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.

352 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [iET. 50.
the situation of his father, which I am made acquainted
with by the British prints, work too powerfully upon
my humanitypnot to wish, that Congress would chalk a
line for me to walk by in this business. To effect this,
is the cause of the trouble you now receive from, dear
Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant.*
TO SIR GUY CARLETON.
Head-Quarters, 2 October, 1782.
SIR,
Your Excellency will have been informed, by your
commissioners, of the causes which obstructed their
proceeding upon business at the late meeting at Tappan. The commissioners on the part of the United
States laid before those appointed by your Excellency
and Admiral Digby a remonstrance, on the subject of
the immense expense arising from the support of so
great a number of British prisoners as we now have
in our possession, without any present compensation
or proper security for the payment hereafter. This
remonstrance your commissioners did not think themselves at liberty to accept. I am, therefore, under the
necessity of furnishing your Excellency with a copy of
* Captain Asgill had been for some time released from close confinement, and allowed to go at large on parole at Chatham and in the
neighbourhood of that place. He wrote to General Washington, requesting permission to return to Europe, on account of the illness of his
father, and the distressed state of his mother and sister in consequence
of that event, and of their anxiety for the fate impending over the son
and brother.
In writing to the secretary at war, a week after the above letter, General Washington said; " The delay of Congress places me not only in a
very delicate, but a very awkward situation. Were I to give my private
opinion respecting Asgill, I would pronounce in favor of his being released from his duress, and that he should be permitted to go to his
friends in Europe." - October 7th.