The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-29
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions of the Leading Journals
upon Current opics-Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
TRADING IN FAMILY RELICS.

TRADING IN FAMILY RELICS.
From the ~ Y Tribune
When the ladies of the country desired to
buy the Mount Vernon estate, and the Mr.
Washington of the period desired equally to
sell it, we did not feel that there was any
thing unpleasant orrepulsve about the trans
action; for land is land. and it was generally
understood that Mr.. Washington was poor,
and that he parted with the ancestral acres
because he needed the purchase-money
We must confess, however, that the CONNER
cial transactions of the Mount Vernon Asso-
citation, of which Mrs. Anna Pamela Cum
ningham is regent, are beginning to be
little dubious. The representatives of the
Washington family have, it appears, in their
possession many interesting objects once be-
longing to the Father of his Country, and,
it being understood that these are wanted for
the adornment of the old mansion their
market value has gone up in the most won
derful way. Frederick the Great gave Wash
ington q clock, which the present holder Is
willing to sell for $4,000, its real value as a
horologe being probably about 1925, or per-
haps $50 Then somebody has a sword
which he will part with for consideration.
Somebody has also 'a snuff-box and nu-
merous other articles" which ''are to be
bought" ''The heirs, likewise, have por-
trait of Washington on horseback ''before
the trenches of Yorktown" by Rembrandt
Peale. This may be had for the moderate
price of $4,000.
1t seems to us that in this case, as in so
many others, we are to have an illustration of
the laws of demand and supply. We venture
to predict, the moment it is sufficiently pub
ished that the Mount Vernon Association is
in the market buying up relics of Washing
ton, that it will have no end of offers and
countless opportunities of making antigua
rian investments, for which the whole coun-
try will be subjected to a chronic subscrip-
ton. Autographs, of course, will be freely
rendered and when the genuine supply is
exhausted, experience has shown that the
manufacture of a new stock of letters will not
be difficult. From every quarter will come
pistols, cocked-hats, small-clothes sleeve
buttons, old boots, saddles, wigs, knee
buckles, pocket-handkerchiefs, penknives,
etc., etc.-all authenticated as formerly
the personal property of the great
Washington, and every lot being backed up
by a solemn affidavit. Nothing could be
easier than the fabrication of such menda-
cious Misunderstanding less difficult than
making oath to their genuine character. 'The
heirs, as they are called (although General
Washington left no heirs of his own body,
will be astonished to find that they have not
a monopoly of the relic business, and that
there is quite glut of sold curiosities' in the
their collection of urdoubted originals; but
should their souvenir stock become exhausted
Gas in time it must), the temptation which
would assail them to engage, at a great advan-
tage, in manufacturing modern antiques
would be one, we fear, too potent for COM
mercial human nature to resist.
We yield to nobody in the profundity of
our respect for the character of General
Washington; and if any one thinks that we
show want of proper feeling in these COM
ments, we beg leave to ask him what he
thinks General Washington would say, could
he rise from the grave, of this trade in his
old personal property. We confess that we
can well imagine him losing for moment
that digniied equanimity in which he had
schooled himself, and swearing much more
terribly than upon certain occasion he swore
at old General Lee. We may be sure that it
never entered his head that his representa-
tives would sell TO his country the sword with
which he had achieved its liberties, or that,
many years after death, his snuff boxes would
be in the market. Still, as these things are
not to be had without paying for them, let
them be bought and paid for. 1t is a con-
ISOLATION to know that it will be for the last
time