The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-18
SATURDAY EvEN'G. JAN. IS. 1873
,rIET MOUNT yERNoN LANDING.

wise than approvingly of anything con-
nected with the grounds held sacred to the
Father of his Country. Much less would
we refer disparagingly to any association OF
American ladies having those grounds in
charge for the sacred purposes to which
they were dedicated by the act creating the
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the
Union. But there are duties devolving
upon public journalists which they cannot
so easily throw off, and which render 1t
necessary that they should sometimes
speak of matters appertaining to the public
interest, solely with reference to the pub
lie good.
Complaints have come to us from many
sources touching the mismanagement of
the Washington estate by this association,
and those of so grave character that we
can no longer let them pass without notice.
The public know the history of the effort
in which the American women poured out
their money like water to pay two hum
dred thousand dollars for two hundred
acres of the Washington estate, that the
grounds might be kept not only forever
sacred to the memory Of that great and
good man, but that the people of this coun-
try, as we'll as the lovers OF liberty in all
lands, might visit it as the Mecca OF their
hopes and faith in the ability of man to
wisely and greatly govern himself.
In furtherance of this noble object, the
Legislature of Virginia in 1858, amended
and re-enacted the act of its previous ses-
sion for the organization of the Mount
Vernon Ladies' Association Of the Union,
fully authorizing that body to purchase,
hold and improve two hundred acres of the
Mount Vernon estate, including the man.
sion as well as the tomb of Washington,
together with the gardens, grounds, wharf
and landing constructed on the Potomac
river. BY this act the association was to
secure deed in fee simple of this estate,
and was to have and exercise full power
over the use and management of the same
as they might by bylaws and rules
declare but it was not to have
power to alien the said land, or any part
thereof, or create any change thereon, OF
tease the same, soIaont the consent of the
General assembly Of Vayinia. 1t was
further expressly provided, in the act au-
thorizing the purchase, that the said
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association OF the
Union should "forever hold the said estate
as sacred to the Father Of his Country"
thus dedicating the estate and mansion Of
Washington, rendered historic for all time
by the moral grandeur and heroic greatness
of its owner, as well as the Nations
grave, to quaSi-public use-the American
people and the lovers of liberty among all
other peoples, being free to visit the mansion
and grave of Washington, under such rules
OR regulations as the association might pre-
scribe. Had the proposition to purchase
this estate been speculative one, OF one t.
further private gain or monopoly, the con
sent of the Legislature of Virginia woult
never have been obtained to that end, hat
the association paid fifty millions for the
property. 1t was simply because thu
enterprise was public one, and looked tt
the better preservation of the estate and
the tomb, that the consent Of the State t.
the arrangement was obtained.
But the association in question, unde
the Regency Of Mrs. Parmelia Cunning
ham, has seen fit to set the provisions Q
the charter entirely aside, and to leas
The wharf and landing to The owner
of a single steamboat in Washing
ton-the Arrow-by which an infamsu
monopoly is created, and one tina
reflects overshadowing disgrace upon tn
whole country. For it is nothing more no
less than putting up the ashes of Washing
ton to the highest bidder, and maxim
d traffic in the sacred associations an
memories Of the dead. Under this leas
Or agreement, made in utter violation {
the act creating thesassociatien, its repre-
Eentatiyes and those of the boat claim ths
no person can land at the wharf, or gal
entrance to the grounds by the river, excel
as he comes there on the Arrow, whic
charges its own price for the round trip, wit
a double charge for landing and enterir
the grounds to what was formerl
imposed by John A. Washington, when Q
olt-cry went up all over the land again
his selling the bones of his ancestors"
Against this unwarrantabe monopol.
the people Of Washington, as well as Il
owners of boats and property on the rive
Join in earnest protest, as being not only
public outrage but a great personal injH
to themselves. There are numerous excu
sion parties down the river on other boat
such as the Arrow could not accommodate
which would gladly land at Mount Verno
and willingly pay the wharfage a
entrance fee, but are not permitted
do so on account of this outrageous and |
terly illegal contract with the owners oft
Arrow.
We know not on what pretence Z
lease has been made, but we knC
that it was the purpose Of the Legislatt
of Virginia to make the Mount Vern
wharf a public one, in the use to which
pronertv was dedicated and if the VIII