Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-07-31
Drtstott gonrnal,
,o,ber CunBingham Affair.

-. the Northern States, to the fund for
.-.sssiue the Grave of Washington
"A the Mount Vernon Estate, will be
nI;Sed. if not delighted, by the perusal
= ,be following letter from the editor Of
,be Philadelphia Press $:
WAsHINGToN, June "a, '61.
it's not many months ago that the Ia
Ho. Of the Free States were called upon
tr one of the most accomplished sisters
u South. Carolina to assist in raising
money for the purchase of the home and
crave of George Washington, "the Faith
Of his country" This sister, Miss
Psmoa Cunningham. lived a great psTt
If her time in the lovely city Of Ph''a-
J,lpbia. Indeed, she affected your quiz
ct ways. your pleasant sect, and your
ppep-handed generosity. Sc rallied to
her support the pulpit, the PISS, and the
bar: and. with the aid of number of
YOUR wealthy citizens, induced Mr.. Evas-
eft to prepare that marvellous production,
dedicated to the character OF Wash
;r~,on," which was repeated in most OF
tbe States of the Union, and which be-
came 50 popular as of itself to have aid
II to swell the fund to $50, 900 or $780,
600 Mr.. Everett, inspired by the dou-
HE obligation OF reverence for his inn
mortal subject md regard for tie
beautiful woman who had the purch &c
Of his home and grave in charge, not
content with preparing and pronouDcing
his eulogy, accepted the pfoffer of Mr..
Bonuer. of the New York Ledger, to
n,eoare number ofarticles for that pop
Mar serial, in return for which Mr.. Bon
ner contracted to pay an enormous sum,
which wss also deposited with the treas
urer Of the Association, Mr.. Riggs, of
this CITY, to be applied to the same pur-
pose. ~.
The activity of Miss Cunningham in
al tn interesting matter, cannot well be
described. She was so eminently and
gracefully national; so profoundly attach
ed to the North; so facile of tongue and
pen, that her appeals were responded to
bv our Northern capitalists with almost
perennial generosity. The writer of this
letter was amcng her most obedient SER
wants. What SIZE dictated, he wrote !;
what she commended, he obeved. And
he well remembers on one OCCASION, when
he suggested to her the possibility of cul-
tvating the Homestead of Washington
by slave labor, and ow such an exam
PIE would Interfere with her enterprise,
She secuted the proposition as among the
impossibilties. And when, on q subse-
quent occasion, in this very correspon-
deuce, | ventured to admon'sh the ladies
having ibis great purpose on hand, that,
aler all, it would be well to protect The
home aud gave of Washington from
such q sequel, those fair patfiots raised
their hsnds 10 holy horror at the bare
suggestion Of thing that could never
happen.
Miss Pamela Cunningham was one of
the most indignant OF all those who de-
nouueed John 4. Washington, when be
exac ed the "pound of flesh" in selling
the property of his alleged ancestor
Where do you think this fair and gentle
damsel is row l trust l do not out
rye or offend the sensibility of NY fe-
male readers, when l inform you that
she 5 pleasantly located, or was few
days AGO, at Mount Vernon, in comforta-
be and SAFE communication with tie Sc
caasion leaders, and has been paying ma
ny a recent visit 20 Washington for the
purpose of ascertaining low far she cod
damage the Free SAFES and assist the
armed traitors of tbe South i! You
must not conceive these words in refer
ence to Miss Cunningham to be unle-
served, FOR, with all her gentle nature, she
5vries a warriors heart in her bosom,
and is doubtless as ready to see this con-
frt 90 on as Beauregard and Davis
When it is reeollected that the entire
iuud 'or the purchase of the home and
grave o. Washington, with ineonsidera-
bic EXCEPTIONS was raised by the Free
States, and paid by the Free States, the
grFeefIl gratitude of Miss Cunningham
will be understood. She has delight
iul Summer retreat, where she can look
upon her broad and fertile acres, can re
Ceive her friends ike a very princess, and
by means of the easy and forgiving tenn
per of our Washington rulers. can .sr-
ward o Davis & Co. the latest intelti-
genee from the Federal metropolis. As
70 those who paid their money for the
purchase Of their home and the grave,
are they not Northern barbarians, infe-
riOts, mudsills |! And if John A. Wash
'ug.on, who sold t place end took the
money, could subsequently join the enc
mics of the Union, why sh,uld not Miss
Cunningham, of South Carolina, follow
ing this illustrious lead, take the Place
unto herself ard her section, and with
a pleasant smile bid her recent loyal lady
a polite farewell /? 1t IS a GOOD
bargain all round. Although Washing
ton was a national man, and loved the
Union, and fought for it, and stood by
the Constitution, yet his homestead was
in Virginia and i by an agreeable fc
ton the Northern dupes can be led to
believe that in paying their money they
we're really occurring it to the whole coun-
Try, SO much the better !; for, as recent
events have shown, the South have moi
only kept Mount Vernon to themselves,
but the money paid to dedicate it to the
country, thus enriching themselves with