Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 5.djvu/207

A.D.1777.] opportunity passed away. The intrigues against Washington were defeated as soon as known to his own army and the people at large, through the influence of the real esteem that he enjoyed in the public heart, especially as news had just arrived that friends and forces were on the way from France.

At this juncture, when the eyes of all Europe were turned on the new republic of America, congress gave a proof of its utter contempt of those principles of honour which are regarded as the distinguishing characteristics of civilised nations. The convention on which general Burgoyne's army had surrendered was deliberately violated. It had been stipulated that his troops should be conveyed to Boston, and there suffered to embark for England in British transports to be admitted to the port for that purpose. But no sooner did congress learn this stipulation than it showed the utmost reluctance to comply with it. It was contended that these five thousand men would liberate other five thousand in England to proceed to America. It was therefore immediately determined to find some plea for evading the convention, and they watched for it with all the petty finesse of pettifogging attorneys.



So long as the British prisoners remained in the state of New York they were treated with courtesy; nay, more, general Schuyler, with that nobility of character which had always distinguished him, showed them the utmost kindness, though he had suffered severely in his property from them. Burgoyne had been compelled, in the arrangements for his defence at Saratoga, to burn down saw-mills and store-houses valued at ten thousand pounds, belonging to general Schuyler. When he met him as a prisoner of war, he apologised for the necessity of this proceeding; but Schuyler stopped him, saying, "Say no more of it; I should have done the same under the same circumstances." He sent an aide-de-camp with him to Albany, who there conducted him to general Schuyler's house, introduced him to Mrs. Schuyler and his family, who received and entertained him and his chief officers during his whole stay there in the most princely manner.

Madame von Reisedel gives the same testimony to general Schuyler's noble conduct. She could not help saying to him, "You are so good to us that I am sure you must be a husband and a father." The conduct of general Gates was equally that of a gentleman. But the moment the captive army passed into New England the whole scene changed. There the fierce and bitter character of the people showed itself in the most odious light. Madame von Reisedel says that such was their treatment of even women and children, that they could not appear in the streets of Boston without the very women frowning fiercely upon them, and that such was their venom that they would spit upon the ground before them; that their conduct was ferocious, and disgraceful to