American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-07-11

| sacred TOOTH, winch mas Deen preserved as hedL-
| y as possible in the state in which he left it
Here were several family pictures, and various
memorials of the great man: the original bust
by Houdon placed over the door by Washing
toms own hand, and never since removed here
were the books that he was fond of perusing,
and with emotion took down from the Shelf
the old family Bible that he used, and looked at
his autograph there. should be glad to own
that autograph of Washington! | would be-
queath it and the Bible as a rich legacy to my
children. The Father of his country loved his
Bible.
Mrs. Washington, had welcomed US with a
cordlality that we had no right to anticipate,
| but her feeble health constrained us to beg that
she would now commit us to the guide OF SER
want through the house, but with great urbani-
ty and kindness she insisted upon being our
guide, from room to room, while with earnest
but gentle dignity she pointed out the various
memorials of the man which were constantly
meeting the eye. In the family dning-room
were several beautiful engravings that had been
presented to the General; in private parlour
was the key of the Bastle given to Washing
ton by La Fayette after its memorable destruc-
ton, and several paintings that possessed pecu-
liar interest from the fact that they connected
their possessor with events that they iliustra-
! ted. We were now introduced into the great
dining-room that the General was obliged TO
erect at the North end of his mansion to enable
him to entertain the numerous guests that
thronged his house after he retired from the
| Presidency. In this room we were invited to
partake ofthe Inequalities of the mansion, an
honor which we appreciated the more highly
as it was offered in the very room in which
Washington had SO often presided at his own
social board.
The chamber where the good man breathed
his last is on the second story In the South
West corner, and is now the private room of
the lady of the house: sacred as it should be,
against public intrusion. Into this room he
retired on the 18th Of December 1899, having
been riding on horseback, in the rain to view
his farms he was wet and chilled; "the water
had penetrated to his neck, and the snow was
lodged in the locks of his hair" A severe
cold succeeded, and sore throat which at first
gave him no uneasiness, but gradually increas-
ing he breathed with more ar&rmore difficulty
remedies proved unavailing, AID in less than
two days he expired. Ten minutes before he
died he felt Of his ol0n pulse, fact more charac
terstic of the man than many that are ottener
mentioned.
He gave directions for his own burial; that
he must be laid in the family vault, and with
out any display on the occasion OF the tuneial
vast concourse of people however assembled
on the day he was to be buried, and forming
solemn procession they bore his remains
through the gate at the left wing of the house
around in front of the lawn, down to the vault.
And there they rest. His country has sought
to have them in her keeping, but they belong
to Mount Vernon and should never be disturb
ed. 1t is we'll that a man who never lett the
shades of his own trees but to obey the call OF
his country, who fled to those shades again
when duty no longer bade him stay, it is fitting
that he should now rest in the bosom OF his
own sepuchre; the spot that was hallowed by
his life should be the repository OF his dust.
The family vault 10 which he was laid had
fallen to decay, and few years ago it was re-
paired; plain brick wall with projecting
roof was erected in front Of it, and his remains
being deposited in marble sarcophagus are
laid at the right hand, and on the other are the
f ashes Of his wife. An iron gateway prevents
, intrusion within the sacred enclosure, but al
lows the pilgrim to contemplate the coffin in
, which moulders the mortal tenement OF the
most complete MAN that has ever adorned the
: world. Other men may have been greater
and better as statesmen, warriors, philosophers
. or christians, but there was in Washing oil such
: a symmetrical development of all the qualities
E that ennoble the man and make him the orna-
: ment of his race, that his character stands out
r on the page of time as standard OF excel
I ence not to be envied but initiated and admir-
ed
, 1t was solemn place to stand upon, that
turf by the tomb Of Washington. We felt it
/ so. The memory of the illustrous dead was
s precious there, and it was good to dwell upon
!. 1t. Leaving the sepulchre we went through
g the gardens which he had laid out and the con-
g seryatory where the ange trees which he had
n planted were bearing fruit, and having recelv'
g ed few plants that are now adjoining another
d and distant spot we prepared to bid adieu to
d Mount Vernon. >
e cannot refrain from saying here that the
e Government ought to become the proprietor o.
" these acres. The incessant and increasing
n stream of strangers renders it undesirable as q
IF place of private residence, but its gates ought
,e never to be closed against the pilgrims who
10 travel hither to see where Washington livet
,e and died and is buried. Hundreds OF year:
n hence, and thousands if the world stands
If though the Union be dissolved and the Repub
s, lie of Washington find tomb among the sepul
ID chres of nations, yet so long as one lover o
n liberty lives among men, the S, OF where Wash
a ngton lies will be precious to his heart, and III
D. will desire to make pilgrimage thither Whei
ic hundred millions of people are WITHIN TN
v area of these states-our children's children
~ will be part of them-each and every one o
tn that vast multitude of people will have tn
m same interest in the name of Washington tina
~ zoe have: they will know HIM, and love him
/ we'll as we do; thousands of them will ever
til wear make the tour to Mount Vernon. and g
back to tel their children that they bav
of been to the tomb of Washington; and othe
an thousands will come from other lands; an
a. more as other lands are illuminated and mad
his free by the power of his principles and exam
sse pie; and believing as we do that the genius
no our institutions is vet to pervade the earth q