The Glorious Cause - Jeff Shaara [199]
Washington stared at him for a long moment, seemed to ponder the thought. Von Steuben felt uneasy, the tenseness returning, and Washington began to nod slowly, pointed his finger at him, said, “An unprejudiced eye. I am not accustomed to that in this command. I believe you are correct. Very well, if I am to have personal guards from every state, you will select them for me.”
Von Steuben was flattered.
“Yes, sir. I am happy to, sir.”
He was already thinking of the men from his drill classes, several who had stood out, who had shown a quick grasp of the lessons.
“I will begin tomorrow, sir. I should retire, now, sir. I have used your time too much.”
Washington looked at his desk, held up a piece of paper.
“This is how my time is spent, General. I was writing another letter to congress. I write perhaps ten per week. It is the most tedious duty of this command. This particular letter . . . I am attempting to inspire some of those gentlemen down there to compel their home states to release new recruits to this army. The states continue to raise regiments, and are then determined to keep them within their borders as local defense forces. I have tried to communicate the obvious, that neither Delaware nor Connecticut nor New Hampshire is presently under siege.”
Von Steuben could hear the weariness in his voice, said, “Forgive me, sir. I do not understand so much of this . . . congress. In Europe, that word has become exalted. All that we know from Philadelphia, your Declaration of Independence. Inspires great respect, your congress is such men of character. When I visited through York, I saw . . . please, I am apologizing, sir.”
“Speak your mind, General. We are alone here.”
“There were but few. I hoped to see great hall of men, debating issues. I saw instead . . . parties. Food and wine. I was invited to stay, very kind hospitality. But I could not see that anyone there was fighting a war.”
Washington smiled, but von Steuben could see it was not good humor.
“Very astute observation, General. I cannot compel them to do anything they do not wish to do. And yet, my authority rests solely in their hands.”
“But . . . the states. The congress has no authority to the states?”
“That’s the most serious difficulty facing this army, General. Congress represents the American people, but it has no real authority. Congress can make requests of the state assemblies, but it cannot compel anything. My army is a continental army, composed of men from all thirteen states. This war is a war of independence for all thirteen states. But no state is obliged to offer support to the men who cross beyond their borders.”
“Sir, you are saying that this army fights for a government that is not . . . real. It has no power. How do you fight a war?”
“This is a war about an ideal, General. The American people are united in a cause. If we lose this war, if I am captured, I will likely be hanged. Every one of my officers here faces the same fate. Even . . . you. But what the British, what King George does not understand is that what happens to this army is not important. The cause cannot be defeated. No king, no army can capture a man’s mind, or the minds of an entire country. There is inspiration in that, General. In some ways, the American people have already won this war, because they have experienced what it is like to cast off an oppressive ruler. They have come to accept that they have rights, that no supreme power can command any of us to bow before him, except the Almighty God.”
“But, sir, what if you win this war? You have no government?”
Washington looked down at his desk, thought a moment.
“General, in a hall in Philadelphia, I was a witness to an extraordinary gathering of genius. Those men helped create this war by creating the foundation on which we fight. If we triumph in battle, those men, or men just like them must undertake a new responsibility. We are saying to England, your system does not work here. We will build our own system, and we will make it work. Despite all that