Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist Minister during the American Revolution named Peter Miller, who lived in Pennsylvania and was friends with George Washington. But Miller had a bitter enemy named Michael Whitman, who did all that he could to frustrate and humiliate the good reverend. One day Mr. Whitman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die Peter Miller walked seventy miles from Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor.
General Washington said to Miller, that he was sorry but their friendship was not enough to pardon the life of his friend Michael Whitman.
“My friend!” the old preacher said, “He is the bitterest enemy that I have.” And when Washington realized that Miller had walked 70 miles to offer practical assistance to an enemy, he granted the pardon. Miller and Whitman didn’t become bosom buddies after that. But they were no longer enemies.