Part 5 (2/2)

As a man's views of matrimony are more or less colored by his personal experience, what Washi+ngton had to say on the institution is of interest

As concerned hiton should survivewithout issue: and should I be the longest liver, the matter in my opinion, is hardly less certain; for while I retain the faculty of reasoning, I shall never irl; and it is not probable that I should have children by a woe suitable to e” And in a less personal sense he wrote to Chastellux,--

”In reading your very friendly and acceptable letter, I was, as you hted than surprised to meet the plain American words, 'my wife' A wife! Well,to find you are caught at last I saw, by the eulogium you often made on the happiness of domestic life in America, that you had sed the bait, and that you would as surely be taken, one day or another, as that you were a philosopher and a soldier So your day has at length coood enough for you Now you are well served for coht in favor of the American rebels, all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, by catching that terrible contagion--doue, a man can have only once in his life; because it commonly lasts hie these matters in France) for his whole life time And yet after all the maledictions you so richly merit on the subject, the worst hich I can find in ainst Madame de Chastellux and yourself is, that you et the better of this sa the entire course of your mortal existence”

Furthermore, he wrote to an old friend, whose wife stubbornly refused to sign a deed, ”I think, any Gentleree of influence with his wife, ht, in the course of five or six years (for I think it is at least that time) have prevailed upon her to do an act of justice, in fulfiling his Bargains and co with his wishes, if he had been really in earnest in requesting the ht would have a powerful operation on Mrs Alexander, namely the birth of a child, has been doubled, and tripled”

However well Washi+ngton thought of ”the honorable state,” he was no ive advice to theof Jack Custis, replied, ”I never did, nor do I believe I ever shall, give advice to a woe; first, because I never could advise one to marry without her own consent; and, secondly because I know it is to no purpose to advise her to refrain, when she has obtained it A woman very rarely asks an opinion or requires advice on such an occasion, till her resolution is for a sanction, not that she overned by your disapprobation, that she applies In a word the plain English of the application may be summed up in these words: 'I wish you to think as I do; but, if unhappily you differ from me in opinion, one too far now to retract'” Again he wrote:

”It has ever been a h life, neither to promote nor to prevent aindispensably requiring interference in the latter I have always consideredevent of one's life, the foundation of happiness ortwo people together, who are indifferent to each other, and ust; or to prevent a union, which is prompted by the affections of the mind, is what I never could reconcile with reason, and therefore neither directly nor indirectly have I ever said a word to fanny or George, upon the subject of their intended connection”

The question whether Washi+ngton was a faithful husband iven, were it not that stories of his iyman has vouched for their truth, and a United States senator has given further currency to thee on the subject Since such are the facts, it seems best to consider the question and shohat evidence there actually is for these stories, that at least the pretended ”letters,” etc, which are always being cited, and are never produced, er have credence put in them, and the true basis for all the stories may be known and valued at its worth

In the year 1776 there was printed in London a small pamphlet entitled ”Minutes of the Trial and Examination of Certain Persons in the Province of New York,” which purported to be the records of the examination of the conspirators of the ”Hickey plot” (to ton) before a coress of New York The manuscript of this was claimed in the preface to have been ”discovered (on the late capture of New York by the British troops) a the papers of a person who appears to have been secretary to the co was printed:

”William Cooper, soldier, sworn

”Court Inform us what conversation you heard at the Serjeant's Ar there the 21st of May, I heard John Clayford inforhly in their interest, and that the whole would be safe I learnt froirl froton was very fond, that he enteelly at a house near Mr Skinner's,--at the North River; that he cauise; he learnt also that this woman was very intimate with Clayford, and ton said

”Court Did you hear Mr Clayford say any thing hiht?

”Cooper Yes; that he was the day before with Judith, so he called her, and that she told hiton had often said he wished his hands were clear of the dirty New-Englanders, and words to that effect

”Court Did you hear no mention made of any scheme to betray or seize him?

”Cooper Mr Clayford said he could easily be seized and put on board a boat, and carried off, as his female friend had proht it would be hazardous”

”Williae, sworn

”Court Was you at the Serjeant's Ar of this nature?

”Savage I did, and nearly as the last evidence has declared; the society in general refused to be concerned in it, and thought it a e, have not you heard nothing of an infore Yes; papers and letters were at different times shewn to the society, which were taken out of General Washi+ngton's pockets by Mrs

Gibbons, and given (as she pretended so out) to Mr

Clayford, who always copied theain”