Show washington and lincoln speak to their fellow americans today the time la Is now near nt at hand which must probably determine whether americans aro ar to bo be freemen or slaves whether they are to have any property they can call their own whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed st and they consigned to a state ot of wretchedness from which no human efforts will probably deliver them the fate ol of unknown millions will now depend under god on the courage and conduct ot of this army our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us no ho choice but a brave resistance or the most abject submission ion this Is nil all we can expect we have therefore to resolve to conquer or to die gen george washington in an order to the continental tin army on july 2 1776 god there Is not a difficulty that you very justly complain of which H n have not in an eminent degree experienced that I 1 am not 1 every day experiencing but we must bear up against them and make the best of mankind as they are since we cannot have them as we wish let me therefore conjure you to lay aside such thoughts resigning from the army thoughts injurious to you and excessively so country which calls aloud for a gentleman ot of your ability gen george washington in a letter to gen philip schuyler december 24 1775 |