The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-10-12
WI / $ ca ella m e GUS.
A VISIT TO MOUNT VERNON.
Washington, Sent. a. ls

ern direction, over a wretched road through thin
soiled wood covered country, brought US, in lii
tie less than three hours from this city to MouNr
VERNON. The estate is completely isolated from
all other cultivation, on the east by the broad, mag
nifcent Potomac, hch sweeps partly around il in
south. east and then sou iheily direction; on the
west and southwest, by broken tract of half
grown forest, through which brooket has worn
deep and wide gorge its way TO the river
The cultivated portion Of the stretches main
ly north and north west from the mansion, plain
| and modest white house of goodIy size, which
stands near the bank OF the Potomac, fronting ives
terly upon the garden and grounds of the estate
around which haIfa dozen humber dwellings, ten
anted by families OF black aborers and servants are
scattered with little regard TO order or symmetry
The estate is now the possession and residence of
Mrs. John A Washington, widow OF a nephew of
Judge Brushrod Washington, himself the nephew
of Gen. George Washington: swiftly do the gen
erations of men follow each other in their solemn
march 10 he tomb!
! The original resting place Of the Father of his
Country, and the old family sepuchre is south of
tho mansion, Immediately the bank of the Pc.
tomac, though steep and woody descent Of sever
al hundred feet intervenes between it and the wa .
ter This >epulchre is excavation in the
|
ing far more at its entrance like hop-kln or out
door cellar than place of rest FOR the iIlustrous
departed. But this cemetery deserted and
of course dapidaed. A new and more fitting
mausojeum of brick was constructed IN 1897 south
Of the garden, and some two or three hundred
yards southwest of the former, in which the re-
mains of the Washington family deposited.
1t is built on ground slipping to the south, and the
family cemetery is excavated IN the hill SIDE and
is entered by an iron door; but front of this,
der the neat and appropriate brick structure itself,
separated from the outer world only by strong
iron railing, rest side by side in two marble sareo
phagi, The ashes Of GEORGE and MARTHA WASH
iNGToN These marble enclosures are well execu-
ted, though simple, and believe were prcsen ed
by Mr.. T. Struthers, Philadcph artist, as to
ken of aifectionCte reverence and admiration for
the memory of the departed. The inscription up
on the top of each, merely states the name age
and time OF the deceuse of each respectively; the
death of Mrs Washington having occurred in 1904
years after that of her revered consort; and as
her age is stated at II years, while he not reach
6c, she must have been nearly two years his sein-
ior There is another inscription the foot OF
Washington's sarcophagus, but was not near e.
ough TO read it,
After musng an hour by the sepulchre, we were
black man, who rejoices in the appellation OF Bill
Smith, and who has been forty years the estate
having there with Bushrod Washington soon
after the decease OF the Ex-Presdent The gar
den is rich in rare and valuable plants, among
them many planted by the hand Of Washing
! ton. Peaches, pears, lemons, oranges, thickly
| surrounded by the aloe, myrtle, rose, gerauiurn,
&c, as we'll as plants whose unfamiliar names
cape me. The burning of an adjoining building a
| few years since destroyed some CT them; but The
garden is probably little changed since its world
| renowned master stood in its midst in the
greater profusion of its contents. Long may it con
[ nue to people the mind of the visiter with ina
ges of the past, and fifty blend its fragrance with
the memory of Washington!
/ Slowly, pensvely turned our faces from the
rest of the mighty dead to the turmoil of the rest
| less living--from the solemn, sublime repose Of
Mount Vernon to the ceasoless inrigues, the petty
s,ries the ant-hl hustle of the Federal City.
| Each has its own atmosphere; London and Mecca
are not unlike they. The silent, enshroud-
ing woods the cleaning majestic river the bright,
benIgnant sky--It is fifty here amid the he
loved and hallowed that the whose life and
character have redeemed Patriotism and Liberty
from the reproach which centuries of designing
knavery and hollow profession ad cast upon them,
nov calmly awaits the trump Of the ArclIangel.
! Who does not rejoice that the original design of
removing his ashes to this City has been con
summarized that they lie where the pilgrim may
reverently approach them unvexed by the light
laugh of the time killing wording, unannoyed by
the vain vile scribblings of the shoughtiess or
the base? Thus may they repose forever! that the
heat of the Patriot may be invigorated, the hopes
ofthe Phianthropist strengthened and his aims ex-
allied, the pulse Of the American quickened and
his aspirations purified by Visit to Mount Yer
I non! H. q.
DIALOGUE IN A COURT JUSTICE. The At
torney in the case attempted to invaldate the ties.
tmony ofthe witness, by declaring him TO be too
ignorant TO be a competent one said he to the
judge, can convince your homer of the incompe
tency of the witness in few moments; he has