“Barclugh, a man that is the slave of the need of money has no country, has no conscience, has no will of his own. I am a slave. My wife’s desires torment me as a lash. The abyss opens before my eyes. My country’s cause can never prevail against the wealth and resources of Britain. To be loyal to America I would die a pauper in a lost cause. To serve Britain I would gain my desires,—victory and riches. The die is cast, sir, command me!”
“You have now arrived at a sensible conclusion, General Arnold,” argued Barclugh. “There is no use for you to be a beggar after such abilities as you have shown and such services as you have rendered your country. I am the direct representative of His Majesty, George III. You prepare the passports. Be candid with me, and I can relieve your financial difficulties. I will communicate with you in a few days; in the meantime, come down to my office, and I will loan you whatever money you need temporarily.
“Good day, sir,” concluded Barclugh, as he left Arnold’s office, rejoicing to himself at Arnold’s total subjection to money.
CHAPTER XI
Whenever conspirators engage to carry out a plot, they at once begin to construct arguments justifying means to their ends.
At the present day we observe oily worded arguments made in the public press to gild the corruption of virtue by the influence and power of money; and no flight of the imagination is required to determine exactly the same influence at work to-day in our money-bag circles which shows its corruption in the following letter addressed to Arnold in 1778:
“Dear General:
“Among the Americans who have joined the rebel standard, there are very many good citizens whose only object has been the happiness of their country. Such, then, will not be influenced by motives of private interest to abandon the cause they have espoused. They are now offered everything which can render the Colonies really happy and this is the only compensation worthy their virtue.