Often if you ask people why or how did we come to have the nation we do they point to the Revolutionary War, or if they are more informed they add the Civil War. And, to a degree they are right, but in many ways it is not the battles that formed the nature of what we are. The armies won the wars but the peace, which is what was in many ways formative of who we are was won by much milder acts. Such as the way prisoners and those taken captive were treated by Washington. The British literally bayoneted those surrendering often, while Washington treated them humanely. Look at the Hessians in Trenton, the battle immortalized in the painting Washingtons Crossing Of The Delaware, those exact same troops only weeks before had put to the bayonet friends of those capturing them that night. Due to the kindness shown them in return many of those Hessians became American citizens and added to the fabric of our culture. Likewise after the end of hostilities, but prior to Britain and us making peace by treaty the army, unpaid and with their families hurting, angry with Congress over their treatment, wanted Washington to take up rule as King. He stood before them pleading they have patience, but it was not until he took out a letter and a pair of spectacles and asked his men to excuse him, explaining that he had grown grey and gone blind in service of his nation that they broke down and wept, accepting what was to come. Had they not, had they insisted on their rights we might have had a very different nation, or had Washington been a different sort of man, more like politicians of this day, and embraced the idea of being a king, and the people would have accepted it, again what a different nation we might have. I think that although the violence gave us the opportunity to choose our fate and who we would become, it was the humanity shown in the many gentle acts that actually did forge the type of nation we became. There has never been another people who were willing to go to war as we have to set others free with no idea of gain ourselves, that is the true heart of America, a dream and powerful idea that has literally changed the entire world. Only one other force was greater in creating world change, the message of Christ, again, it was through pain the opportunity came, but it was the love and kindness shown that made it happen.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 18:02:08 +0000
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