The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-05-19

The following noble tribute to America
greatest statesman and to the efforts now being
made to secure the Mount Vernon estate, is cop
led from the London Illustrated Neps of Feb. 26.
The rs~s Or wn.hinsson.
We present our readers this week, as apropos
70 the I'd of February, an accurate view of the
Tomb of Washington. No spot in America is
visited with greater interest or with feelings Of
more profound reverence than Mount Vernon ;
and no day is held more sacred in the calendar of
the Republic than the day which gave birth to
the " Father of His Country" This day, always
through the United States by
balls, banquets, and various other festive demon
STATIONS, and by American citizens all over the
world, was duly honored ON Tuesday last by the
American Association of London. who dined to-
gether in a spirit of patriotic brotherhood at
Willis's Rooms. LE-zE
1t is hardly necessary to state that George
Washington was born in the State of Virginia,
on the 22nd of February, 1882 that he was the
Commander-in-Chief of the American forces dur
ing the Revolutionary War that he was the first
President of the United States (twice elected }
that he retired TO Mount Vernon in 1876, and
there died, on the 18th day of December, 1899,
Mt the age of sixty-seven. With these facts in the
great and good mans history everybody is famil-
lar; while the hallowed spot consecrated by his
ashes Is equally familiar TO the eyes of thousands
Of travellers from all parts of the civilized world.
But only the privileged Few" can visit those
tar OF s. Meccas'' where the universal admiration
of man loves to pay its pilgrim homage, and so
the imagination of the million must be satisfied
with pictures. The faithful artist brings the
mountain to Mahomet. Our 80 counterfeit pre-
sentiment of the Mount Vernon Tomb is a per-
feet facsimile of the scene.
To those unacquainted with the locality of
Mount Vernon it may be necessary to state that
it is situated on the banks of the Potomac, about
sixteen miles from Washington. Steamboats,
plying between the capital of the nation and
Aqua Creek. on the great line of southern travel,
constantly pass it, but never without a solemn
tolling OF the bell, when every passenger uncovers
his head, and gazes in silent, thoughtful, often
fearful reverence, at the venerable mansion and
who died childless that his country might call
him Father. -
How sleep the brave who sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blessed ks
When Spring. with dery fingers cold
She there shall dress a sweeter sod -
Than Faney's feet have ever trOd.
BY fairy hands their kneIl i. rung.
BY forms unseen their dirge is sung;
There Ho1or comes. a pilgrim grey,
And Freedom shall awhile repair
To dwell a weeping hermit there 8!
The Washington mansion, although in rather
a dilapidated condition. is beautifully located on
elevated ground and the tomb is at a little dis
lance from it, on the southern slope of the hill.
1t consists OF an excavation, walled and arched
with bricks, and surrounded by a plain iron rail-
ing. Over the door are engraved those blessed
words of immortal hope :-.sI am the Resurrec-
ton and the Life he that believeth in me, though
he were dead, vet shall he live Over the iron
gate there is a stone, with the following inscrip-
ton 80 Within this Enclosure rest the remains
of General George Washington" There are two
marble sarcoptagi. The larger one contains the
ashes, and bears the name, in large letters, of
- IVoz1.--%Or - II - frxnaJ frnr, 1, onlsA hlooI
of marble. eight feet in length by two in height.
Upon the lid there is a shield, beautifully CHS
eled, having thirteen longitudinal stripes resting
On the american -, and surmounted by an
eagle. without spread wings, grasping a sheaf of
arrows and an olive-branch. The smaller sarco-
phagus contains the remains of Martha, the wife
Of Washington. Until quite recently the Mount
Vernon estate, consisting Of some twelve hundred
acres, has been the property of Mr.. John A
Washington; but for many years there has been
sacred a spot JlGigg in the United States that so
sion of any Individual s,hsshe private posses
tions of fortune. or to the degrading di .1unctua-
of necessity. Mr.. Washington, the inheritor of
the sacred estate, has been reluctant to part with
any portion of it: but the increasing wants of a
large family, whom he is literally educating,
have compelled him to dispose of about two hum
dred acres, including the mansion and the tomb.
The State of Virginia during the past year granted
q charter to the Mount Vernon Association
enabling it to hold the property in perpetual
trust; and through the personal efforts of Miss
Cunningham. of Charleston /; Madame lie Vert,
of Mobile; Miss Anna Cora Richie, of Richmond;
and last, though by no means least, the Hon.
Edward Everett, of Boston, the greater part of
the required sum has been raised, and the balance
viii soon be forthcoming. Mr.. Everett, by Civ
ing the entire proceeds of his eloquent " Lecture
ON Washington, which he has delivered and re
delivered in all the principal towns and cities of
the Union, has already handed over to the
Il NT-.-s " -
so 900 dollars, including a cheque for 10 900
dollars, given him by the proprietor of the New
York Ledger for a weekly contribution for one
year. to be called the "Mount Vernon Papers,
which are now regularly appearing in the columns
Of that narvellously-successful newspaper. which
has obtained u weekly circulation of half a mil
lion copies.
1t is not our intention to indulge in eulogistic
strains to g the immortal memory of Washing
ton." We simply point a reverent finger to his
humble tomb at Mount Vernon while the world
proudly points to his (" country as his monu-
ment." He was a soldier, q statesman, and a
chief magistrate. of whom bis great political
antagonist, Jefferson, said, she was a man in
capable of fear, of integrity the most pure, and
of justice the most inhexible."
1t is a pleasant fact to mention in connection
with this subject that the venerable Washington
Irving, one of the finest writer's of the English Ian
guage in either hemisphere, and who, when an
infant, was placed IN the arms of General Wash
ington by his nurse for a blessing, has been for
many years engaged upon the life of the Pater
Patris, and has now nearly completed his fifth
and last volume. IS 1rving's Washington will
be q glorious monument, both to the subject and
to the author of tia thousand times better asa
inspiration, and q tributary memorial to gre
nes, than the colossal marble shaft that still halts
half completed in the capital of the nation to re-
Duke the sluggish patriotism of an ungrateful
people.