June 25, 1776

Major General Richard Montgomery on December 31, 1775, was mourned across the colonies and in the halls of Parliament—though, not by everyone. In a meeting of the Committee of Supply in March about expenses for the army, “the death of the gallant General MONTGOMERY was lamented in strains of the most pathetic eloquence that ever were heard in the House of Commons.” The leaders of the Opposition praised Montgomery as a hero. But the Prime Minister, Lord North, refused to join in because Montgomery was “a REBEL.” North admitted that Montgomery “was brave; he was able; he was humane; he was generous; but still, he was only a brave, able, humane, and generous rebel.” 

The Pennsylvania Evening Post
Printed by Benjamin Towne

LONDON, March 21.

IN the debate, which arose in the Committee of Supply last Monday night, on the estimate of the army extraordinaries, the death of the gallant General MONTGOMERY was lamented in strains of the most pathetic eloquence that ever were heard in the House of Commons. Three of the principal orators, Mr. Burke, Mr. Fox, and Colonel Barre, distinguished themselves on the occasion, and vied with each other in the panegyric of that hero. General Burgoyne, though he expressed a strong zeal against the American cause, in a very handsome manner, did justice to his merits, and said, that all his virtues were abundantly rewarded, when they were thus “praised, wept, and honored by the muse he loved.”

Lord North censured the unqualified liberality of the praises bestowed on General MONTGOMERY by the gentlemen in opposition, because they were bestowed upon a REBEL; and said he could not join in lamenting his death as a public loss. He admitted, indeed, that he was brave; he was able; he was humane; he was generous; but still he was only a brave, able humane, and generous rebel; and said, that the verse of the tragedy of Cato might be applied to him, “Curse on his virtues, they’ve undone his country.”

Mr. Fox rose a second time, and said the term Rebel, applied by the noble Lord to that excellent person, was no certain mark of disgrace, and therefore he was the less earnest to clear him of the imputation; for that all the great assertors of liberty, the saviours of their country, the benefactors of mankind, in all ages had been called REBELS; that they even owed the constitution, which enabled them to sit in that House, to a REBELLION.