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.

354 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [.3T. 50.
cation they must suffer (even the general officers),
when they cannot invite a French officer, a visiting
friend, or a travelling acquaintance, to a better repast,
than bad whiskey (and not always that) and a bit of
beef without vegetables will afford them.
The officers also complain of other hardships, which
they think might and ought to be remedied without
delay; such as the stopping of promotions, where there
have been.vacancies open for a long time; the withholding of commissions from those, who are justly entitled to them, and have warrants or certificates of their
appointments from the executives of their States; and
particularly the leaving of the compensation for their
services in a loose; equivocal state, without ascertaining
their claims upon the public, or making provision for
the future payment of them.
While I premise, that no one I have seen or heard
of appears opposed to the principle of reducing the
army as circumstances may require, yet I cannot help
fearing the result of the measure in contemplation, under present circumstances, when I see such a number
of men, goaded by a thousand stings of reflection on
the past and of anticipation on the future, about to be
turned into the world, soured by penury and what they
call the ingratitude of the public, involved in debts
without one farthing of money to carry them home, after having spent the flower of their days, and many
of them their patrimonies, in establishing the freedom
and independence of their country, and suffered every
thing that human nature is capable of enduring on this
side of death. I repeat it, that when I consider these
irritating circumstances, without one thing to soothe
their feelings or dispel the gloomy prospects, I cannot
avoid apprehending that a train of evils will follow, of a
very serious and distressing nature. On the other