Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-07-24
Communications.

Communications.
DEAR MARlrs: A friend invited me while at
Washington to make a trip 10 Mount Vernon the
former residence and present tomb Of George
Washington, and as sight seeing was the main
purpose Of my visit here, =! made a pilgrimage to
this American Mecca. Not with the usual feel
ing of hero. worshippors who revere men because of
some great or good thing they may have done. and
thereupon cannonize or defy them. rather than
the principle or fact which should receive their re
spect, but from general curiosity mingled never.
theless with saddened interest, to'see the home and
tomb of the Americon-slayeholder
About a hundred pilgrims, men and women,
young and old, made the trip with me some TWEEN.
ty miles by steamer down the Potomac.
The estate which at Washington's death con-
sisted of twelve tho usand acres of land has been
reduced to It's present limits Of sixteen hundred
acres, of which two hundred acres including the
mansion and buildings, the tomb, and steam boat
landing are about being purchased by the Mount
Vernon Association Of Ladies, assisted by the
patri tic aid of that great American turnkey, Ed
ward Everett, for the modest sum of one thou
SAINT plidI al :! bhc piCuty VI
land Just by, can be bought for ten dollars an
acre. But this is sacred ground, hallowed by the
tread of the great American God, and alas cursed
too by the constant presence Of that real
American Devil, the slave. Alas and no, |
W ill not say alas, for it is appropriate and H.ing
that while we bring to mind the noble deedk and
great daring of the hero of the revolution 4 we
visit his abode, we should also have corss mly
forced upon our consideration, his shame toby
the presence of slaves. This Ghost will not a IN
at our bidding. but is ever present with us,f max
God, TO testify to, and against us. Slaves{e Will
ages were present everywhere. The bal w,1
tho man of hoary hairs whose four scoA hde. :,
run FAR back in their recollections to ttsty ofre
Mass'r washin ,ton. .stbs pidd
-, &is ! s.er
into a bend of the river and c~ommA4pdinp
magnificent view Of the Potomac fofb rel.e
fifteen miles up and down, and being one ne ne
finest natural locations that could be found III n
quiet, pleasant family residence. The b~ui,incss
which were in their day very grand, are anew
quite dilapidated and out of repair, fast flo Gg
TO decay. a general slovenly, thriftlessnsss ayt,r-
vades the whole place, which with the small ess
of charging twenty five cents a head for each risi'
itor, and selling them, if they chose. rough walk
ing sticks and boquets as mementoes at the same
price. and asking a thou and dollars an acre for
land really worth ten, indicates but too apparent
ly the grea, descent from the original Washington
to the present descendant owner of the sam
name.
The tomb which is cf brick is covered in part
with an iron grated door through which you can
look upon the marble slrcophlgi, one of which
contains the earthly remains of Washington. and
he other those Of Martha his wife.
The interior of the mansion CONTAINS much of
the old furniture used by its former occupant, in,
teresting to the antiquary or the hero'worshipper,
but the article most interesting to me was the pom
dcrous iron key Of the old French Bastile, pre-.
scented TO Washington by La Fayette, and preserv,
ed here in a glass case for the inspection Ct all.
When shall the key of the American Bastile
turn for the last time the dreadful bolts and let.
ting the oppressed go free, be preserved thence.
forth a harmless curiosity, whose story shall seem
impossible to succeeding generations.
On the return trip a Georgian claiming owner.
ship in four hundred Of his fellow creatures. who
had made himself conspicuous during the day by
his p~rOfane denunciations of black repu blicans
and niggerIovers, undertook, TO some who ques.
toned, a scriptural defence of slavery. Noticing
that he made often mistakes in bis quotations and
blunders in his arguments, | ventured to aid and
correct HE elucidation OF the subject, till we at,
tracted the notice of nearly all the passengers,
and we had quite a little impromptu anti.sIavery
meeting, in the midst of shareholders and close by
! ,ba coil 81 N;rn;p;a An tho l,Tt and AI,.1-I
the right, that was quite as interesting as it was
unex pected to me.
When my opponent quoted Paul's letter to Phil.
emoA respecting Onesimus he persisted 10 quoting
him as saying receive him not only as a servant.
but as q brother also" and made his argument
therefrom. While [ insisted that il was -''not
ROU as a servant, but above a servant, a brother
beloved" Being thus at loggerheads he demand
ed a Bible, aud a passenger producing one from
the ladies cabin, | read the correct quotation.
which entirely destroyed his argument there.
much to his ~chagrin, as the few Buckeyes and
Yankees around expressed their satisfaction at his
discontinue, while his slascholding friends NUT,
tered their disaprobation. Then lie fell back
upon the translation. and desired to know if /
understood Greek, | told him no, he said then
that the original Greek sustained his view, and
that unless | understood it, ! had no right to ex.
pound scripture. Do you understand the original
Greek sir? No said he, but | employ a minister
who does to expound for me. Indeed, replied /,
God has not revealed his word to me in an un,
known tongue, or given me any authorized human
'leIPosilor, save my own reason and conscience,