Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-05-01
The Purchase Of Mount Vernon.

The Richmond Enquirer contains an ad-
mirable appeal in behalf of the Ladies'
Mount Vernon Association, from the pen
OF the noble and gifted Miss Cunningham,
heretofore known as the "Southern Mat
ron.' Miss Cunningham, as the majority
of our readers probably know, is daugh-
ter of Carolina.
For the information of our readers we
extract the following from the Regents
appeal to the people of the United States !,
On the failure of the Mount Vernon bill
in the General Assembly of Virginia, we
renewed our overturcs to Mr.. Washington
to sell the property to the Association.
These overtures met with favorable re.
sponse, and on the 9th of April, contract
was signed by Mr.. Washington, which OBJ
llgatcd him to transfer Mount Vernon to
the Association, on its compliance with the
following terms, viz:
The payment of two hundred thousand
dollars, for two hundred acres of land inclu,
ding the mansion, gardens, landing place
and, above all, the tomb.
Eighteen thousand dollars to be paid on
closing of contract, and the remainder of
the sum, i'll four bonds, payable in yearly
lnstalments, with the permission, after poy-
mcnt Of Me first bond, to pay to Mr.. Wash
ington any amount of the balance due, in
sums of not less than FIVE thousand dollars.
which sums will be credited to the Associa-
ton; In this manner lcssening the interest
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 day IS notice.
at any time tie ASsociation may be rcody
to furnish the entire purchase money
The price asked for Mount Vernon by
its proprietor, and which has never varied
has long been known to tho public and the
Ladies of the Mount Vernon Association
in offering to become its purchasers, could
not erpect to acquire IL upon other terms
than those given as the ultimatum to Con
gress and to Virginia.
let there is a concession made to the
Association by Mr.. Washington, as to tho
extension of time; and very important
ProUtSo, to save interest, which can best be
explained by the following letter addressed
- the legal gentlemen who negotiated the
purchase on behalf of the Association.
RICHMOND, April I, 1858.
To Wm. II. NcFdrland, Esq, and Cen
n. ~. CHupHtUH
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 interest
on the deferred instalments from the date
of the contrast, while retained possession
OF the property, was The only serious diff
Guilty between us.
Having satisfied you that L could not
yield this point, you finally conceded it.
AS the contract is now closed, and be-
lievo in satisfactory way to both parties,
1t affords me pleasure TO say to you, that if
the Association meets its engagements with
me on the first of January, 1859, and thinks
proper to pay, and does pay the other de-
terred instalmcnta on or before the 22d day
OF February, 1850, as you inform ME they
Will probably be both willing and able to
do, it is my intention, in that case, to remit
to the Association all the interest on all
the deferred payments.
This Ishall be willing to do, partly as
an inducement to the Association to obtain
possession of Mount Vernon at an early
day, but more particularly MS an evidence
OF my appreciation of the motives that have
actuated the Ladies' Association in the
cause it has undertaken.
have the honor to be gentlemen,
With the highest respect,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN A. WASHINGTON.
More tim half century has now elapsed
since Washington walked armong rs-ailalf
a century of neglect and ingrati'rde to his
memory Between the broken pledges of
Congress, and the apathy of lis mother
state, the remains of the fathcrof his coun-
try have lain unhonorcd by the mausoleum
voted in. the hour of a nations grief, and
ms Home and Grave, left to the fate of pri-
vote property and accessible to the public,
only through the forbearance and courtesy
of its various private owners
Ever and anon, a voice was heard to pro-
test against republican ingratitudc, for, ev-
er and anon, the heart of this great nation
seemed to throb with remembrance of his
virtues and his services, and the. priceless
legacy he bequeathed But, during the
stern struggles of young Republic, this
voice was unheeded, and since America be-
came power on the earth, it was either ST.
fenced by the din of party, and sectional
strife, or stifed by the murmurs of Nam.
mon, until the generations, which knew
him not, were in danger Of forgetting and
wholly departing from those pyiaei,,leo,
which arc the bulwark of our greatness, and
those warning coWasels which can oIone
maintain our Union in safety. But that
Providence which has SO often interposed
for our rescue i'm The darkest dayg of the