The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-17
The Baltimore Southern Relief Fair.
Interesting Autograph Letters of Gen.
Washington and Mrs. Washington.
From The BaIdmere eazette.

From the Baltimcre Gazette.
Mrs J. w Minor, of Loudon county
Virginia, has kindly contributed to the
Southern Relief Fair two undoubtedly
authentic autograph letters, the first of
| which is from Gen. Washington, and is
especially interesting at this time, IS
an evidence of his opinion of the proba-
BILE value of the Continental currency
| How erroneous those views turned out
to be we all know The taxation to
which he looked forward TO restore the
money to a proper degree of credit
never effected anything, and Cont
mental paper decreased in value so
rapidly in subsequent years that it is
scarcely an extravaganza to say that
toward the close of the Revolutionary
war it took hat full of it to pay for a
dinner. But here is his letter to Bryan
Fairfax:
"VALLY FORCE, April q, I77S.
"DEAR SIR: l have been favored with
your letter of the 29th ult / think
with you that sterling debt cannot,
with any degree of propriety, be dis
charged in CURT money at 333 .. CT,
because bills will cost the purchaser
geo, and have lately sold at $50 In
this proportion most commodities have
risen But as you do not raise many
things for sale; as rents and CURT
money debts are discharged without
regard to this great difference, and the
depreciation of the paper money from
the quantity emitted; and as it would
be equally hard upon you to pay at this
advanced exchange, as upon Mr. GUSTS
to receive at the old rate, l should
think the best way for both of you w'd
be to let the debt stand till some
more favorable opportunity offers to
discharge ii, as | have no idea that mat
tiers will long remain in the situation
they are at present. Taxation must,
think reduce the present price of every
thing and restore the money to pro-
per degree of credit. With very sin.
cere estm and regard, am,
"Dr sir, y'r most obed and
affect serv't,
"Go. WASHINGTON"
The notelet given below, and writ
ten by Mrs. Washington from Mount
Vernon, is without date. If any of
our readers imagine that the stately
danes of the Revolutionary period
were any less Indifferent in reference
to dress than the women OF the present
day, Mrs. Washington's rather formal
yet pleasant epistle of thanks to Mrs
Fairfax will undeceiVe them. Our theo-
~ of the origin of the letter is this:
Mrs. Washington has seen Lutte string
dress, worn by her friend Mrs Peters,
which she admired very much. She
has described this dress to Mrs. Fair
fax, and commissions the latter to pro-
cure for her samples as nearly similar
from which she may choose the pattern
that most closely resembles the dress
worn by Mrs. Peters. The commission
is executed, the samples are forwarded
TO Mount Vernon, and hence the let
ter. 1t is as follows:
Mrs. Washington returns compli-
ments and many thanks to Mrs. Fair
fax for her polite attention in procur-
ing the patterns of lutestring. Mrs.
Washington does not recollect which
Of them resembles most Mrs. Peters
dress; she will, therefore, defer getting
either until Mrs. ? comes to Mount |
Vernon. She is expected the last of |
the ensuing week. Mrs. Washington
and Miss Gusts unite in compliments |
to the ladies at Mount Eagle.
MOUNT VERNON.