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. 399
and more confirmed in the sentiment; and, if in the
wrong, suffer me to please myself with the grateful delusion. For if, besides the simple payment of their
wages, a farther compensation is not due to the sufferings and sacrifices of the officers, then have I been
mistaken indeed. If the whole army have not merited
whatever a grateful people can bestow, then have I
been beguiled by prejudice, and built opinion on the
basis of error. If this country should not in the event
perform every thing, which has been requested in the
late memorial to Congress, then will my belief become
vain, and the hope, that has been excited, void of
foundation. And if, as has been suggested, for the
purpose of inflaming their passions, "the officers of the
army are to be the only sufferers by this revolution; if,
retiring from the field, they are to grow, old in poverty, wretchedness, and contempt; if they are to wade
through the vile mire of dependency, and owe the
miserable remnant of that life to charity, which has
hitherto been spent in mfrnor;" then shall I have learned what ingratitude is, then shall I have realized a
tale, which will embitter every moment of my future
life. But I am under no such apprehensions. A country, rescued by their arms from impending ruin, will
never leave unpaid the debt of gratitude.
Should any intemperate or improper warmth have
mingled itself in the foregoing observations, I must entreat your Excellency and Congress, that it may be
attributed to the effusion of an honest zeal in the best
of causes, and that my peculiar situation may be my
apology; and I hope I need not, on this momentous
occasion, make any new protestations of personal disinterestedness, having ever renounced for myself the
idea of pecuniary reward. The consciousness of having attempted faithfully to discharge my duty, and the