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.

518 WTASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [APPENDIX.
To what extent Congress participated, or what individuals were
chiefly concerned, can be decided only by the tenor of their resolves
and their recorded votes. From these it may certainly be inferred,
that the faction had a few active partisans in that body. Some
writers have laid the charge heavily upon the New England members; but this charge has been ably and conclusively refuted in Mr.
Austin's Life of Gerry, where several interesting facts on the subject may be found. Others implicate the Southern members, but
with no better evidence than conjecture. In truth it cannot be
proved, nor is it probable, that any combinations unfavorable to the
Commander-in-chief existed, either in the army or, in Congress,
which partook of local interests, or were sustained by the prejudices
of any particular State or district of the Union.
No. VII. pp. 150, 164, 175.
HOWE'S LETTERS.
GENERAL HOWE TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.
Philadelphia, 6 November, 1777.
SIR,
I am favored with your letter of the 4th instant. The general
exchange of prisoners is so desirable a measure in justice to the
officers and men immediately concerned, that I have repeatedly demanded of you a releasement of prisoners equivalent to those you
have received, as far as the numbers in your possession will admit,
on which condition I could enter upon a further exchange. The
officers I have already permitted to return to their homes, on account
of some peculiarity in their situations; and other indulgences, needless to mention, must sufficiently have evinced my desire to relieve
the whole; and, when this previous point before mentioned is adjusted
by our respective Commissaries, I shall readily agree to make the
exchange as general as possible, and to the return of all such officers
and men as may afterwards remain unexchanged on either side,
under obvious and reasonable conditions.
Those at present prisoners with me are ready to be delivered on
the shortest notice, and it rests solely with you to justify me in doing
it. In the mean time, as I understand the British, Hessian, and Pro