Weekly Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-07-12
ANOTHER CUNNINGHAM AFFAIR

The million contributors throughout the North
ern States to the fund for purchasing the Grave
Of Washington, and the Mount Vernon estate,
will be edited If not delighted by the perusal Of
the following letter from the editor OF 1hs Phiia-
delphia Press;
.'WAsHIHuroN, June "a, 1861.
It is not many months ago that the Ladies' Of
the Free States were called upon by one Of their
most accomplished sisters of South Carolina to
assist in raising money for the purchase Of the
home and the grave of George Washington, 'the
Father of his Country This sister, Miss Pa
mela Cunningham, lived good part of her time
in the lovely City of Philadelphia. Indeed, she
affected your quiet ways, your pleasant society,
and your open-handed generosity. She rallied
to her support the pulpit the press, and the bar
and, with the aid of number of your wealthy
citizens, induced MIR, Everett to prepare that
marvellous production, dedicated to the 'Charac-
ter Of Washington, which was repeated in most
of the States of the Union, and which became so
popular as of itself 10 have aided to swell the
fund TO 100000 or $4,000. MIR. Everett, in
spired by the double obligation of reverence for
his immortal subject, and regard for the beauti-
full woman who had the purchase of the home
end grave in charge, not content with preparing
and pronoHncing his eulOgy, accepted the pr0fer
of MIR. Bonner of THE Nelp York Ledger to pre-
pare a number of articles for this popular serial,
in return for which MIR. Bonner contracted to pay
enormous sum, which was also deposited with
the Treasurer of the Association, Mr. Riggs of
this city, to be applied to the same purpose
The activity Of Miss Cunningham in all this i'm
teresting matter cannot we'll be described. She
was so eminently and gracefully national 40
profoundly attached TO the North so faoile Of
tongue and pen that her appeals were responded
to by our Northern capitalists with almost peren-
nial generosity. The writer OF this letter WAS
among her most obedient servants. What she
dictated he wrote; what she commanded he
obeyed And he we'll remembers one occasion
when he suggested to her the possibility Of cult-
waiting the homestead OF Washington by slave
labor, and how such an example would interfere
with her enterprise, she secuted the proposition
as among the impossiblities And when on a
subsequent occasion, in this very correspondence,
/ ventured to admonish the ladies having this
great purpose on hand, that, after ALL it would
be we'll to protect the home and the grave from
such a sequel, these fair patriots raised their
hands in holy horror at the bare suggestion of u
thing that could never happen. Miss Pamela
Cunningham was one Of the most indignant of
all those who denounced John A. Washington
when he exacted the ''pound of flesh" in selling
the property of his alleged ancestor. Where do
you think this fair and gentle damsel is now
l trust do not outrage or offend the sensibilty
of my female readers, when | inform you that
she is pleasantly located, or was few days ago,
at Mount Vernon, In comfortable and safe COM
municatiOn with the Secession leaders, and has
been paying many recent visit 10 Washington
for the purpose of ascertaining how far she could
damage the Free States and assist the armed
traitors in the South You must not conceive
these words in reference to Miss Cunningham to
be undeserved, for with all her gentle nature,
she carries warriors heart in her bosom, and
is doubtless as ready to see this conflict go on as
BeAuregard and Davis. When it is iecolected
That the entire fund for the purchase of the
home and grave of Washington, with inconsider-
able exceptions, was raised in the Free States,
and paid by the Free States, tue graceful graft.
tude Of Miss Cunningham will be understood
She has q delightful Summer retreaA where she
| can look upon her broad and fertile acres, can
receive her friends like very princess, and by
means of the easy and forgiyng temper of our
Washington rulers, can forward to Davis 4 Co,
the latest intelligence from the Federal metropc-
lis. As to those who paid their money for the
purchase Of the home and the grave, are they
not Northern barbafians, interiors; mudsis
And if John A. Washington, who sold the place
aud took the money, could subsequently join the
enemies Of the Union, why should not Miss Cum
ningham of South Carolina, following this illus
trOus lead, take the place unto herself and her
section, and with pleasant smile bid her recent
loyal lady associates polite farewell? 1t is u
good bargain all round. Although Washington
was national man, and loved the Union, and
fought for II, aud stood by the Constitution, yet
bis homestead was in Virginia and if by an
agreeable hciion the Northern dupes can be led
to believe that in paying their money they were
really securing it TO the whole country, so much
the better; for, as recent events have shown,
the South have not only kept Mount Vernon to
themselves, but the money paid to dedicate it to
the country; thus enriching themselves without
any loss and securing handsome residence for
life to Miss Pamela Cunningham.