The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-05-06
The MT. vernon Association. .

We announced, week or two since, the
fact, communicated by telegraph, Of the fin.
al arrangement made to purchase the Mount
Vernon estate. The "Southern Matron,'
the acting regent Of the Association, who now
assumes her own baptismal name, Ann
Pamela Cunningham, announces this ar.
rangement in tie Richmond Enquirer, as
follows:
MOUNT VERNON THE PROPERTY OF THE
NATIoN.-It is with feelings Of the highest
qualification that we announce to the public,
that the persevering efforts Of the Ladies'
Mount Vernon Association Of the Union
have been crowned with success comrnensu1
rate with their sacred aims and lofty pat
riotism, and that they have at last secured
to the American people the privilege OF
making the Home and Grave of Washington
the property Of the Nation !!
On the failure OF the Mount Vernon bill
in the General Assembly of Virginia, we
renewed our overtures to Mr.. Washington to
sell the property to the Association. These
oyertures met with a favorable response,
and on the 9th OF April q contract was sign
ed by Mr.. Washington, which obligated him
to transfer Mount Vernon to the Associa-
ton, on its compliance with the following
terms, viz:
The pigment Of two hundred thousand
dollars for two hundred acres OF land, in
cludng the mansion, gardens, landIg place,
and, above all, the tomb.
Eighteen thousand dollars to be paid on
closing of contract, and the remainder of
the sum, in fou' bonds, payable in yearly in
staiments, with the permission, after the
paument of the first bond, TO pay to Mr..
Washington any amount of the balance due,
in sums Of not less than five thousand dol
lars, which sums will be credited to the AS.
sociation, in this manner lesseDing the in.
terest.
The title to the estate and possession to
be given on payment of the principal and
interest; and the privilege also granted Of
obtaining possession, on thirty days notice,
at ony time the Association may be ready to
furnish the entire purchase money.
The price asked for Mount Vernon by it's
proprietor, and which has never varied, has
long been known to the public, and the la
dies Of the Mount Vernon Association, 10
offering to become its purchasers, could not
erpect TO acquire ii upon other terms than
those given as the uItimatum, to Congress
and to Virg'nia
Yet there is a concession made to the AS
socation by Mr. Washington, as to the ex-
tention OF the time; and very important
pr0viSo, to save interest, which can be best
explained by the following letter addressed
to the legal gentlemen who negotiated the
purchase oil behalf of the Association.
RICHMOND, April Z, 1858.
GENTLEMEN: In the negotiations you have
recently concluded with me, on behalf OF
the Ladies' Association for the purchase OF
Mount Vernon, the payment Of the interest
on the deferred :nstalments from the date OF
the contract, while | retained possession
of the property, was the only serious diff
Guilty between us.
Having satisfied you that could not yield
this point, you finally conceded it.
As the contract is nov closed, and be-
lieve in satisfactory way TO both parties, II
affords me pleasure to say to you, that ii the
Association meets ils engagements with me
on the Let of Jauuary, 1859, and thinks pro-
per to pay, and does pay, the other deferred
insta ailments on or before the 22d day Of Feb.
ruary, 1859, as you inform me they will pro.
badly be both willing and able to do, it is my
intention, in that case, to remit to the Asso.
citation all the interest on all the deferred
payments.
This shall be willing to do, partly as an
induce me mt to the Association to obtain pos.
session Of Mount Vernon at an early day,
but more particularly, 40 an evidence OF my
appreciation of the motives that have actu-
ted the Ladies' Association iD the cause tbas
undertaken. JoHH A. WAsHiNsroE.
The Association is extremely anxious to
raise sufficient funds to complete the above
bargain BY the 22d Of February, 1859. BY
the BY laws Of the Association, any Ameri-
can lady, acitizen Of the United States, re-
mitting the sum Of ONE dollar to the Regent,
Il Richmond, Va; Is thereby entitled to al
the privileges Of Membership. We trust
that thie benevolent movement may meet =
response throughout the Union.