CHAPTER XVI

THE CONWAY CABAL. CHARLES CARROLL OF CARROLLTON FOILS THE CONSPIRACY TO DISPLACE WASHINGTON

In order to give a more connected idea of the troubles which Mr. Carroll and the other friends of Washington had been encountering it is necessary to go back a little and repeat some of the things already told. The conspiracy against Washington had been seething since sometime before the surrender of Burgoyne, but that event so upset Gates that a new and powerful impetus was given and by reason of the connection of Gen. Conway, an Irish officer, with the affair, it came to be called "The Conway Cabal" and it is so known in history though Conway was one of the least important of the conspirators.

The "Conway Cabal," which gathered together all the discontents and reckless ambitions of the army, was one of the most formidable attempts ever made to destroy a public man. The complaint against Washington was that he was slow, dull and heavy; and that he was incompetent for any military command; and it was re-enforced by the clamor and the plots of such men as Gates, Adams, Rush and Mifflin. This kind of opposition followed him in a nagging way all through the Revolution.

Gates was so elated over his success in the capture of Burgoyne; or rather over the success - for credit belonged less to him than to the commanders under him; that he determined to ignore Washington enentirely. Instead of reporting to the commander-inchief he sent this message direct to Congress, "With

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an army in health, vigor and spirits Major General Gates now awaits the commands of the honorable Congress," and Congress in spite of the efforts of the friends and supporters of Washington appointed Gates to regain the forts and passes on the Hudson River which Washington had already regained by pressing Howe so closely that he had been compelled to evacuate them. Gates refused to obey Washington and send his now unnecessary troops to reinforce the main army. Even Congress refused permission for Washington to withdraw more than 2,500 troops from Gates, and those Gates refused to send for some time, even after Hamilton had gone north and made a personal appeal. A motion was made in Congress that he should not detach any troops except with the permission of Gates. Both John Adams and Samuel Adams and some six others of the clique voted for it, but men like Carroll, Morris and Chase were able to defeat it.

The Maryland delegates in Congress had been instructed to urge the confederation of the Colonies and after much friction and many difficulties this was accomplished on November 15, 1777. Mr. Carroll had come up for his conference with Washington to take part in this effort. Questions of taxation, public lands, rights of state had to be fought out and were fought out in a way that laid a permanent foundation for the more stable union that followed. Mr. Carroll had early imbibed those principles that called for a strong federal government; and that made him a staunch Federalist after the first division into parties came. This alliance of the great Marylander was one of principle entirely, for his friendships and personal feeling were much more for the people that opposed the Federalists. One close to Mr. Carroll said that he despised John Adams, while admiring his principles;

and he admired Jefferson, while despising his principles. A kind of government was formed by these articles of confederation, but it was a government without vitality or force. It could not levy a tax, raise a soldier, or keep its engagements with foreign powers. But it was a beginning; a frail one, it is true; but the beginning of a governmental structure nevertheless. Mr. Carroll was one of those who bemoaned its weakness, but accepted it as the best that could be secured.

Having given his time to Congress when it seemed absolutely necessary to do so, Mr. Carroll was appointed on a committee to visit Valley Forge and confer with Washington as to the work of reorganizing the army. The committee was made up mainly of Washington's friends. When this committee was appointed the conspiracies against Washington were seething. There was one suggestion that Congress should send a committee of officers to Valley Forge with orders to arrest Washington, depose him from command, and bring him as a prisoner before Congress. The conspirators had counted their supporters and felt they were about even, when the arrival of Gouverneur Morris put them in a minority. The story is told that before going to Valley Forge Dr. Benjamin Rush said to Mr. Carroll, "so you are going to Valley Forge to look into the conduct of Washington. I hope you will feel that he ought to be deposed."

"I shall not," answered Mr. Carroll. "Is'nt that rendering a verdict before you have heard the testimony," asked Rush.

"It is, and I have " answered the friend of Washington. Then Rush went on," But it may be necessary to put a man like Gen. Gates at the head of the army. If so I hope he would receive the same loyal support from you that you have given to Gen. Washington."

Mr. Carroll then said, deliberately and weighing his words carefully, "In that case I should wash my hands of the whole affair and retire to private life. I would leave this country or not as circumstances required; but I would have nothing more to do with this cause.'

Everything possible had been done and was being done to nag and annoy Washington into resigning. He repeatedly said that if there was a demand by the people for him to retire from the position he had not sought, and which had been fraught with labor, care, anxiety and hardship, he would gladly resign; but he would not retire in the face of a factional opposition.

While he was facing Howe at White Marsh and driving back a well equipped, well fed, well disciplined army of twice his numbers with his ragged, foot sore and sick band of Continentals and trying to secure them the possibilities of mere existence through the winter, he was facing the opposition of the Pennsylvania legislature, the careless improvidence of a treacherous quartermaster general, and the work of this band of conspirators in the Congress at York. Little wonder that he and his friends were well nigh discouraged.

General Conway was an Irish officer serving with the French. He had grown up in France, been educated there and had attained high rank in the French army. But he was one of the host that came over seeking high commissions and important commands. He wrote Congress almost demanding a promotion to a Major Generalship. Mr. Carroll on the floor of Congress opposed the promotion and denounced Conway in strong terms. The effort to supplant Washington was then well under way and Mr. Carroll seeing in this attempted promotion of Conway a move of the conspirators defeated it. The following letter