, 1861-03-02


ington confronts the visitor at the top Of the
ascaut. The enclosure Is strongly r1Iled, and
through the open door Of plain brick strict
ure are seen the white marble sarcophagf, one
gu either hand containing the ROMANS Of the
FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY and MARTHA .WasH-
INeT1s. It is more matter of characteristic
American fact than Of general interest, to add
, that large variety Of lesser names are
scrlwled and scratched On the brick WORK,
where plain William joneses, and William
; Smiths innunerable have courted immortality
in their accustomed manner. :
Near the tomb plain wooden boz protects
the hoTse-che5tnuf, planted by the Prince Of
Wales, which, let us hope. will enjoy every
possible success Of germtnation aud growth.
4 little further on, along the ridge, the path
old tomb Of the Washington family, the same
which thirty years ago was desecrated by some
relic.hunter, who actually stole skull and
some larger bones for museum purposes, for
tunate}y mistakirg and leaving undisturbed
those Of Georee Washington.
The Mount Vernon Association have given
the old tomb new lease Of Life and new
fence Just beyond this, aud under the bank,
Is neat circular structure built last year, coy
eri1g q iriny epring, and occupying the site
Of the ancient humber edifice Of the sane
intent.
the site Of Mount Vernon is well chosen-a
broad plateau upon the top Of the bank, two
hundred feet above the level of the Potomac,
oVerlookinE wide expanse Of country. Pos
se4sed Of no other attraction than its maenih-
cent outlook 1t is worth going rniles to see.
Under the Transforming hands Of the mana
gers Of the Mount Vernon Association, the
premises are undergoing L emarkabIe change
Only portion of the old mansion aonse has
yet been given into their possession The
ROOMS on the lower floor to the LETT Of the
roomy hal, are all that are at present open to
visitors. In, the hall hangs the giass case con
tanning the famous Key to the Basti!e, which
is to retain its place In the mansion. The
rooms open to the public are two small recep-
tion rooms and the parlor--the latter contain-
ing the marvellous and quaint marble mantel4
an old family portrait piece apd venerable
in its day, and still is Of that order Of instF11-
ments. A few monldering military accoutre-
ments complete the only other articles in
these rooms.
Externally the ladies have much improved
the front Of the Mansion House, By 3 fresh
surface Of sanded paint Il now looks smart
II presentable among modern editiees, and
passing to Their we found the numerous
out.bnildings and offices ranged about tho
lawn, looking actually juvenile. Their inte-
rlors are scrupulously preserved from modern
ization. One Of them contains the tools with
which the wings to the mansion were added
by George Washington. It will be remember
ed that he did no! build the main ediace,
As rapidly as possible the grounds are being
put into order. Old servants Of the Washing
ton family are being retained and recalled, and
added to the interests Of the place the while
these colored people drive a brisk and keen
trade in mementoes, in the shape Of cane,
sprigs Of holly and box, pods OF coffee-nutg,
horsechestnuts, magnolia leaves, and in short
anything and everything likely to command
purchasers, and al for the benefit Of the As
sociation- And in few years time, Mount
Vuy fIa fl; han5 ho1 oF.
beauty aud attraction, enhancing its storied
associations Of the past.
Could Washington revisit Mount Vernon,
how woald he find realized an his apprehen-
sions and forebodings growing out Of the
curse OF Slavery. His own commonwealth
from the mother Of States and statesmen has
passed into the WORKOUT and edete mother Of
human cAattels for Southern market, and
nigger-breeding has succeeded in soil where
Masons, and Garnetts, and Priors are the
struggling stubble Of an old crop Of states-
men.
What a solemn protest comes from the
shades OF Mount Vernon against the evil spirit
and eyil counseis Of to-day; the Union divided,
That one its factions may become 8 closer
shse-pen, and Virginia standing doubtful as
to which side of the enclosure her interests
may lie: No wonder Virginia neglected
from the solemn connsels of the Great Emau-
cfpatiouist, and indeed how little would the
mission Of Edward Everett have sped, had he
dared to quote Washington's position on the
slavery question.
The trip to Mount Vernon is just now an in
structiye one. The shores Of the noble Poto-
mac, little inferior to those Of the Hudson in
romantic beauty, show scarcely. more I'M
proyement to-day, than was theirs in the time
OF the jamestown Colony. W;haro FFee Labor
would have faced the entire front with proofa
Of her civilization, villas and country seats
looking out upon a water e1panse teening
with active commerce, md upon q landscape
rich and fertile in agricultural resources, these
neglected shores and hillsidcs rise from ter
rltory worn out and made sterile by Slave La
Dor, and overlook broad river that bears only
q few oyster.boats and dug-outs.
All these things Washington foresaw, but
his counsels are unheeded in Virginia, for the
same process TINT has been at work on her
fields has dwarfed her sons, whose best blood
has been sent South for q market. By the ad-
justmeut Of the rule Of Providence
Each wish contracting fits him to the sotl,''
and Virginia is the happiest when sambo is
worth the most money.
: It is good work to revive aud regenerate
Monnt Vernon. 1t was falling tt ruin. It will
bo well II it revive and bring before the Ameri-
can people Washington As he Was, and his
position on the distracting question Of to-day |
but this can hardly be expected from the !!
Mount Vernon Assdciatiop. The mild man
neEed, silver tongued author Of the Mount |
Vernon Papers would be tarred and featlered
in Richmond, and Bonner'e paper tabooed in
the whole South, were Washington'a solemn |
words on American slavery to find their way
into lecture room or " Ledger" which they