Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-17
Washineton's, and Geo. Mason's Wills

In the Clerk, office at Fairfax CT. House,
NAV be found the original manuscript copy
Of the Will Of Gen. Washington, written with
his own hand. but attested by no one
Neither did Washington consult any lawyer.
lie saws. 'profcS~ional' hands have had moth
ing to do with it. Tie provides, il ambiguity
and dispute arise. which he dcprecates, that
umpircs shall settle it, which shall be a.
binding u if decided by the Supreme Court
ofthc United States" He styles himself, al
So. late President of the United States
The VIII is remarkably perspicuous: no dis
pute ever arose in regard to it. Yet 1t IS ~
pages long in the body. besides a great deal
more. and conveys 800 900 worth of property
and many valuable presents.
The whole thing bears the impress of Gen.
W~aShington'> mind: plain, practical, strong,
fair. generous. He does a. well by the rela-
tions of Mrs. Washington, rs for his own.-
lie gives direction about making a new vault,
and adds his express wish" that there
should be no ceremony or '%'funeral Grafton"
when he is deposited in it. An unaccounta-
bic thing. considering his great accuracy IL,
that he has dated it wrong, viz: seventeen,
hundred and ninety" when it is known to
have been written later, because he alludes
! to 1875 in the body of the instrument. One
place also his name is omitted at the bottom
Of the page, but then it occurs near the bot
tom in the Will itself.
Another popularity about his devises, is
that he not only makes them, but gives the
reasons. He evinces much Solicitude for
his country: speaks of the importance OF our
II . "a. I.,,. ,,l NOT IN
foreign lands where they might imblbe
'~'prcjuiircs and iealousies' in regard to their
own country. He donates property 10 va
riouS educational purposes, but mainly to n
National University to be located III the
District. should it please Congress to favor
the scheme. lie also favored an Academy
in Alexandria. and Liberty Hall, Rock
bridge-now Washington College. There
is also among the little mementoes of him
in the office, some paperso of Il sultagainst him
in which he was east. He writes a note 10
the person telling him that it has been impos-
siblc for him W. Though he has tried to
keep an exact account ofthe work some work
Of repairing his MILL. but says make out the
account and prove it before a magistrate
and Il will pay YOU the money" The next
tnlllr u TIE process StTNtl Dl llH diu JUG
mcnt against him for the amount, GA and III
shillings. Perhaps this is the only time he
ever had the law enforced against him. lie
seems shy of law III the Will, for he speaks
of "profcssional" hands. and provides for his
business being forever kept out of lawyers
hands and the courts.
The Will Of George Mason is also OF record
here. though not in his own underwriting
1t is written in Il noble manner no doubt by
himself. and it is attcSted by many witnesses.
One passag" We must copy: Il recommend
it to my sons, from my own experience i'll life.
to prefer the happiness of independence and
a private station. to the troubles and ycxa-
tons of Public Business: but if either their
own inclinations or the necessity Of the times
should engage them in public affairs, |
charge them, on a Fathers Blessing. never to
let the motives of private interest or ambition
induce them 10 bctrav. nor the terrors of
poverty and disgrace, or the fear of danger
or of death. deter them from asserting the
liberty Of their country and endeavoring 10
tranSmit u their p0Sterltv those scared rights
t" which they were born" This was done
Goth March. lI13; and he WAS the grand
father Of Senator Mason. See from what
noble parentage our noble Senator descend
cd.-LIdike COUHty JoUrHuI.