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.

240 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [ET. 49.
ceive thereby, that the restriction upon the exchange
of Lieutenant-General Earl Cornwallis operates against
the liberation of Brigadier-General Scott, seven colonels and two lieutenant-colonels, who, upon the principles of the tariff established between us and the enemy, are equivalent to his Lordship in value.
I also enclose the copy 6f a letter from Sir Henry
Clinton, by which it would appear that the exchange
of Mr. Laurens might be effected for Earl Cornwallis,
should Congress think proper to accede to the proposal. I beg leave to remark upon that letter, that there
has been some misconception either on the part of
Colonel Laurens or Lord Cornwallis, as to what passed on the subject in Virginia. Colonel Laurens asked
me there, whether, supposing an exchange could be
effected between his father and his Lordship, I should
have any objection to it. I answered, none personally,
and that, as Congress had made no difficulty in offering General Burgoyne for Mr. Laurens, I thought they
might now probably offer Lord Cornwallis, but that the
matter did not depend upon me. This I find has
been construed into absolute consent on my part.
With respect to the policy of prohibiting the exchange of Lord Cornwallis I will not pretend to determine. I cannot, however, help observing, that it operates disagreeably in giving uneasiness to those officers
of ours, who can only be exchanged by composition,
and who are by the enemy set against him, and that it
may be considered as a departure from the spirit of
the terms of the capitulation of York.
Mr. Sproat's proposition of the exchange of British
soldiers for American seamen, if acceded to, will immediately give the enemy a very considerable reinforcement, and will be a constant draft hereafter upon
the prisoners of war in our hands. It ought also to