St. Paul daily globe., 1894-06-24

chosen. The effort Is 10 select lady
not only of the highest character and
intelligence. but one with energy and
unusual capacity for persistent work.
The effort Is also made-though this
point is not imperitive-t to select women
with patriotic revolutionary ancestry.
The association, during its more than
forty years of life. has had only three
regents. to wit: Miss Cunningham. OF
South Carolina; Mrs. Manchester Law
ton, of Pennsylvania. and Mrs. Van
Rensselaer, Townsend, of New YOrK-
the last named being the present chief
executive officer.
During the war little or no effort was
made by the board of regents to proceed
with their work. Feminine rs we'll as
masculine energies Of both sections of
the country were turned into different
channels from that OF sentimental pa
trtotism, and all that was attempted was
to place n0n-cLmbatant in charge Of
Mount Vernon. whose duty it. was to
appeal to f ederal and Confederate sol
diers alike TO hold sacred the ashes and
the home of the Father Of his Country.
But there was no necessity for any
other appeal to American soldiers,
North or South-than the mute oris0n
Of the sacred dust which rests, silent
for eternity. beneath the spreading
branches Of the trees at Mount Vernon.
Again and again the fierce tide Of ever
varying war swept within and around
the home and the last resting
place OF Americas great dead.
Men in blue. and men In grey
came in squads, regiments, bri9ades
and armies; but arms were left outside,
and the fierce soldiers came quietly
within the enclosure to gaze and ponder
{ for an hour upon the spot where Wash.
ington had taught patriotism and faith
in the rule OF the people to his country
men; and then each took his depart
ure = silently. reverently. and re-
turned again 10 finish the cruel strug-
gle they were called upon to prosecute.
In no single instance were the re-
gents or their agent called upon to COM
plain of the smallest act of disorder or
vandalism at Mount Vernon frOm Fed
eral and Confederate during our four
years of dire Warfare-Of blood and
struggle aud hate and conquest. This
was the one spot of hallowed ground in
all the borders Of the Southland; the
place of peace, where fierce resent
/ ments drank of the waters of Lethe,
where passion and prejudice partook of
the wine of the LotOs and slept en-
bivouac for a day or an hoar.
The board Of regents received their
deed to the premises soon after the war,
and at once proceeded slowly, but
surely, to bring order out Of the ruin into
which the estate Of Mount Vernon had
fallen. There Is no record OF any con-
tributionS from Minnesota to the work
after Mrs. SibIey had raised and for
warded the $500 mentioned above until
after the election OF Mrs. Flandrau In
1889. With characteristic energy that
excellent lady signalized her in
duction into ef1ce by raising,
through the generous contributions OF
our citizens. the sum Of 81. 600 during
her first year in Office. More recently
she appealed to the school children of
the city of her honest. Paul to raise
the funds necessary to restoration OF
Madame Washington's spinning room.
The response was cordial and generous,
and during her recent visit here Mrs.
of personally directing the restoration.
and having the money thus contributed
expended under her own supervision.
There is a large amount of labor and
. no emoIument attached to the position
of regent and vice regent OF the Mt.
psVernon association. BY the conditions
OF thsir incorporation no one Of them Is
permitted to use Tor their personal ben
eft one dollar Of the money raised for
the care and improvement of the estate.
During Que week of each year the board
meets at Nit. Vernon and transacts
all necessary business The one day Of
ceremony is that on which the governor
of the state of Virginia, accompanied
by his staff Is received by the ladies.
The one bill of expense is. the frugal
luncheon providedfor these dignitaries
eef the old commonwealth. After this
a week of business the women
return to their several homes. and
each one proceeds to naugurate
further methods for raising funds to
carry out the plans Of the board. Just
at this time strong and combined ef-
fort is being made to create an endov-
ment fund large enough thar the income
may pay all current and contingent ex-
penses, SO that the public may
visit the home of Washington at
paying one cent OF tribute for the
privilege. At present the board is OBJ
liged to make an arrangement whereby
one-third Of the passage mon ey-by
steamer from Washington city-iS paid
to them. Recently this means of in
come has been largely eurtaifed by
! the building of an electric railway from
Alexandria, which carries passengers
for a merely nominal price. a majority
of visitors take this route because OF
its .cheapness, forgetting that the
regents need their small contributions
to keep the place in order. Riggs bank,
one of the oldest financial institutions
at-the national capt. at, is the financial
agent OF the Board of Regents.
It should hardly be necessary for the
GLOBE or the writer to. bespeak cor
dial CO. operation of the people of Min.
nesOta with Mrs. Flandrau i'll her ef.
forts toward increasing the endowment
: fund. Through the efforts of these
women. the home of Washington has
been redeemed from ruin and neglect,
and recreated until it has become one
OF the beauty spots of the world. 1t
only remains now for the people of the
country to sustain them until the per-
manent endowment fund is secured-a
fund absolutely essential to prevent the
tooth of time and the claws Of vandai-
ism and negie ct from destroying all
that they have heretofore accomplished.
1t goes without saying that in this sub
timely patriotic labor the people of
L'Etoils du Nord will bears their pro-
portion of the burden.
The estate Of Mount Vernon Is the
combined Mecca and Medina of all men
and women throughout the round
earth who love liberty and believe in
GiIC CdUdCAJy tu0 IdC0 IOE SolIsKOVs
erument. The fragrance of its flowers
are redolent with the perfume of human
freedom. The low aud rhrthmic mur-
muir of the waves Of the beautiful
Potomac shall here forever sing a dirge
over the grave of the great Anne riean
who in his life. and work. ana death
gave voice to every human aspiration
Coward liberty guided and sanctioned
and sanctined by law.
=. And. in the aspiration of our race for
the higher and purer life which we all
believe to be dawning. let it never be
forgotten that the country and the
W0rid owes the reclamation and redemp-
tion OF Washington's hume, not
to, the coarse and braWny en-
srxy OF congress-0r to that of
man In any of his egotistical and ag-
gressive estates. 1t was and is the
sloved and curtained force of women
the force that Is always greatest because
IT represents the power of sentiment