Why Washington Matters : How General George Washington Saved the American Revolution
be supposed at this late stage of the war that I am indifferent to its interests ...
And let me conjure you in the name of our common country . As you value your own sacred honor . As you respect the rights of humanity . As you regard the military and national character of America to express your utmost horror and detestation of the man who wishes under any species pretenses to overturn the liberties of our country , and who wickedly attempts to open the floodgates of civil discord and deluge our rising empire in blood by dust determining , and thus acting , you will pursue the plain and direct road to the attainment of your wishes you defeat the insidious designs of our enemies who are compelled to reason from open force to secret artifice , you will give me one more distinguished proof of an example patriotism and patient virtue , rising superior to the pressure of the most complicated sufferings ; .... And you will , by the dignity of your conduct afford occasion for posterity to say when speaking of the glorious example you have exhibited to mankind had this day been wanting the world has never seen the last stage of perfection , to which human nature is capable of attaining . 16
When Washington finished his peech and there was silence . For that one terrible moment he thought he had lost his officers and stood not with his army , but in opposition to it . Fearing this , he reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter from Virginia congressman Joseph Jones . Washington began to stumble over his words as he read the letter and stunned the officers by reaching for his glasses . The commander-in-chief had never been known to wear glasses . Washington had received the glasses two weeks prior from David Rittenhouse in Philadelphia and was having a hard time adjusting to them . To read Jones ' s letter , Washington wore his glasses for the first time in public . He looked out at the officers seated and said , “ Gentlemen , you must forgive me . Through the course of the war , my eyes have grown dim , and my hair has grown gray in the service of my country .” 17 There was not a dry eye in the room . In that moment the officers understood that General Washington had sacrificed as much as they had .
After reading Jones ' s letter , Washington gathered his papers , removed his glasses , and walked out . General Knox that jumped from his seat and offered resolutions in support of Congress and the commander-in-chief . The resolutions were proposed , voted on , and adopted unanimously . It is worth noting that General Gates and Colonel Armstrong did not cast a vote for the resolutions . The resolutions were sent to Congress to assure the legislative body that the army , while disgruntled , remained loyal . Nearly at the same moment the resolutions arrived from Newburgh , news arrived from Paris , France that peace had been reached with England . The final treaty that would take a little
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