8883. WAR, Genius for.—
I see the difficulties
and defects we have to encounter in
war, and should expect disasters if we had
an enemy on land capable of inflicting them.
But the weakness of our enemy there will
make our first errors innocuous, and the seeds
of genius which nature sows with even hand
through every age and country, and which
need only soil and season to germinate, will
develop themselves among our military men.
Some of them will become prominent, and
seconded by the native energy of our citizens,
will soon, I hope, to our force add the
benefits of skill.—
To William Duane. Washington ed. vi, 75.
Ford ed., ix, 365.
(M.
Aug. 1812)
