Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-04-04
Prom the Petersburg Exprsss.l
Ny nm r,f, ,rf,,-

Madam-l have received your letter Of March 9th,
respecting the purchase of Mount Vernon by the la.
dies Of different parts of the United States.
In reply, i respectfully inform you that Mount Yer
non is not for sale.
am, most respectfully. your ob't serv't,
JOHN Il. WASHINGTON.
What does it mean Can anybody telll Are the
patriotic exertions of the Jealous ladies Of the Mount
Vernon Association Of the Union to go for naught7-
Or are they engaged, after all, on a wild-goose chase
along the banks OF the Potomac! And Mr.. Everett's
generous labors in repeating, wherever the ladies
shall desire, his splendid Grafton on Washington tor
the benefit uf the cause, are they to be truitless, 20
far as the acquisition OF Mount Vernon is concerned 7
We are 1T Il loss what to make uf Mr.. westinghouse
letter, and beg Ia call the attention OF the leading
members of the Central COMMITTEES to it at once.
For some time past, unfavorab!e susp!cions of MIR.
Washing,on's good faith in the matter of the pur-
chase have been whispered about, and the exorbitant
nature Of his original demand, Of two hundred thou
sand dollars for a piece of property whose market
value cannot exceed one.tenth that amount, lent some
probability to the suggestion that he was disposed to
make the most Of the sacred ashes entrusted TO his
keeping. Can it be possible that no designs at this
m no .ns Ialn d f wi,b sn tg1 VIEW W. OF fYSxatth esa9Pyy9eyehh ,gsAee4F tpaqte
upon it, and drawing still more largely upon the patri-
otism Of the country now likely to he stimulated into
unwonted fervor by the glowing eloquence OF Ed
ward Everett We cannot believe this of any man
bearing the name Of Washington, and in any degree,
however remotely, related to the Pater Patrie. Yet
lest the letter in the Spartan should have escaped the
attention Of the Richmond papers, and so have tailed
to reach the eye of the Committee, we desire, in re-
publishing il, TO ask it's tranter to the columns OF the
Enquirer, where it may receive promptly the notice
it requires.
Being specially called upon, we publish the above
with a view to furnishing all the light We have on the
subject. We must confess our surprize at seeing Mr..
Washington's positive refusal to sell Mount Vernon
on any terms, after what we know Of the official
action on the subject. Below we publish an official
cnrraupnnbunna h.typap Gov Jnhnehu and Mr.
Washington. which was submitted to the late
Legislature by Gov. j., and which 10 the last official
information We have from Mr.. w. We, therefore,
cannot but indulge the belief that there is some mis-
take or misrepresentation in the correspondence of
Mr. w. with Mrs. W.-Knowing Mr.. W., as we DOVE
cannot fer a moment believe that he will refuse to stand
by his proposition officially made to Gov. johnson.
In a moment of Impotence he may have written
the letter of the l4th Of last month. That was before
the passage Of the Ladies' act by the Virginia Legis
lature, on the 18th March, and before the magic elo-
quence of Edward Everett had given a mighty mo-
raj, patriotic and financial impulse to the sacred
cause. No one now doubts that the necessary fund
can and will be raised by the patriotic efforts of the
Ladies of the Union-and We mistake the gentleman.
ly and high-,oned character Of Mr.. Washington, if,
when he shall be properly informed of the true state
Of the case, be will refuse to sign a contract with the
Governor, as provided in the net of March 18th, for
making a deed for the property to the State OF Viz
ginia, upon the amount tS20O,OOO) being paid to linn
within i've years. Within q short time, we trust and
believe, proper steps will be taken, by those author
lied to act, to snter into negotiations with Mr.. W.
and We will not for q moment doubt that he will be
satisfied that his true glory, as a descendant Of the
Father of his Country, will induce him TO accede to
the wishes of the patriotic sons and daughters of
America, who nobly seek to throw the agis of his
native State around the grave and home OF Wash
ington. But to the official correspondence:
RICHMOND, June Is, 1855.
SIR: In my message to tho General Assembly Of
Virginia, at its last session, | earnestly ecommende
the ~propristy Of the purchase OF Mount Vernon by the
State, declaring that III my opinion, "Nirginia, and
she only, should be the owner aud have control OF
this sacred and cousecrated spot, where rest the NOR
tai remains of her immortal son. / thought then,
aud proposed, "If it can be purchased, upon fair and
reasonable terms, let us do it at once, that we may
preserve it in it's primitive simplicity and b~eauty-to
be freely resor,ed TO by all admirers of truc greatness
and human liberty, and to be gazed on by all who may
pass upon the beautiful Potomac"
Believing, still, that this hallowed spot should be
rescued from all possibility, in future, of being per.
vsrted 10 uses inconsistent with the veneration due to
the memory and character Of Washington, l intend,
once more, to 1t to the favorable conside-
Idttou W u
With the view of ~atfording all the information ne
cessary for their action, / venture to request that YOU
will state the terms upon which you will consent to
part with any portion Of the property to the State
Virginia aud her constituted authorities to have the
sole control and ownership forever.
Very respectfully,
JOSEPH JOHNSON.
j. a. WAsnlSGToN, ESQ.
MoeHr VERNON, June Is, 1855.
siR: Your letter OF June 18th has been received,
in which you mention your design Of again recon-
lnsuding TO the Legislature of Virginia tho proprie,y
of acquiring for the State, that portion Of Mount Yer
non where General Washington formerly resided, and
on which bis remains are now inferred; and YOU re-.
quest to know from me on what terms the State can
obtain the property.
Should the State Of Virginia desire to purchase
Mount Vernon, she can obtain 20U acres OF it, en-.
bracing the tomb of Washington, mansion, gardens,
grounds, &C., on the following terms, viz:
l. The remaius of such members Of the Washington
family as now are, or may be, hereafter, inferred in or
around the present family vault, shall never be re-
moved nor disturbed, and for the purposes of a family
burying ground, the undersigned, John A. Washing
ton, and his heirs. shall retain the right of enclosing
and improving one-half acre of land, including the
vault at present used, with free and easy access to it
at all times. In this buryipg ground, members of the
washington family and no one else may BIZ inferred,
aud the State, az its custodian, shall be pledged to pre-.
serve It from injury or desecratiou.
il. The State shall never ALLEVIATE the fee simple nor