Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-11-11
[From toe Boston Evening Transcript, Oct. &c
Mount Vernon.

Mount VERNON. To the Editor OF
the Transcript: A letter in the Phil
adelphia Press Of Oct. l1th will be read
BY all who are interested, (and who of
us is not y in the present condition OF
Mount Vernon. (See Transcript, Goth. }
To such as have personally visited the
place, and beholding, have mourned over
the "abominaticn Of dcsolation" there.
no such description is needed; but there
are very many others. who suppose that
/ the purchase money for Mount Vernon
is all the money that it is necessary to
raise; and that, once brought and in the
hands of the Association, the estate will
somehow be kept and cared for perhaps
by Congress, possibly by private dona-
tion, undoubtedly by beq1csts.
Now, without recurring to the old
proverbs that "what is evcrybody's busi-
ness is nobody's," and that it is "ill
waiting for dead mans Shoes" which
dispose of the first and last suggestions,
we may safely say that the ladies' are
entirely open to the force of the second;
that they count it, and are willing to
be overpowered by SO convincing an
argument.
Mount Vernon, once in the hands Of
the ladies Of the association, will uu-
doubtedly be kept. Kept, and never
parted with. even if not another dollar
can be raised in this country. to put it
IN order, and restore it to its early con-
dltion, Still, it is clear that such a res
tcration should be at once attempted,
and carried on as rapidly and as far as
funds will warrant.
The public heart may have responded
warmly to appeals for Mount Vernon
The public purse, however, has certainly
responded very feebly. An uncertainty
regarding the whole scheme and manage
mcnt, confied as it was to women gem
orally, whose characters and position
their only bonds for fidelity. or guaran-
ties for success, brooded like black
raven over very effort, and croakcd with
every dime that fell into the patient
hands of the ladies'. When it is consld-
eied that we are a work-aday popula-
tloa, that our earnings are difficult, and
our calls for expenditure legion, it is
saying much for the patriotism OF the
country th it was willing to htpe it.
self IN this clald fashion at all. 1t was
also compliment to female character. on
the whole, most aatterlhg. ThAt the
Res can't has great good sense and tinan,
clat ability, Is clear-or else she has the
equal discretion to choose good advisers.
At ali events, the purchase-money has
been collecte for Mount Vernon; and If
the las. payment is not made by Miss
Cunningham u Mr.. John a. Washing
ton, it is because that lady is unwilling
to take on herself the responsibilIty and
Iexpenl!tare Of possession, without :he
requlsite fund to b,gin necessary re-
palrs-some slight alterations only hay
ins been attended to during the past
season. with the permission of the pres
ent Incumbent.
" hat is lghtly w,n goes lightly, it is
said-but the purchase-money of Mount
Vernon is associated with personal sac
rIiices, on the part of those women who
have acted as collectors, SO great as TO
insure its prudent use and careful keep
ing. 1t has been gathered in Massachu-
sets from the hardhanded laborer and
] the school-chlld-from the old woman
who rene nbcrel Washington and from
the young girl who sacrificed her vanity
ON the altar Of feeling. Occasionally,
and in response to personal appeals
whicA could uo: gracefully be set aside,
the gifts of the wealthy cheered the dim
prospect; but, in general, the purchase
money may be sad to be the gifts OF the
poorest classe, Of parsons OF
limited means, and with heavy demands
On taeir purses.
With physical saffering and destitu-
ton calling daily on their symplthies, it
cannot be expected that appeals for all
OBJECTS purely patriotic will fall other
wise than coldly on the ear. The por-
ton, possibly the tithc, which they have
Sc, aside for charitable purposes, they do
not choose 20 encroach on for other uses
And after receiving the mites of such
persons, it is as unsuitable, 1t is as use
less, to ask them for more, even for the
purpose of preserving their own gift
rnerc is also u certain diff sence, or Il
mi n, be called sense Of propriety,
which makes it difficult to ask funds fol
an obiect,.hc worth Of which would seem
to be equally clear TO all. Ietwe must
and ought to count on the generous lm
pulses Of the rich, in cases like this