Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-09-11
From tie Phiie4eIphia ORION.
To THE EDITORS.


In reading over an oil manuscript which
hisly te.s into my hands at an auction,
fouul Ire enclosed observations ON Mount
Vcnon Their singuIarity aud their point,
excited nv curiosity, and | began To- copy
them for your paper, before ! discovered
that ,hcy had bee1 lett unfinished by the
author. have copied it with the correc-
t;onS OF the author, 10 show you the mode
in which il was written. A blank OF two
folio pages is lett by the author TO finish the
decorations, hut which he seems never to
have accomplished.
The next written page containsa descrip-
ton of Alexandra, &c. \ So BSCRlBER.
Or nte Tomb ofEos.iRgton, from the Jour
nal ofcm Eagiisb Tra0elier,
III tue interest of hiount Vernon, is te-
rived from the imposing memory oi lis war
rior Lord. The house and garlen are no
obircts OF curiosity to the traveller he has
Often seen better; but be has not often telt
that sacred awe anu high association winch
impress upon his soul stamp OF wild e.
motion. Beneath that lofty oak re has Of
ten repoSed upon that Sloping bank he
ulCditatUd schemes OF the highest import;
along that winding path he hrea,hed the
.ay freshness of morning; from yOnder
mound he often surveyed The wide GXpanse
al the Potomac That oak, that bank, the
,yindn g path, and ycrdant mount, are COM
tngYoliects. Why then dove fee breath
Isxs emotion, ~ listening to the description
a.; ihCm from the artlesS tongue OF slave
Why do they stamp memory OttlgcmSehes
vr,,p our hearts? Ii is their moral culorinS
..h;ch casts magic over the scene. IL
me mark Of mind, tie impress OF the soul
!, * ant the house, the garden, the OAK, the
mc,ni: IL is the Chief, the Warrior, the
patrio;; il is the bloody field tue martial
council: the civil contest It IS justice, va
;o- wisdom, patriotism and liberty, that
trine themselves in fond association with
.l,esc hallowed scenes, and give cast OF
tlouuLt, a high imagining, even to the cold
81 Ieart. when pauSlng TO survey the last
ro,rrat of WASHINGTON.
These arc the feelings OF an ETg'jSbmGH.
What should | reel were an .4merIcan /!
Gould endure the intensity Of feeling ruu-
col bv the memory Of this glorious Geing !
Could |, y lille a roy of feeling heamed on
my SOU, ioryct the spot where a long line
nfiight, which marked his great career,
hurst IN moment on my heart AMI raised
my fancy 10 her loftIst height Should !
moi ask with eager curiosity where rcpose
EhoavIjll ruins OF departed greatness; where
i the Toni raised To- the memory OF ma
teu's gratitude A low obscure, ce-housc
hooking brick vault tcSlities how well na-
TONS gratitude reVays the soldiers tolls,
the s,a;esman'S lahors, the patriots virtue,
ana Inc fathers cares. He tcGueathed al
finn an immortal blessing He gave them
IberIv. lie made them nation. What
has ne received in return Neglect! Here
no lies in a mean and obscure grave, W ID
not one single line 70 tell his resting place,
moi me single object To arrest the careless
n,sser or 10 stop the needless iootstep as il
nrasses ON the hailowed earth. "There is
mor. in this than philosophy can account
tnr" The selfish genius of rcpuhlicaniSm
trrns cpyiousiy away from the glory OF the
departed hero. us blaze is painful Tor II
oLs,rr,.s ieehlvr light: It's memory is
hateful, forit eclpses the fame OF the pre-
sent day TO rivalry, To envy, Ia avlrice OF
ylory mss be traced this shameful ingra,i-
iule. I'm a well balanced m0narct Ike
mrs. the king is never the rival OF ms pre-
decessors it they have been honorable
tbey will be honorad They are his kins'
n,sn their glory sheds brighter beam OF
hi, 9lory. their tue ON his virtue. But "
sIac,ive governments each successive rule,
is compared with his precursors, ant accor
ding 10 his own excellence, takes ms statIoT
in the memory Of the nation, TIE g'or1
of MS predecessors therefore IS in G,PP1SSi
lion TO his the brighter they are, the les
distinguished will he be-. -, >.
Had the virtue and glory ot ASKING
ton been less pre-emincpt, had he lett he
hind him a less luminous character, h
would have been more highly hono~d.-,
Rut alas, for his claims 10 = monument, h
j. hsvond competition, The present RI,
jsrs of this republic can only rival ITS n
L,s,r;ous founder by casting his virtues mt
the shade, by eGacing his memory and leay
ING him '' to dumb forgettulness aprey.
All their efforts have been direc'ea to TN
object, aud they have succeeded ~ sha