irst?' I said.

"'Ch, the promotion of the Marquis? I recommended the appointment to
Congress, no doubt; and you and other gentlemen disapprove it.'

"'I have spoken for myself, sir,' says I.

"'If you take me in that tone, Colonel Warrington, I have nothing to
answer!' says the Chief, rising up very fiercely; 'and presume that
I can recommend officers for promotion without asking your previous
sanction.'

"'Being on that tone, sir,' says I, 'let me respectfully offer my
resignation to your Excellency, founding my desire to resign upon the
fact, that Congress, at your Excellency's recommendation, offers its
highest commands to boys of twenty, who are scarcely even acquainted
with our language.' And I rise up and make his Excellency a bow.

"'Great heavens, Harry!' he cries--(about this Marquis's appointment he
was beaten, that was the fact, and he could not reply to me), 'can't you
believe that in this critical time of our affairs, there are reasons why
special favours should be shown to the first Frenchman of distinction
who comes amongst us?'

"'No doubt, sir. If your Excellency acknowledges that Monsieur de
Lafayette's merits have nothing to do with the question.'

"'I acknowledge or deny nothing, sir!' says the General, with a stamp of
his foot, and looking as though he could be terribly angry if he would.
'Am I here to be catechised by you? Stay. Hark, Harry! I speak to you as
a man of the world--nay, as an old friend. This appointment humiliates
you and others, you say? Be it so! Must we not bear humiliation, along
with the other burthens and griefs, for the sake of our country? It is
no more just perhaps that the Marquis should be set over you gentlemen,
than that your Prince Ferdinand or your Prince of Wales at home should
have a command over veterans. But if in appointing this young nobleman
we please a whole nation, and bring ourselves twenty millions of allies,
will you and other gentlemen sulk because we do him honour? 'Tis easy to
sneer at him (though, believe me, the Marquis has many more merits
than you allow him); to my mind it were more generous, as well as more
polite, of Harry Warrington to welcome this stranger for the sake of the
prodigious benefit our country may draw from him--not to laugh at his
peculiarities, but to aid him and help his ignorance by your experience
as an old soldier: that is what I would do--that is the part I expected
of thee--for it is the generous and manly one, Harry: