try.

The reasons of my concealing it from the General were, that nothing but an
arrest, on his part, could have prevented the execution of this plan of
desertion, and the bad consequences ensuing from it, the betraying of
secrets; and such arrest would have wrought the _other_ ill consequences I
have spoken of. In this dilemma, I used a discretion which I considered
most advantageous to my country; and trusted to my hopes, that so important
an event, as your defection, would not happen, and thus avoid the
_immediate_ and _certain_ EVIL. And besides, I have, in every stage of the
war, shown a disposition to overlook political weaknesses, conceiving that
every man we could retain in the service an acquisition, tending to draw
forth the whole strength and abilities of my country against the common
enemy.

That the conversation alluded to is a new tale, devised in the malignancy
of party, has been asserted by you; and on this assertion is founded many
of your strongest conclusions in favour of your own innocence. But what
must the world think of your effrontery, when they read the following
letter of Col. Alexander Hamilton, who was then Aid-de-Camp to the
Commander-in-chief, and now a delegate in Congress; whose conduct and
character are well known and approved by the citizens of every State in the
Union,--a gentleman, who, being a resident of the State of New York, cannot
be supposed in any manner concerned in the politics of Pennsylvania?

PHILADELPHIA, _14th March, 1783_.

DEAR SIR:--Though disagreeable to appear in any manner in a
personal dispute; yet I cannot, in justice to you, refuse to
comply with the request contained in your note. I have delayed
answering it, to endeavour to recollect, with more precision,
the time, place and circumstances of the conversation, to
which you allude. I cannot, however, remember with certainty
more than this: that some time in the campaign of
seventy-seven, at head-quarters in this State, you mentioned
to me and some other gentlemen of General Washington's family,
in a confidential way, that at some period in seventy-six, I
think after the American army crossed the Delaware in its
retreat, Mr. Reed had spoken to you in terms of great
despondency respecting American affairs, and had intimated,
that he thought it time for gentlemen to take care of
themselves, and that it was unwise any