstinacy, not only policy, but
even necessity, would urge us to keep up a superior
army, as the surest and only means of forcing them to
a peace, and freeing us from the calamities and expenses of the war; as it is evident from many circumstances, that they have relied more for success on our
want of exertions, than upon their own military prowess or resources, and that this has been one principal
inducement of their persevering hitherto. But, on the
other hand, should they be inclined to a pacification,
a powerful and well appointed army would both enable us to dictate our own terms at the negotiation, and
hasten the completion of it.
In addition to this, whoever considers how much
more expensive and less serviceable militia are than
Continental troops, how heavy and repeated a burden
on the public their bounties are, when they are hired;
when drafted, how disagreeable and frequently distressing for them to be torn from their families to a life with