The Portland daily press., 1868-06-25
great American about whose claims to honor
and reverence all doubt is forever laid aside.
MARGARET j. NJ. SWEAT,
Vice Regent Mount Vernon Association for
Maine
Portland, June %, 1859.


RICH MEN AND RIcH ', OMEN OF THE coUN-
TRY, OUR APPEAL Is TO You! In 1853 our
AssoelatlOn announced the purchase of Mount
vernon. With an enthusiasm and zeal com
mensurate with the object, we undertook TO
rescue from the grasp OF 'peculators the home
anu grave OF Washington. We succeeded
We presented the precious treasure to our
great and happy people-an offering worthy
OF woman's heart; for it is and ever will be a
world renowned shrine, to which patriots will
resort IN veneration OF one whose fame, re-
stricted to no region, will be confined TO no
age.
To accomplish this labor Of love we asked
individually no large donations. He whose
remains we desired to guard, with an earnest
devotion, far beyond that with which the ves-
tails of Rome preserved its vestal fires, was
most truly styled "the Father of his Country"
Aud it was meet that this beautiful and un-
paralleled tribute to his memory should be
accomplished by the united contributions of
his children of every age, SEX and social
and peeuniary position. To make this
feasible, the price of membership in
our Association was placed at ,one
dollar; and, regarding our numbers as a na-
tIon-we, who cOnsecrated ourselves to this
work, felt no fears that our Whole purpose
would not be obtained through the small Of
ferings of grateful people, and but for war
we should have succeeded.as from rock
bound Maine to the sunny banks of the Rio
Grande-from the Atlantic shores to the gold
en- gates of California, beautiful spirit OF en-
thusiasm had been awakened, and countless
numbers OF our sex were laboring faithfully to
gather from every willing hand the grateful
mite which was to claim and establish their
work as that of the people.
Thousands upon thousands of these coutri-
buttons were flowing into our treasury. AL
ready there was enough 10 meet the large
price demanded for the spot, most endeared Ia
the American heart, and for the Association
to repair much of the ravages made by time
ha oracfnr, .A,,
and our officers were preparing in the autumn
OF lo6O, TO renew their efforts with unabated
zeal to create an endowment fund without
winch all their previous exertions might be
unavailing-when war came-put a stop to
their work, and made its completion in the
manner hoped for-inlpoSsible. We who would
be willing TO labor again, know that in this
day, the people cannot be acted upon as before
all is changed large section embraced
In our boundaries, (which are those of the
United States,) is utterly impoverish-
ed; and in all others, left unharmed as to ma
terial wealth-every ordinary channel of be-
nevolence is necessarily directed to the widow
and the orphan, who have claims upon public
sympathy and gratitude.
While war cut short our efforts IL compelled
us to use all our resources The funds which
we had hoped to retain as investments-the
interest only TO be used to enable the Assoca-
tion to maintain Mount Vernon, had to be ex-
pended. The only remaining income-t that
ernment prohibiting the running of steamers
ON the Potomac. Yet, our pledge was upon
us. Mount Vernon 1ods 10 be preserved. In
doing this We were obliged to sacrifice bonds
and incur debt.
And now, rich men and women of the Unit
ed States, it is tor you to say whether our work
shall remain like some funereal shaft-periect
in design-beautiful in execution-but amin
tshed-or, that it shall proceed to completion,
with increasing beauty as it reaches its crown
inO nnin cov AZ.
ing to the rich as distinctive class Yet, as a
class, no country ever received so many evil
denc IS of the munifcent spirit which actuates
you-churches, colleges, magnificent buildings
for purposes OF charity, arts and science, all
are standing monuments of the enlarged and
generous hearts of our rich. Shall the guar
didnship of Mount Vernon. and the care of his
grave e-now in very deed a grateful nations
duty, be the only ,uOrk IN which you feel no in
terest and on achich you bestow no gifY
We feel that you have only to realize that
on your patriotic generosity depends now the
hope that your country's shrine can be kept
IN security and in manner worthy of the
memory of our great founder-for you- to make
the munificence of the rich, the crowning
beauty OF the peoples tribute, and by endow-
ing Mount Vernon, give her tower of
strength, which will protect her not only from
external agitation, but future contingencies.
In days past we employed to secure our sue
cess, the personal influence of female patriot
| islii WUru lTOu tuo very
heart, the beam from the earnest eye,"
now we have only the cold medium of lorit-
ten petttion, which, like Noah of old, we sent
forth as "our Dove" to find if the waters OF
forgetfulness as it regards us have subsidized
from our land. Let US hope that golden offer
ings from you will prove to us, that the mission
has rot been in vain.
AZ our Association is composed OF officers
one from each State in the Union, the ciGZens
of each State can feel assured that its bequests
will be carefully guarded, and the name of our
Treasurer, Kenny ID. Cooke, Esq, (to whom all
donations should be sent) will be a guarantee
that sums received viii be wisely and safely
invested. Mr. Cooke is the President of the
Banking House of Jay, Cooke & Co.," in
Washington City.
The above appeal is issued by order Of the
Grand Council of the Association, which as
sembled in Washington, December 81, 1867
ANN PAMELA CUNNINGHAM,
Regent +" Mount Vernon Ladies' Association Of
the Union."
MOUNT VERNON, May %, 1868.