lculations of a blind and erring resentment. The party which
supports the ancient state of things, often treats resistance as
rebellion, and captives as traitors. The opposite party, supporting
also by the sword principles believed to be right, will admit of no
departure from established usage, to its prejudice; and may be
expected, if possessing the power, to endeavour, by retaliating
injuries, to compel the observance of a more just and humane system.
But they participate in the fault imputable to their adversaries, by
manifesting a disposition to punish those whom they deem traitors,
with the same severity of which they so loudly and justly complain,
when they are themselves its victims.

General Gage, as Commander-in-chief of the British army, in the
harshness of spirit which had been excited while governor of
Massachusetts, not only threw all his prisoners into a common jail,
but rejected every proposition for an exchange of them. When the
command devolved on Sir William Howe, this absurd system was
abandoned, and an exchange[103] took place to a considerable extent.
But the Americans had not made a sufficient number of prisoners to
relieve all their citizens, and many of them still remained in
confinement. Representations were continually received from these
unfortunate men, describing in strong terms, the severity of their
treatment. They complained of suffering almost the extremity of
famine, that even the supply of provisions allowed them was unsound,
and that they were crowded into prison-ships, where they became the
victims of disease.

[Footnote 103: In the execution of this agreement, the
inconveniences arising from having committed the custody of
prisoners to the several states, was severely felt. In
addition to the delay inseparable from the necessity of
inquiring for them, and collecting them from different
places, they were often sent in without the knowledge of
General Washington; and, in some instances, they passed
unobserved, with permits from a state government, through
his camp, into that of the enemy. These irregularities, and
the remonstrances of the Commander-in-chief, at length,
induced congress to appoint a commissary of prisoners.]

When charged with conduct so unworthy of his character and station,
Sir William Howe positively denied its truth.

It would be unjust to ascribe this excess of inhumanity to an officer
who, though perhap