to the good of their country. Says Washington, writing to Congress, February 9th, 1776: "Three things prompt men to a regular discharge of their duty in time of action—natural bravery, hope of reward, and fear of punishment. The two first are common to the lininstructed and the disci- plined soldier ; but the latter most obviously distinguishes the one from the other. A coward, when taught to believe that, if he breaks his ranks and abandons his colors, he will be punished with death by his own party, will take his chance against the eneftiy." Washington wa& too well acquainted with human nature, and too much devoted to truth, to attribute martial valor to patriotism.
The patriotism of our soldiers in Mexico, is a never-faihng topic of eulogy with our political aspirants ; but from a report of the Secretary of War, made 8th April, 1848, it appears that the desertions in Mexico, up to the 31st December, 1847, so far as they could be ascertained from confessedly very imperfect returns, amounted very nearly to five thousand, about one-sixteenth of the whole number of troops employed. The newspapers represent the de- sertions, in the early part of 1848, as very numerous.